Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 49

“I’m telling you, the Second Prince… everyone thought he was the quiet type, but he wasn’t.”

The jailer chuckled, revealing his few remaining blackened teeth.

“Word is, he’s been cherishing this incredible beauty. They say he’s always got her tucked under his arm; there isn’t a soul in the capital who hasn’t seen them together.”

Amy blinked slowly. The Second Prince she remembered was just a boy, yet he already had a lover. It seemed she had truly been locked away for a very long time. Once again, she felt the heartless flow of time.

“I don’t know what happened between him and the new Crown Prince, but they say after some initial nerves, things have settled down. The Second Prince probably gave up on the throne. Otherwise, there’s no way the Crown Prince would torment the former heir to death while leaving the Second Prince alone.”

“…….”

“Ah, right, I was talking about the Second Prince’s lover, wasn’t I? No one knows which noble house she’s from, but they say her looks are fantastic. How did they describe her? Hair as white as snow and eyes as black as coal? And since she’s always expressionless, the Second Prince is apparently just melting with devotion.”

The jailer clicked his tongue.

“Men are all the same. They’re drawn to women who are indifferent to them. Still, there’s a limit. If you lead a man around by the nose too much, you’ll end up in a mess like yours, won’t you?”

Amy didn’t even have the strength to snort in derision, so she just stayed still. The jailer wasn’t looking for an answer anyway, as he went back to his story about the Second Prince.

“It only just came out, but apparently the Second Prince has been traveling all over the Empire with his lover for a long time. They visited every nook and cranny until there was nowhere left to see. The capital was just their last stop.”

The jailer shook his head in amazement.

“Who would have imagined? That quiet Second Prince, who used to stay cooped up in his palace, traveling the whole country just because the person he loved wanted to. Love is a strange thing. Don’t you think?”

Amy, who had been staring blankly into space, closed her eyes and thought to herself. It truly is.

“Head Maid, please sit here.”

Dwayne had cleared a flat spot by the campfire and patted it. Amy approached silently and took a seat.

As Dwayne leaned down to sit beside her, Noah suddenly stepped in, wedging himself between her and Dwayne before plopping down.

“…….”

Amy glanced at Noah from the corner of her eye and then turned her head away.

The squires and servants in charge of cooking were cheerfully stirring the pot with a ladle. They had planned to be in the mountains for a month, but since they were heading back in less than two weeks, they were in high spirits. Perhaps that was why the atmosphere was so harmonious.

Soon, the food was ready. Following Noah, Amy was handed a bowl of stew. She stared down at the food for a moment before lifting a spoonful to her mouth. It was a mechanical action to fill her stomach rather than to savor the meal.

As she diligently chewed and swallowed, the words Dwayne had said before they left the clearing replayed in her mind.

‘They say the reason the Grand Duke is trying so hard to be a great man is all for that person. Kaaa, it’s touching no matter how many times I think about it. What is it they say? Love changes the world?’

Her spoon slowed down and eventually stopped. Amy was staring blankly ahead when Noah’s face suddenly popped into her field of vision from the side.

“Amy?”

“……Yes, Your Grace.”

She answered reluctantly, then startled herself. Her voice had sounded hauntingly hollow. Flustered, she looked over to see Noah frowning, clearly having sensed something was wrong.

Her heart began to beat violently, and Amy reflexively pressed her hand against her chest. Noah immediately asked, “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

He had even tossed aside his food to lean in and check on her with such genuine worry that Amy couldn’t speak for a moment. This was the Noah she knew. When she remained silent, Noah grew even more anxious.

“Does the food taste strange? Was it cooked wrong?”

Seeing the faces of the servants standing nearby turn pale with fear, Amy quickly shook her head and made up an excuse.

“It’s not that. It’s just… I think I have a bit of indigestion.”

“!”

Noah reached out without hesitation and grabbed Amy’s hand. He began to firmly massage the webbing between her thumb and index finger.

“They say this helps it go down.”

As he carefully kneaded her hand, he muttered with a look of distress, “You didn’t even eat that fast, so why did you get indigestion?”

“…….”

Amy gazed at Noah. Noticing her stare, Noah tilted his head shyly.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“……It’s nothing.”

Amy looked down and thought to herself. If he is this kind to a mere subordinate like the Head Maid, I can only imagine how he treats the one who holds his heart.

“I think I’m okay now.”

When Amy forced a smile and pulled her hand away, Noah smacked his lips regretfully and squeezed his empty fist. Amy buried her face back in her food and continued eating, her thoughts wandering.

‘At least it’s a relief he didn’t take after his father, the Emperor.’

How fortunate that he was so devoted to the person he loved. She tried to convince herself of this while eating heartily, but her spoon slowed down again.

‘Maybe I should have just let the servants get scolded.’

Once her stomach was somewhat full, she put her bowl down without regret and grumbled inwardly.

‘It tastes terrible.’

Washing and organizing the empty dishes was also the servants’ job. Amy sat in the shade some distance away, idly watching them move busily. Then, a strange sight caught her eye.

“Ah!”

Ethan was carefully moving a mountain of dishes balanced against his chest when a squire walked up and bumped into his shoulder with a loud thud. Ethan’s slender body stumbled, and the wooden dishes tumbled to the ground with a loud clatter.

“Oh, sorry. But who told you to stand there?”

The squire, who looked twice Ethan’s size, smirked and jeered. After staring at him for a moment, Ethan silently knelt on one knee and began picking up the rolling dishes. Before long, other servants gathered around, looking down at him and snickering.

“What is that…?”

Frowning, Amy looked around. The knights and guards were either napping in the shade some distance away or chatting idly at their posts.

“Hmm.”

Amy’s gaze turned sharp. Meanwhile, Ethan, having picked up all the dropped dishes, was walking toward the nearby stream again. The other squires pointed and mocked him.

“Should I just watch this happen?”

Amy muttered to herself when someone suddenly sat down beside her and spoke.

“Just leave it be.”

“!”

Startled, she turned to see Bradley. He was chewing on a blade of grass he had picked from somewhere, wearing an indifferent expression.

“They’re just bitter because Ethan gets to serve the Grand Duke so closely.”

“Ah…”

“He’s a commoner, not even gentry. They think he’s receiving special treatment when he isn’t a noble like them.”

Amy looked at Ethan, who was crouched by the stream. He was the only one scrubbing the mountain of dishes and pans. All the other squires were either playing around or glaring at him.

Amy’s brow furrowed. “Should we really leave it alone?”

“That’s daily life for him. He knew what he was getting into, and there’s no other way. He has to overcome it himself.”

Bradley flopped onto his back. The blade of grass sticking out of his mouth twitched as he chewed. Amy looked down at him.

‘Did they say he was the second son of a low-ranking noble?’

Bradley hadn’t reached his position easily either. Being a low-ranking noble was a hurdle, and he was the second son on top of that. In the Empire, where the eldest son inherited the title and all assets, a second son’s only options were to become a knight, enter the temple as a priest, or go to a university to become a researcher.

‘Come to think of it, they were very fond of Ethan.’

Jack, Bradley, and Dwayne had adored Vernon’s nephew, Ethan, even before coming to the North. Seeing them stay quiet even while the boy suffered meant that, literally, this was the best course of action. The tension left Amy’s shoulders.

‘Still, it bothers me.’

Seeing Ethan struggle reminded her of her own childhood, entering the Imperial Palace without any backing and being envied by senior and fellow maids from prestigious families.

Back then, she had fought back against unfair treatment only to be dragged away by the Head Maid for punishment, living her life with her guard up like a porcupine. It was a time she wanted to cut out of her memory entirely.

Amy absentmindedly toyed with the brooch pinned to her chest.

‘I received this back then.’

She didn’t know exactly who gave it to her. She only remembered he was a very tall man.

‘I remember his voice was very gentle.’

Even though he was an adult, he had seemed more timid than her, a mere child, so she had nagged him. He had listened silently and then offered a ring as a reward, which she naturally refused. This was because the man’s appearance hadn’t looked particularly well-off either.

Then, he had removed the gem from the ring and placed it in her palm, saying it would look good if she made it into a brooch. His voice had been so soft and kind that she had found herself accepting it as if enchanted.

‘I even had it with me before the regression.’

When the prison collapsed and she died, she had the gem she received from Noah, a lucky silver coin, and the brooch that was attached to her clothes. It was no wonder she looked at those items with a bit of affection after her regression.

‘Oh, right, I had this too.’

She reached up and felt her hair, touching a thin bobby pin. Ever since Noah told her to keep it, she had always worn it in her hair except when she was sleeping.

Her gaze drifted back to Ethan. It was a little sad. If he had a supportive memory like she did, perhaps it would help him endure this hellish time just a little bit more.

Thinking Amy was silent because she was in a bad mood, Bradley sat up slightly and spoke soothingly.

“You don’t need to worry too much. This is a kind of training too. It’s something everyone goes through during their squire days. I’m sure he’ll overcome it.”

“…I hope so.”

Amy gave Ethan one last look and stood up. The break was over, and it was time to head down the mountain.

That was when she noticed the servants standing in a group some distance away, whispering and staring meaningfully at Ethan as he busily cleaned.

‘What are they up to now?’

Amy narrowed her eyes as Ethan walked toward the upper part of the stream, clutching an armful of canteens. The squire who had bumped his shoulder earlier followed him, sauntering along.

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