Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 30

The moment the Crown Prince saw Baron Pearson, he practically bolted upright.

“Let’s take this outside.”

He rushed over to the Baron, grabbed him by the shoulder, and pushed him toward the door with surprising force.

“?”

Amy and Noah exchanged bewildered looks, wondering what had gotten into him. One moment he was acting as if he were about to explode with rage, and the next, he seemed desperate to flee the room. It was highly suspicious.

At the door, the Crown Prince looked back and offered a forced, awkward smile.

“Well then, we shall finish this conversation later.”

“…Safe travels, Your Highness.”

Though the interaction left a bitter taste in her mouth, Amy saw him off politely. She shook off the lingering unease and brought up the urgent matter she had come for.

“Please officially appoint Mrs. Weaver as the Head Maid.”

“…”

To her surprise, Noah didn’t answer. He simply stared at her. Usually, he acted as if he were blinded by his trust in her, saying, “Sure, Amy, if you say so, then it must be right.” Seeing him react differently felt foreign to her.

“Is something wrong, Your Grace?”

When Amy asked, Noah rubbed the back of his neck with a dissatisfied expression.

“It’s just… thinking about it now, it feels a bit strange.”

“Strange? What is?”

She tilted her head in confusion. Noah looked at her meaningfully and spoke each word clearly.

“Why do we need Mrs. Weaver as the Head Maid when we have you, Amy?”

“!”

Amy’s heart skipped a beat, but she managed to keep her face neutral. She had sensed it before, but while Noah usually seemed relaxed and even a bit lethargic, he was uncannily sharp about certain things. Amy stared at him, whispering to herself internally.

‘Because one day, I will leave this place and live my own life.’

But she couldn’t tell him the truth. The look in Noah’s eyes as he watched her… it might sound strange, but he looked desperate, as if he were clinging to her.

‘That can’t be.’

She dismissed the thought as nonsense.

‘It’s a matter for the distant future. There’s no need to confuse him by bringing it up now.’

The hierarchy and systems of the Grand Duchy weren’t fully established yet. Now was the time for everyone to unite and move toward a single goal.

Amy spoke nonchalantly. “The work I do is far too much for the single title of ‘Head Maid’ to cover. You know better than anyone how much I have on my plate, Your Grace.”

“…”

Noah scrutinized her with a gaze so sharp it felt like he was trying to peer into her soul. However, finding nothing specific to doubt, his expression eventually softened.

“I suppose that’s true.”

Just as Amy felt herself relax, Noah reached out and gently took her hand.

“!”

As she gasped in surprise, Noah brought her palm up to his cheek and whispered.

“I’m sorry for acting like a child when I know how busy you are with the banquet.”

He let out a sigh like a tired puppy and continued. “It’s my first time doing something like this… I think I’ve been feeling anxious.”

‘Ah, he’s under a lot of pressure.’ Only then did Amy lower her guard and reply calmly.

“It’s understandable. This is your first time standing before others as the Grand Duke.”

“…”

“First times are terrifying and nerve-wracking for everyone. When I first became a Head Maid, I was so frazzled that the moment I got back to my room and was finally alone, I tripped over my own feet and fell flat on my face.”

Amy covered her mouth with her free hand and giggled. She expected Noah to laugh with her, but he wore a pouting expression instead. However, that look vanished in an instant, replaced by his usual gentle face as he nodded.

“That’s why I find myself leaning on you more and more, Amy.”

“…”

Meeting Noah’s clear, honest eyes, Amy felt that uncomfortable fluttering in her stomach again. As she tried to gently pull her hand away, Noah gripped it tighter and rubbed his face against it. He murmured like a petulant child.

“I haven’t even been able to sleep lately.”

“That won’t do.”

Amy’s face crumpled into a frown immediately. Her worry over his insomnia caused her to forget the awkward sensation from a moment ago. She reached out with her other hand and felt his forehead. Fortunately, he didn’t have a fever.

“Are you in any pain? Your Grace, shall I call for a doctor?”

Come to think of it, she had been so busy that she hadn’t yet recruited a permanent resident physician for the castle. Scolding herself for her negligence, Amy’s mind began to race.

‘First, I’ll consult with the butler and the parish priest… It might also be good to hear Mrs. Weaver’s and James’s opinions.’

Seeing her genuine concern, Noah shook his head with a pleased look.

“It’s not that serious. Let’s finish the banquet first and then handle things one by one.” He smiled brilliantly, like a flower in full bloom. “It’s not as if we’re only staying here for a day or two.”

“…Ah, I have something else to tell you.”

Amy’s heart thudded at his smile, and after successfully pulling herself together, she changed the subject by pulling a letter from her bodice.

“It’s from Jack and Dwayne, who went to retrieve the magic tool.”

Noah took the letter and skimmed it, raising an eyebrow. “Does this mean they’re returning soon?”

“Yes. On that note… I would like permission to enter the Grand Duchy’s secret treasury for a moment.”

“…”

Noah looked up and stared at her in silence. Amy felt a surge of tension. The secret treasury was a place only the direct bloodline of the Grand Duke was permitted to enter. Noah himself held the keys passed down from the previous Grand Duke.

“Alright.”

Noah nodded readily. He reached deep into his desk, pulled out a ring of keys, and placed them on the table along with a manifest of the items stored inside.

“Good timing. While you’re there, check to see if everything is in its proper place.”

Amy, who had been prepared to offer a dozen justifications for her request, was taken aback.

“No, I told you that you should handle that yourself… Why are you just handing them over to me like this?”

“Didn’t you say you needed the keys?”

When Noah blinked as if he truly didn’t understand the problem, Amy sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“At the very least, you should ask what I need them for.”

“I’m sure you’ll take care of whatever it is, Amy.”

Noah looked as if even asking was too much trouble. Amy gave him a slight glare before slumping her shoulders.

“I’ll be careful. Thank you for trusting me.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Amy scratched the bridge of her nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. She was grateful for Noah’s overwhelming trust, but it also made her heart feel heavy.

Noah watched her bashful reaction with a look of satisfaction. “Amy, you know I’m always grateful to you, right?”

“I know. And Your Grace knows that this was my choice, right?”

She gave him a playful wink. Noah threw his head back and let out a loud, hearty laugh. Amy was genuinely startled; in all the time she had spent with him, she had never seen him laugh so freely.

When his laughter subsided, Noah gazed at her intently. “I am constantly thinking about how I should repay you for that choice.”

Once again, his heavy sincerity weighed down on her. Rather than feeling grateful, she felt burdened, which confused her. After a moment of silence, she managed a smile.

“I don’t do this expecting a reward. You are my lord, so it is only natural that you receive my loyalty.”

For a moment, Noah’s face clouded over. He quickly lowered his eyes and mumbled, “…I see.”

Suddenly remembering something, Amy’s eyes widened. “By the way, did you hear the report from Captain Vernon?”

“Ah, about the suspicious movements from the Crown Prince’s knights?”

The gentle, relaxed look Noah had worn moments ago vanished. His eyes sharpened with tension, and a dark smile played on his lips.

“I left it to the Captain. I told him to go ahead and do as he pleases—I’ll take responsibility even if things get out of hand. As the Grand Duke, I should be able to handle that much cleanup. You should know that, too, Amy.”

“Yes. I think that’s for the best.”

Amy smirked as well, already plotting how to use this to trip up the Crown Prince.

Leaving the office, Amy hurried toward the inner tower. Cecil, who had been waiting outside, quickly fell into step behind her.

“Head Maid. There was a commotion in front of the kitchen.”

“What kind of commotion?”

Cecil bit her lip and whispered in a low voice. “Sir Martin’s knights were harassing the maids.”

“!”

Amy stopped in her tracks. She turned to Cecil with a cold, hard face.

“Tell me everything.”

Captain Vernon had a headache. He had rushed over because he was the only one available when he heard there was trouble, only to find Martin’s knights drunk and picking fights with the maids so early in the day.

‘Hah, I guess this is my initiation ritual.’

He had started this prestigious new job with a fresh mindset, only to run into Martin—his nemesis from the Imperial Palace—once again. To make matters worse, despite everything going Martin’s way back then, the man still harbored a grudge against Vernon. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

‘At least Martin isn’t here personally.’

Just thinking about a direct confrontation with him made Vernon’s head throb. He stepped forward and blocked the knights’ path.

“Let’s keep things civil. It’ll be a headache for everyone if this escalates.”

He spoke nonchalantly while ushering the maids behind his back. Upon arrival, he realized it wasn’t exactly sexual harassment, but rather the knights mocking the girls, asking if the castle was livable and how they could survive in such a rural backwater.

The problem was that the maids seemed so innocent, and being surrounded by hulking knights had clearly terrified them.

“A headache for who?”

One of Martin’s closest subordinates, his face flushed red from drink, glared provocatively at Vernon. A whistle sounded from the back.

“You were crawling on the floor back at the Palace, but now that you’re in the countryside, you’ve found your spine and started acting tough in front of the ladies, eh?”

A roar of laughter erupted among the Crown Prince’s knights. Vernon shook his head, wondering if these idiots lacked any sense of situational awareness. But then, the eyes of the trembling maids behind him changed in an instant. Their gaze became sharp and seasoned—not at all like the girls who had been cowering moments ago.

“Your inability to read the room is exactly the same as before. These ladies probably wanted to get along with the capital knights, but you just have no tact.”

“Of course! Where else would these country girls get to meet real knights like us?”

As the knights puffed out their chests like peacocks in heat, the maids let out a coarse, mocking laugh.

“You can find plenty of things like you if you head to the local trash heap.”

One of the maids even mimicked the action of spitting on the ground. “In the North, we wouldn’t even count things like you as firewood, yet you sure talk a big game.”

“Pfft.”

The other maids lowered their heads, stifling their laughter. Meanwhile, Vernon suppressed his rising temper and managed to coax the knights back to their quarters.

‘Seriously, what a bunch of….’

He wanted to tell them to strip off their ranks and settle it then and there, but professional life was a series of endurances.

“Are you girls alright?”

He approached the huddle of maids and asked gently. They all looked up at him with large, doe-like eyes; since they were all around his daughter’s age, he felt even more protective of them.

Since arriving at the castle, Vernon had found the guards, servants, and maids to be kind and innocent. That made him even more worried. He couldn’t imagine how shocked these young ladies must have been to encounter the foul-mouthed and ill-mannered knights of the capital.

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