Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 52

On my way to the Grand Duke’s office, I happened to spot Joseph climbing the stairs. Just as I was about to raise my hand to acknowledge him, Joseph took a cautious look around and suddenly started shrugging his shoulders rhythmically.

‘What on earth is he doing?’

I lowered my hand, feeling a bit put off, and watched in silence. To my surprise, he didn’t stop at just swaying; he actually started stepping. It was a proper waltz step, and I was absolutely flabbergasted.

“Mmm, mmm-mmm~”

He was even humming his own accompaniment. It was quite a spectacle. I stood there with my arms crossed, leaning on one leg, tapping my foot to his beat.

“Heeem… Gaaah!”

Joseph, who had been spinning while supporting an invisible partner, discovered me standing right in front of him and tumbled backward. I clapped my hands slowly.

“Nice performance. Planning to do that at the festival? I think it’ll be an explosive hit.”

“H-Head Maid! When did you…”

Joseph stammered, his crooked glasses perched precariously on the bridge of his nose. Seeing his face turn deathly pale from the shock made me feel like a common bully for teasing him. I dropped the playful tone, bowed slightly as if asking for a dance, and reached out my hand.

“Get up for now.”

“Yes, y-yes…”

He squeezed his eyes shut with an expression that said he wanted to die. But just as he was about to reach for my hand—

Grab.

“…”

I stared blankly at the long, masculine hand that had gently draped itself over mine, then turned my head. The owner of the hand, Noah, was looking down at the two of us with his lips pursed in a slight pout.

“When did you get here? Please make some noise. Someone with a weak heart might drop dead of a fright.”

I made a polite acknowledgement and subtly pulled my hand back. Joseph, the very definition of a man with a weak heart, was clutching his chest and wheezing. He looked truly shaken.

“Just now. I saw a strange sight and came running.”

Noah’s cold, golden eyes were fixed squarely on Joseph. Joseph started making pained groaning sounds again. I quickly scanned my brain for a subject change, then blinked.

“Your Grace. You’re wearing new clothes.”

Since returning from the altar of the ancient gods, Noah had grown significantly once again. Now, I had to tilt my chin all the way up just to see his face clearly. That was why Mrs. Weaver had called a tailor recently to make a whole new wardrobe for the Grand Duke.

‘Come to think of it, did she say those clothes were arriving today?’

The thought that he had rushed over to show them to me first made me want to smile. I kept a straight face and walked a circle around him, letting out an exaggerated exclamation.

“My goodness, is this really our Grace? It suits you perfectly. I had no idea you could look this dashing…”

“…The tailor made them well.”

His face remained expressionless, but the way the corners of his mouth twitched suggested he was struggling to contain his joy. Sensing that Noah’s mood had softened, I gave a secret signal to Joseph, who was still sprawled on the floor. Joseph, who had been blinking dazedly, scrambled to his feet and straightened his disheveled clothes while stammering.

“Y-yes, you truly look different… very dignified, a sense of authority…”

Oh boy. I squeezed my eyes shut. Having grown up under oppression, Noah hated words like ‘dignified’ or ‘authority’ that implied a crushing weight over others. Sure enough, his relaxed face tightened instantly.

“Is the budget adjustment finished?”

When Noah cut him off so abruptly, Joseph froze. Before Joseph could burst into tears, I rushed directly into Noah’s line of sight to reclaim his attention.

“Joseph and James have been calculating diligently. They worked late last night too. If the festival is a success, it will be thanks to their hard work.”

I waved my hand behind my back again—a signal to get out, fast. Joseph, who had been hunching his neck like a turtle, stood up straight and fixed his glasses.

“Well, I still have work left… so I will take my leave.”

“Mm. Good work.”

The idea of him leaving seemed to please Noah, as his face softened ever so slightly. I clicked my tongue inwardly. Honestly, what’s the point of being so tall if your heart doesn’t grow to match…

As Joseph hurried away like a deer chased by a predator, Noah finally turned and spoke to me softly.

“There are clothes for Amy too. Let’s go try them on.”

“…Pardon?”

I had been choosing my words carefully, wondering how to tell him that Spencer Coleman was coming, but I only processed what he said a beat late. What did we have?

“Wait, clothes for me? I didn’t order any. Why?”

When I asked in confusion, Noah shrugged nonchalantly, but he subtly avoided my gaze and muttered.

“Call it the Grand Duchy’s welfare program.”

“…Is there a welfare program I’m unaware of?”

As I narrowed my eyes, Noah stuck close to my side, rested his chin right on top of my head, and murmured.

“It’s a special favor the Grand Duke bestows upon a deeply favored subject. Not just anyone gets it. So, enjoy it.”

“…Differentiating treatment among employees can lead to complaints.”

I had frozen momentarily due to the fact that I was practically in his arms, but I managed to respond as if it were nothing. Noah knew I was flustered but ignored it, rubbing his cheek against my soft hair.

“I picked them out myself. Are you not even going to look? If you don’t, I’ll be too disappointed to work today.”

“Aren’t you declaring your intent to neglect your duties a bit too proudly?”

As someone who couldn’t stand the sight of work being neglected, I immediately flared up. Noah’s lips curled up at the expected reaction.

“So let’s go see together. Once I confirm they suit you, I’ll get to work right away.”

“…”

Usually, I would have just followed along at this point, but for some reason, I hesitated. Was this not enough? Noah had no choice but to pull out his other card.

“Did you hear the results of the exam I took the day before yesterday?”

“Ah, I saw that the tutor looked pleased. How did you do?”

My face brightened instantly. The tutor had cornered me earlier, spitting with excitement about how he had never seen a student achieve such results in such a short time, so I had been quite expectant.

Facing my face, which was sparkling with anticipation, Noah spoke slowly.

“He said if I were at a university, I’d be at a level where skipping grades is possible.”

“Skipping grades…”

I muttered the words, then suddenly balled my fists. My eyes were sparkling and blinking rapidly as I started calculating.

‘She’s probably thinking of putting that in the festival promotional materials.’

Noah, who could now read my mind to some extent, smiled with crinkled eyes. The reason I was excited wasn’t just because it would increase the Grand Duke’s prestige.

It was because I felt proud of him. I never knew that having someone be proud of me could make my heart feel so ticklish.

‘So many things are a first when I’m with Amy.’

And it wasn’t scary or intimidating; it was exciting and motivating. The thought that Amy would be happy again gave me a surge of energy.

‘Isn’t this what a truly healthy relationship is like?’

A relationship where two people lead each other toward something beneficial. No matter how much deep knowledge you cram into your head, a human life is ultimately completed through such relationships. Noah realized this perfectly after meeting Amy.

I finished my thoughts and stole a glance at him. Then, with a playful arch of one eyebrow, I clasped my hands in front of my chest as if I had no choice.

“Since Your Grace personally prepared this for a lowly person like me, of course I must go see. I shall gladly try them on with a heart full of gratitude.”

“Really? You promised?”

Noah brightened suddenly. Huh? I tilted my head.

‘What is this? This is a bit of an extreme reaction for just one dress…’

Before I could snap out of it, Noah quickly pushed me toward the drawing room, herding me like a sheep. Stepping into the room, I felt another wave of unease when I saw the tailor looking excessively delighted to see me.

The tailor clapped and made a fuss.

“My, you’re the perfect match for the image the Grand Duke described!”

“Image…?”

While I muttered dazededly, the tailor scanned me from head to toe with hawk-like eyes and nodded.

“The measurements should be correct. Your Grace’s eye for detail is remarkable.”

“It’s not as if I’ve only seen Amy once or twice. There’s nothing about her I don’t know.”

I felt a sense of dread in the warm conversation flowing between them.

“So, where are the clothes I’m supposed to see…?”

Feeling like a fish on a display counter, I subtly tried to change the subject and scanned the drawing room. My jaw dropped when I saw the colorful gowns hanging densely behind a partition.

‘Surely those aren’t all mine?’

Right, that had to be it. I tried to calm my heart with that thought, but the moment I saw Mrs. Weaver standing behind the tailor with the same satisfied smile, my mind went blank.

“…Your Grace.”

“Yes, Amy. How about this one?”

Noah pulled out a gown and held it against my body.

It was deep navy embroidered with silver thread, featuring a square neckline and sleeve cuffs trimmed with white fur. The bodice was cinched at the waist, and the navy silk skirt split diagonally in the center to reveal glimpses of a lace-filled under-dress.

“Wait, are those all diamonds?”

My eyes widened at the tiny, sparkling gems encrusting the front of the bodice.

“Yes. Do you like it?”

Noah praised the tailor again, saying the gown turned out exactly as he imagined. At his signal, Mrs. Weaver handed a pre-prepared money pouch to the tailor. The tailor bowed excessively as she accepted it.

“I have also brought jewelry to match the gown. Please, have a look.”

When the tailor raised a hand, her assistants, who had been standing by, came forward in a line and opened the lids of the wooden boxes they were carrying. I reflexively closed my eyes. Why was the sun coming out of there?

“It’s magnificent,” Mrs. Weaver murmured in an excited voice.

I reluctantly opened my eyes to see each box filled with vibrantly colored, brilliantly crafted jewels, all seemingly competing to see which could shine the brightest.

Everyone except me was staring at me with a look that said, “Surely there’s at least one in here that you’ll like.”

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