Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 51

“Spring Festival?”

Noah’s hand, which had been stamping seals without pause, came to a halt. A frown etched across his brow as he worked through the backlog of tasks that had piled up during their trip to the Altar of the Ancient God. Melbourne caught a glimpse of Amy standing beside the Grand Duke, almost as if pleading for help, and wiped the sweat from his temples with a handkerchief.

“Yes. Well, since your Grace’s accession has brought a true spring to the North, the common opinion of the Grand Ducal family is that we should hold a festival to commemorate your achievements.”

“Rejected.”

Noah cut Melbourne off instantly, bringing the seal down with a heavy thump. Melbourne looked as if the seal had been stamped directly onto his heart, his expression one of pure suffocation.

Unable to watch any longer, Amy stepped in.

“It sounds like a wonderful idea. Perhaps you should hear him out.”

“Continue.”

At Amy’s single sentence, the Grand Duke urged him to go on as if he had never mentioned a rejection. Melbourne stared blankly out the window. This is just what office life is like, he thought.

“A Spring Festival did exist originally, though it was a festival in name only. Since there wasn’t much of a temperature difference between spring and winter, it never really felt like a celebration.”

“Rita mentioned that people at least get to take off their furs in the spring.”

“Yes. You could say it was a festival to celebrate that.”

Melbourne nodded half-heartedly. Noah thought for a moment before letting out another thump with the seal.

“Bring me a proposal. I will review it.”

“!”

That was as good as a ‘yes.’ Melbourne’s eyes widened as he looked at Amy. Amy was surprised as well. She thought she would have to do much more persuading.

‘As the protagonist, he’ll have to show his face a lot. Is he really okay with that?’

Noah hated standing in front of people to the point where it seemed a waste of his handsome features. Or, more accurately, he found it bothersome. Seeing how quickly he agreed, Amy narrowed her eyes and studied him.

“What is it?”

“Pardon?”

After stamping the final document, Noah looked up and met Amy’s gaze directly.

“Don’t you agree with it too, Amy?”

“Ah, yes. But.”

Noah organized the papers on his desk and handed them to Melbourne.

“I’m fine with it.”

“Excuse me?”

Seeing Amy’s bewildered expression, Noah curled one side of his lip upward.

“You only make that face when you’re worried about me.”

“I wasn’t exactly worried.”

“Right, right. Let’s call it ‘concern’ then.”

Noah stretched his arms high above his head to relax his body and muttered.

“Joseph is going to have a hard time.”

“Ah.”

That was an undeniable fact. Last autumn, after the first taxes were collected, Joseph was the one who organized everything and drafted this year’s budget alone.

He had spent several nights awake, walking around like a hollow shell of a man while muttering to himself; he looked like a living ghost. It got so bad that children from the village running errands threw holy water on him to ward off spirits.

Now, if a Spring Festival was to be held, he would have to find a way to squeeze the budget out of the existing allocations. Amy could already see Joseph’s tearful face as he began readjusting the budget from scratch.

“Still, having James there this time should help.”

Noah had appointed James as Joseph’s deputy. Since then, Joseph’s face had brightened significantly. Lucy, a kitchen maid, once didn’t even recognize him sitting at the head of the table and told him to move because it was “Assistant Joseph’s seat.”

“The budget for the New Year’s Banquet is still intact, so adding that should make it easier.”

At Noah’s words, Amy nodded vigorously. Noah had canceled the New Year’s Banquet while they were at the Altar of the Ancient God. Since no one really expected it to happen following the attempted assassination of the Grand Duke anyway, there was no backlash.

Amy leaned in and whispered in a low voice.

“A Spring Festival is more of a local event than the New Year’s Banquet, so we won’t have to worry about the Empire sending envoys.”

“That’s exactly why I allowed it.”

Noah lowered his eyes demurely. His long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks, making his refined features look captivating. Amy stared at him blankly.

‘He’s getting prettier by the day.’

Noah tilted his head.

“Is there something on my face?”

“No.”

Amy answered quickly, turning her head and letting out a dry cough.

“Then I will have the proposal submitted.”

“Good. And.”

Noah scowled as if remembering something. Melbourne and Amy watched him with wide eyes, waiting for him to finish. Noah grumbled.

“Tell Rita to keep it reasonable. Reasonable.”

“Yes, sir.”

Melbourne looked as if he was suppressing a laugh, understanding exactly what he meant. Noah looked genuinely distressed, while Amy brushed it off.

‘Oh, come on. It’s not like Rita would suggest hanging the Grand Duke’s portrait across the entire North, right?’

And then, it happened.

“There are three candidates, everyone.”

Three easels covered with white cloths stood on a platform. Rita paced back and forth in front of them with disciplined movements.

“These were completed with great care by Mark’s father, the best painter in the village. I personally guarantee that all three works are of high enough quality to be hung in a temple immediately.”

Standing tall in the center of the platform, Rita tapped a long rod against her palm with a stern expression.

“To ensure a fair decision, we will proceed with a secret ballot. I expect a landslide victory, but I hope you all decide carefully.”

Ebi, standing below the platform, playfully whispered to Cecil next to her.

“A landslide? Did he paint the Grand Duke naked or something?”

Cecil made a face at that.

“How disrespectful, Ebi.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Just as Ebi shrunk her neck in shame, Cecil spoke sharply.

“Things like that should only be circulated among the castle family. Ebi, you lack professional spirit.”

“.”

Whispers could be heard from all over, wondering what kind of portrait could possibly warrant a landslide. Rita remained stone faced and gestured to Mari.

When Mari, standing in the corner, pulled a cord, the white cloths fell away simultaneously to reveal the paintings.

The crowd stirred loudly, and hands went up without hesitation.

“Number 3!”

“It has to be number 3.”

“There is no other choice besides number 3.”

“Put 1 and 2 in my room. Number 3 goes on every wall in the Duchy.”

As Rita predicted, votes poured in for portrait number 3. Rita nodded with satisfaction, raised her fist in the air, and put on a determined face.

“Thanks to your overwhelming support! I will make sure to get this approved!”

“Wooooooo!”

“Rejected.”

Amy said it the moment she saw the portrait. Rita’s jaw dropped before she clenched her fists and shouted.

“Ah, why!”

“.”

Amy stared at Rita silently. Rita immediately tucked her tail.

“I apologize for raising my voice, Head Maid.”

“Always maintain your dignity, Rita. You are the face of this castle and His Grace.”

Letting Amy’s strict reprimand go in one ear and out the other, Rita thought sadly to herself.

‘Ugh, what if the face of the castle is Cecil? Poor Grand Duke.’

Rita was under the delusion that her own face was quite acceptable.

‘Wait, this isn’t the time for that.’

Rita straightened her posture and sharpened her gaze.

“I would like to know the reason why this portrait was rejected.”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

Amy stood with her mouth agape in disbelief before letting out a long sigh.

‘As the Grand Duke said, she really doesn’t know the meaning of reasonable.’

Amy smiled soothingly, but the veins were bulging in the hand she used to point at the painting.

“Why am I in the Grand Duke’s portrait?”

As she spoke, her frustration rose, and she blew her bangs up with a puff of air.

“And this pose! It’s not like we’re a newlywed couple. This is truly embarrassing.”

In the portrait, Noah and Amy had their foreheads and hands pressed together, gazing at each other with moist, tender eyes.

“But look how much love there is! Besides, this was my profound way of prophesying the future.”

With her hands behind her back and her head bowed, Rita mumbled to herself while tapping the toe of her shoe against the floor. Amy cut her off firmly.

“I won’t say it twice. Get rid of it.”

“Aww.”

“Rita.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Rita pouted gloomily. Regardless, Amy scanned the remaining two paintings and picked out number 1.

“We will use this one for the portrait. However, as I said, you cannot post it on every wall. Let’s just put one up in the village below the castle.”

“But why? Such a face should be widely known to bless the world.”

Amy cut off Rita’s renewed indignation decisively.

“Because he could become a target for assassination.”

“!”

Rita’s mouth shut instantly. Her eyes went wide, she blinked a few times, and then she quietly bowed her head.

“I was short sighted.”

“It’s better to be conservative when preparing for such things.”

Amy softened her stern gaze and gave a comforting smile.

“I hear the morale among the staff is sky high? Joseph and Melbourne are practically losing their minds. I heard the proposal submitted to His Grace was fifty three pages long.”

Amy, looking slightly overwhelmed for a moment, regained her composure.

“It would have been better if the budget had been considered, but the local flair isn’t bad.”

There was no need to mention that Joseph nearly fainted after seeing the plan to melt gold to create a fountain. Probably.

“Anyway, His Grace is choosing the appropriate parts, so when the decision is made, everyone will need to work together. Can I count on you?”

“Leave it to me!”

Her spirits restored, Rita puffed out her chest. Amy patted Rita’s head, thinking that while she was overly enthusiastic, she was a good girl at heart.

Just then, the door opened and a guard entered. He reported on the families and individuals who had requested an audience with the Grand Duke. Amy’s eyebrows shot up.

“I will inform His Grace myself.”

After the guard left, Amy fell into serious thought. Rita approached hesitantly and asked.

“Who is it that has you looking like that?”

“Ah.”

Amy looked up and shrugged.

“Spencer Coleman. The heir to the House of Coleman. Apparently, he has finally returned from his travels abroad.”

In truth, it was more of a runaway than travels. Coincidentally, his visit to the castle overlapped with the Spring Festival. She couldn’t tell if this would be a good thing or a bad thing.

‘According to the reports from the mercenaries His Grace sent out, Count Coleman, who was ill, has improved slightly.’

She wasn’t sure if the Grand Duke knew the Coleman heir had returned. The mercenaries currently dispatched to various territories in the North were contracted to the Grand Duke, not Amy, so she didn’t know the full details.

“I should go see His Grace.”

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