Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 45

The Crown Prince grimaced and shook off Noah’s hand. Noah withdrew his hand nonchalantly and spoke.

“Safe travels, Your Highness.”

“Call me Brother.”

The Crown Prince, who had been about to vent his irritation, caught a glimpse of Amy’s expression and managed to speak with forced dignity. Noah replied instantly.

“Safe travels, Brother.”

His determination to see his guest off as quickly as possible was so clear that Amy had to stifle a laugh. Catching a glimpse of her reaction, the Crown Prince muttered to himself.

“Perhaps I should stay just one more day.”

Noah cut him off, pretending not to hear.

“The weather looks suspicious; I believe it’s going to rain.”

He then raised his voice toward the attendants.

“Saddle the horses at once!”

At the Grand Duke’s command, the loyal servants of the castle answered in a thunderous roar.

“Yes, Your Grace!”

Their movements grew even more hurried, and the preparations were finished in an instant. The Crown Prince smacked his lips bitterly and reluctantly mounted his horse.

“Amy.”

As he hesitated after calling her name, Amy spoke up quickly.

“Your Grace, won’t you say a word for the safe return of His Imperial Highness to the Empire?”

“ ”

Both men wore equally displeased expressions. Meeting each other’s reluctant gazes, they both looked away at the same time and muttered.

“I’m sure he’ll find his way well enough.”

“Whatever. It would only leave a bad aftertaste anyway.”

Was it a blessing that they couldn’t hear each other? Amy felt a cold sweat run down her spine and signaled to the people.

“Clear the way!”

The people who had gathered in small groups to steal a glance at them retreated in perfect order. As a path opened through the crowd, the Crown Prince’s horse finally began to move.

“ ”

Amy stood still and watched until the entire procession had cleared the castle. However, the moment the last squire crossed the drawbridge, she tilted her head in confusion.

‘Did I miss someone?’

She stared at the backs of the receding crowd with a lingering sense of unease when people approached her side.

“Now we can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”

It was Vernon, looking like he hadn’t slept for a week. When Mrs. Weaver, standing behind Amy, looked him over with concern, Vernon scratched his head awkwardly. Amy nodded.

“The Captain of the Guard especially went through a lot of trouble.”

“Indeed.”

As Noah chimed in, the area around Vernon’s cheekbones turned red. He straightened his chest as if to say did you see that? and stole a glance at Mrs. Weaver. Amy clicked her tongue inwardly. Honestly, he has no style.

Just then, Jack and Dwayne, standing tensely at a distance, caught her eye. Amy narrowed her eyes and whispered to Noah.

“What shall we do with them?”

They had dared to disobey the Grand Duke’s orders and nearly caused a rift with the Empire. It was lucky the Crown Prince hadn’t paid them much attention; if he had made an issue of it, it would have been a significant headache.

“Follow me.”

Noah glanced at them and turned around first. Amy followed him, glaring at Jack and Dwayne with a look that said you’re dead now. The two men trailed behind with slumped shoulders.

Once they reached the office, Noah sat on the edge of the desk. Amy stood beside him, while Jack and Dwayne stood before them with the expressions of dogs that had made a massive mess and were waiting for their punishment.

Noah rummaged through a drawer and tossed something.

“!”

Jack, catching it instinctively, blinked. It was a small pouch. He stole a glance at Amy before opening it, only to be startled.

“Th-This is…”

Amy, leaning forward to see what it was, frowned deeply upon seeing the contents in Jack’s hand.

“Your Grace? No, why are you giving a reward to someone who should be punished?”

The pouch was filled with gold coins. Considering that the servants’ wages were paid in silver at most, it was a staggering amount. Noah tilted his head calmly.

“They completed their mission successfully. It’s a little something for that.”

However, the quick-witted Jack immediately saw through the Grand Duke’s intentions. He must have been extremely satisfied that they had crushed the knights of his half-brother and bruised his ego.

“Thank you.”

As Dwayne began to pant with excitement like a dog seeing a bone, Jack quickly tucked the pouch into his tunic. Dwayne’s spirit deflated like flat beer, but Jack changed the subject, pretending not to notice.

“There is something I didn’t get to mention last time. Actually, we received help from an outsider in finding that item.”

“!”

Expression vanished from Amy’s face in an instant. Dizziness washed over her at the unexpected words, and as she staggered, reaching out to grip the desk, all three men were startled.

“Amy, what’s wrong?”

Noah stood up abruptly to support her. Amy patted the arm he had wrapped around her to signal she was alright. She took a deep breath and looked at Jack.

“What kind of person was it? Did they… by any chance, know what I told you, Sir Jack?”

The possibility that she might not be the only one who had regressed hit her with a fear greater than expected. If the person who helped appeared there knowing everything.

Feeling her heart pounding wildly, she reflexively gripped Noah’s forearm. Though it must have been painful, Noah didn’t budge and remained a steady pillar for her.

“It didn’t seem that way. They simply appeared while I was searching the graveyard and told me to look at the gravestone with the unfamiliar script first.”

Jack searched his memory and spoke. Dwayne nodded beside him. Only then could Amy let the tension leave her body. As she began to slump, Noah held her more firmly and whispered.

“Let’s sit down.”

He guided her to his own chair. Amy, too dazed to realize where she was sitting, caught her breath and regained her senses, only to jump up in surprise.

“Keep sitting.”

“No, not here!”

Amy hurried around the desk. As Noah pouted in disapproval, Jack and Dwayne watched them with keen interest.

Amy cleared her throat and asked as if nothing were wrong.

“And you don’t know what was written on the gravestone?”

“Ah, yes. That person didn’t seem to know either.”

“I see.”

Amy’s expression relaxed. Right, it must have been a coincidence. If they truly knew, there’s no way they wouldn’t have come here.

“But the thing is…”

Jack suddenly fell silent, looking troubled as he glanced between Noah and Amy. As Jack hesitated and stalled for time, Dwayne stepped forward and spoke vigorously.

“We invited that person to the Grand Duchy!”

“What?!”

Amy was horrified, and a question mark practically appeared over Noah’s head. Amy screamed, the veins in her neck bulging.

“I clearly told you over and over that you must not reveal your identity!”

As she grew far more furious than expected, Jack groaned and covered his face with his hand. But Dwayne spread his arms wide and appealed to her.

“Please listen to me, Head Maid. We went through an incredible amount of trouble. Investigating a graveyard attached to a temple, and a nameless one at that, is easier said than done. It was utterly daunting. We looked at thousands of graves during that time.”

“ ”

“Besides, why are there so many temples in mountain valleys and on peaks? Not only that, but we had to dig through the ground to find temples that were already closed. We were practically coughing up blood!”

Even if she had expected them to struggle, she hadn’t realized it was to that extent.

‘Should I have sent more people?’

She had only sent a few trustworthy men because the search had to be as discreet as possible. Her anger hadn’t completely vanished, but Amy lowered her eyes slightly out of guilt. Dwayne’s lamentation continued.

“Is that person not a benefactor who appeared in such a situation? Personally, I wanted to treat them to some Northern liquor, so I invited them. Surely, Head Maid…”

Dwayne suddenly pointed at Amy. She raised her head reflexively and met his sparkling eyes, barely managing to control her face, which was on the verge of contorting.

“After worrying about us so much, you aren’t going to say no to this, are you?”

“ ”

At a loss for an answer, Amy thought for a moment before quietly looking away and muttering.

“It’s for His Grace to decide.”

“!”

The two men’s gazes snapped toward him. Noah stared intensely at Amy, not them, and then gave a single nod as if to say do as you wish. Dwayne cheered at that, and Jack’s expression also brightened significantly. They truly must have received great help from that person.

‘Right, it must be a coincidence. Given the circumstances, the unfamiliar script must have belonged to the Viscon clan, and the person who helped is likely connected to them…’

No, appearing at the exact moment they were needed to provide decisive help—could that really be a coincidence? Amy tried to convince herself, but ended up persuaded of the opposite.

‘Let’s just assume it’s someone who, like me, knows about the time before the regression.’

Once she had made up her mind, she felt more at ease.

‘Since they’re coming, let’s see what kind of person they are. I don’t know if they’ll be a help or a hindrance, but they did help us for now. We should repay them. Besides, if they were greedy, they wouldn’t have helped find the magical artifact; they would have just taken it themselves.’

She stole a glance at Noah. Seeing him still watching her with a worried gaze, she gave him a bright smile. Seeing his expression finally soften, she truly felt like laughing.

Amy didn’t realize that she had begun to think of herself and Noah as a ‘we’.

That night, in the kitchen of the Grand Duchy.

In the middle of the night, after the chef had returned to his home in the village and all the servants had gone back to their quarters, the last remaining maid was scraping up the ashes from the hearth with a body soaked in fatigue when she heard a scratching sound from somewhere.

“What was that noise?”

The maid stopped what she was doing and listened intently. But as if it had been an illusion, she heard nothing more. She tilted her head, wondering if she had misheard, when this time there was a thud, as if something had collided.

“What is it?”

Suddenly realizing she was alone in the dark kitchen, goosebumps erupted all over her body. However, she wouldn’t be a woman of the North if she were to get scared and retreat here.

“Whew.”

The maid took a small breath, set down the galvanized bucket of ashes, and stood up. She then gripped a poker tightly and began to creep toward the source of the noise. If it were a thief, she was prepared to crack their head open.

She descended the stone steps and arrived at the door of the underground storage. She could sense something moving behind that door, which the chef had locked tight. The maid hesitated for a moment. She knew where the chef hid the warehouse key.

‘It was quite fun raiding the warehouse in the middle of the night with the other maids to secretly steal sausages and jerky.’

But she couldn’t just leave a thief alone.

‘I guess those days are over now.’

With a sigh, the maid reached her hand between the bowls on a shelf. Soon, she felt a small key. She pulled it out, inserted it into the keyhole, and turned it slowly. She then threw the door wide open and shouted.

“Hey, you thief! Huh?”

In a corner of the storage room, she saw someone huddled on the floor, trembling violently.

“Wait, you’re…?”

The maid, poker raised, widened her eyes.

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