Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 5

Jerking her head up at a sudden fluttering sound, Amy saw a carrier pigeon with grey wings land on a nearby branch.

She skillfully caught the bird and retrieved a small note from the tube attached to its ankle. As she skimmed the contents, a smile spread across her face.

The Second Prince was curious about what was happening, but he held his tongue. Amy had already promised to explain everything once they left the capital.

“Amy, is it going well?”

He couldn’t help but ask. Although Amy had remained composed, his natural intuition and years of surviving on the whims of others told him that she had been incredibly on edge lately.

And she even hurt her ankle.

Thinking that it was all because of him, he felt a wave of gloom.

“Yes, it is going very well.”

Amy gave a soft smile and reached out to gently straighten the Second Prince’s disheveled clothes.

He stared at her without even blinking. It was a smile he hadn’t seen once since she had suddenly marched into his presence two months ago and declared she would be his Head Maid.

She used to smile like that occasionally when she was my brother’s Head Maid.

He blamed himself, thinking he had become a shackle to her. But seeing her radiant smile now, it seemed a bird had fluttered into his small chest as well. The thumping in his heart was loud and frantic.

The Second Prince’s procession departed the Imperial Palace. Since Amy had dismissed the few existing maids, his only immediate attendant was the Head Maid herself. Aside from her, there were only three coachmen and two servants for general labor.

The Emperor, perhaps worried people might think he was mistreating the Second Prince, offered to provide imperial guards as a show of generosity.

However, the Second Prince declined with dignity, stating that since his destination was the distant and barren North, he could not take away guards whose mission was to protect the palace. It was a perfectly logical and sensible response.

Was the Second Prince always such a good speaker?

Some felt something was slightly off, but the thought was quickly forgotten.

The North was a place where survival was the primary objective; the winters were brutally cold, and the summers were plagued by severe drought. How long could a young prince last in such an environment? In truth, he was practically walking into a death trap.

For the Empire, it was a profitable deal. They recognized a land where taxes couldn’t even be properly collected as a principality in exchange for a stable annual tribute.

“Lady Esmain is quite clever.”

It was Lady Esmain who had suggested making the Second Prince’s territory an independent principality. She used the barbarians beyond the northern mountains, who had been on bad terms with the North for generations, as her reasoning.

“There have been twenty-three riots in the last ten years, and the frequency has been increasing lately. While there have been no casualties yet, it’s safe to say we are on the brink of war. If we keep the Second Prince’s territory as an imperial dependency, the Empire might have to fight that war. But if we make it entirely the Second Prince’s independent principality, then any war that breaks out will have nothing to do with the Empire.”

She wasn’t wrong. Furthermore, since she made an annual tribute a condition, the Empire could simply re-annex the territory if they ever became negligent.

With this move, Lady Esmain certainly made a lasting impression on the Emperor. In reality, all of these ideas had come from Duke Esmain’s aide. When the Emperor tried to reward him, the aide declined and requested to return to his hometown, citing poor health.

“You’re a former slave of a foreign tribe, right? Wouldn’t it be better to stay with our family?”

Lady Esmain didn’t necessarily mean to insult him. However, as an Imperial citizen and a pure-blooded noble, her superiority led her to discriminate against and insult foreigners as naturally as breathing. She wasn’t even aware she was doing it.

“My health is poor… cough. I suspect it might be a contagious disease.”

As the aide coughed with a pale face, Lady Esmain immediately kicked him out of the mansion. He headed to the city center with a meager severance package. He then checked into a reserved inn and sent a carrier pigeon detailing the situation.

That carrier pigeon was the very one that had just reached Amy’s hands. In other words, she was the one who had orchestrated this entire scenario.

The Second Prince tilted his head.

“Is it really that important for me to become a Grand Duke and for the North to be a principality instead of a dependency?”

Historically, people in the Empire believed the inhabitants of the barren North only survived because they were under the protection of the Imperial wings. Thus, Amy’s desire to break away seemed strange to him.

Amy smiled brightly.

“Of course. Just trust me. I will make your principality the wealthiest nation on the continent.”

“If you say so, Amy, then it must be true.”

The Second Prince nodded immediately without a hint of doubt. Amy looked at the boy fondly and thought:

Only by separating from the Empire will the gold and jewels we gather in the future belong entirely to the principality.

When she returned several months ago, she had laid out all her plans for today. And this was only the beginning.

“Let us go, Your Highness.”

“Okay.”

The Second Prince nodded at Amy’s words and boarded the carriage without a single look back. For someone leaving the place where he was born and raised, he was incredibly dry about it. Following him up, Amy turned to take one last look at the Imperial Palace.

She had once thought she found a family here and had dedicated her entire youth to it. But in the end, this place had taken her life.

Perhaps that was why her steps felt light as she left.

I will strip the Crown Prince of his power and serve the Second Prince with all my loyalty.

Renewing her resolve, she turned away. The magnificent palace was no longer of any concern to her.

“Amy, where are we going now?”

The Second Prince, who had been looking out the carriage window, turned and asked. Amy, who was checking a bundle of documents, looked up.

“To the central market.”

“The central market? That’s in the middle of the capital. Weren’t we leaving the city?”

“I have a few things to buy. And some business to attend to.”

“I see.”

His curiosity satisfied, the Second Prince turned back to the window with an excited face. Amy tapped her cheek with her pen, lost in thought.

Now that I think about it, has he ever even been to the capital city?

She didn’t know. She had only started serving him a few months ago, so she honestly didn’t know much about him. She knew a mountain’s worth of information about the Crown Prince, though.

That jerk gets athlete’s foot every summer and a runny nose every winter. When he was little, he hated carrots so much he’d spit them into his shoes and walk around limping.

Thinking back only made her angry all over again.

What was Lady Esmain thinking, trying to pair me with such a lacking human being?

Furthermore, the Empress had beaten her every time her son did something stupid. Each time, the Crown Prince would cry and apologize to her, only to forget everything and repeat the same behavior immediately. As a result, her calves were never without bruises when she was young.

Is she crazy? How could she think I would ever love such a person as a man?

Amy shuddered with rage, making her quill tremble. Just then, the Second Prince asked softly:

“Amy, what’s wrong? Are you hungry?”

His amber eyes were full of concern as he looked at her. It was a universal truth that looking at a cute and handsome face could melt away anger. Amy softened her expression and spoke.

“I just had a momentary bad memory. But Your Highness, are you feeling hungry?”

“Well, a little?”

The Second Prince laughed sheepishly. Amy smiled back. Well, it’s good for kids to eat well. The age difference between Amy and the Second Prince was only three years, but perhaps because he grew up poorly fed, he was smaller than others his age.

So, Amy often found herself treating him like a child.

“Since it will be hard to see such a well-maintained market once we leave the capital, shall we look around for a bit? We can try some market food, too.”

“Is that okay?”

Anticipation flooded his small face. Amy suppressed a laugh and nodded.

The whole palace rumors that he’s prickly, but he’s nothing but gentle. You really have to get to know a person for yourself.

They arrived at the market shortly after and left the carriage and luggage at a storage facility. Holding hands like siblings, they entered the market.

The central aisle was packed with stalls and people. Amy, worried about the Second Prince’s safety, glanced back. The mercenaries she had hired were already surrounding them. It was well worth the high price she paid. Reassured, Amy continued walking, but the Second Prince tapped her hand in excitement.

“Amy, look at this. It’s such a strange-looking flower.”

“Amy, did you see that? How can a person breathe fire from their mouth?”

“Amy, Amy. Can we buy the clothes I just saw? I think they’d look good on you.”

Amy felt like her ears were going to fall off. It felt like she was hearing her name called enough for a lifetime. The Second Prince called out to her tirelessly.

“Amy, you know.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Amy isn’t going anywhere.”

As Amy replied with a look of resignation, the Second Prince chuckled. Then, as if he just remembered something, he tilted his head.

“By the way, is it okay to call me Your Highness in a place like this?”

“Ah, you’re right. I made a mistake.”

“I’m not scolding you, it’s just.”

Suddenly, the Second Prince hesitated, unable to meet Amy’s eyes. Amy furrowed her brows. What is it now?

The Second Prince said shyly:

“If you just called me Noah.”

“What? That’s your childhood name.”

Amy thought for a moment about whose name Noah was before waving her hands in surprise. Traditionally, a royal’s childhood name could only be used by parents or a spouse.

The Second Prince looked up at Amy with watery eyes.

“Everyone who could call me that is now dead. I want you to call me that, Amy.”

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