Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 58

“Your Grace, you have come out?”

The employees bowed in unison. Noah, giving a slight nod, stood beside Amy and scanned the maids before speaking nonchalantly.

“I almost didn’t recognize our own people.”

“Oh, my.”

Recognizing the indirect compliment immediately, the maids blushed and twisted their bodies shyly. Whispers of “His Grace is such a sinful man” could be heard drifting from the back.

Noah then looked over Amy’s attire, his expression turning somewhat sour. Amy rolled her eyes silently. She was wearing a cream colored underdress that a commoner might wear, covered with a light green gown and a snug brown bodice.

Noah raised an eyebrow.

“You’re going out like that?”

“Yes, Your Grace. I’m just going to take a quick look around. But isn’t it time for your lessons?”

Amy, who had intended to sneak out while Noah was studying, felt a sudden pang of guilt and pulled the hem of her robe over her gown to hide the outfit. Just then, something strange caught her eye.

“Your Grace, whose clothes are those?”

Noah, like Amy, was not in his usual attire. He was wearing brown trousers common to village youths, suspenders, and sturdy, blunt shoes.

Noah quickly looked away.

“Ah, well.”

He glanced somewhere and his expression turned annoyed. Following his gaze, Amy saw Spencer walking toward them in a hurry. He looked around as if searching for something, spotted Amy and Noah, and rushed over.

“Your Grace, why are you here?”

“What else? To see the festival.”

“With the Head Maid?”

He cast a suspicious glance at Amy. Noah stepped between them as if to block his view.

“What brings you here? I thought you were busy with timber contracts for the other territories.”

The look Noah gave Spencer was unusual. Rita caught the reason instantly and whispered to Mari.

“It must be true that Viscount Burton has feelings for our Head Maid.”

“Really? He’s glaring a lot for someone who likes her, don’t you think?”

“Oh, please. Sometimes people act like that when they like someone too much. And look, he follows her wherever she goes, just like right now.”

“That is a bit suspicious.”

As the two gossiped, Noah’s expression grew darker. In truth, he had spotted Spencer walking along the castle walls during his lessons. Just as he wondered why the man was there, his aide, Charles, had come running up out of breath to deliver some unexpected news.

‘Viscount, Head Maid Amelia is heading down to the village now.’

‘Is that so?’

‘Yes. It seems she’s going to check on the state of the festival. She’s in disguise.’

‘Dear me. Then I should dress similarly and follow her.’

‘But why are you following her so closely?’

‘Isn’t it obvious? You’re my aide and you don’t know that? Use your head, man. Use your head.’

After speaking coldly, he had turned and left. Left alone, Charles murmured tearfully.

‘I mean, is there really more than one reason a man chases a woman?’

Noah had immediately pressured his tutor to end the lesson, badgered Ethan to let him borrow his clothes, and ran straight there. Noah glared at Spencer with a murderous look.

‘He actually has eyes after all.’

He had already found it suspicious that Spencer was pestering Amy for nonsensical reasons.

‘Calling me his lord while pulling these kinds of stunts behind my back.’

It was the decisive moment when the House of Coleman, a vassal family, fell out of favor with the Grand Duke.

Unaware of this, Spencer answered Noah’s question earnestly.

“Is this not the first festival in the North in a very long time? Since I am here, I came out to see it.”

“At this exact time?”

When Noah looked at him skeptically, Spencer was flustered, not knowing why his respected young Grand Duke was acting so grumpily toward him.

Amy, seeing Spencer lose his nerve, thought it was time to wrap things up.

“Viscount Burton, if you are also on your way to the festival, shall we go together?”

“!”

At those words, the reactions of the two men were night and day. Spencer felt a mix of joy and unease about why this “witch” was acting like this, while Noah looked as if he had been struck by a sense of betrayal.

‘Why? What? No, why?’

Amy was confused, unable to decipher the meaning behind Noah’s gaze. Behind them, the maids fidgeted. They should have left long ago, but the arrival of the Grand Duke and the Viscount had delayed them.

“We have the same destination. Let’s go. We have to go in shifts, so if we’re late, we might miss it.”

“Fine.”

Noah gave a meaningful look toward the back and reluctantly moved his feet. Spencer gave Amy one more wary glance and quickly followed behind him. Amy shook her head in disbelief and followed after them with the other employees.

Suddenly, she heard Jack and Dwayne whispering behind her.

“Lure him to a secluded spot.”

“So tactless, of all places, here.”

“If you can just distract him for a moment.”

Amy was shocked. Recalling the fierce nature of the Northern people, her heart began to race.

‘What is that all about? Are they kidnapping someone? Surely they aren’t planning to ruin the festival?’

Worried more about the festival being ruined than the kidnapping itself, Amy leaned in and questioned them.

“What are you talking about just now?”

“A criminal case from a few days ago.”

Jack, catching Noah’s eye, looked into the distance and answered in a flat, monotone voice as if reading from a book. Amy wondered why he was acting like that, but since it had nothing to do with the festival, her anxiety melted away. While she was distracted by them, she didn’t notice the other guards subtly luring Spencer away to parts unknown.

“Jack, when the guards return, buy them something delicious.”

Noah pulled a pouch from his chest and tossed it. Jack caught the pouch, which was heavy for its size, and his face lit up. Noah commended him in a much more relaxed tone.

“Good work.”

“Thank you.”

Amy tilted her head, not knowing what exactly he was being thanked for. Jack grinned and swarmed away with the knights and guards, noisily claiming they were going to look at weapons. Once they left, the maids looked around and gasped.

“I didn’t know it would be doing this well!”

Mari marveled. Cecil, busy shaking her head to take in the sights, almost collided with someone coming from the opposite direction.

“I’ve never seen the village so full.”

“Indeed.”

People were packed everywhere. It was even like this during a break between performances.

Amy scanned the plaza, the temple walls, and the street floors with the eyes of a hawk. Though she had done a check on the first day, she was worried about the areas where construction had taken place before the Grand Duke arrived. Fortunately, despite the crowds, there were no cracks in the walls or the paving stones.

‘The shops look fine too.’

She could see the jewelers and cobblers she and Joseph had personally negotiated with smiling broadly. Amy also smiled as she looked at the banners embroidered with the symbol of the North hanging from every building. Since Lord Noah’s Duchy was thriving, she had every reason to smile.

“I’ve never been prouder to be from the North than I am today.”

Rita clung to Amy and whispered. Amy nodded silently, looking around. It wasn’t just Rita; almost every Northern native wore a look of deep emotion. They looked at Noah, holding back their tears, recalling the words he had spoken at his accession ceremony.

‘I want you to be my witnesses and my colleagues, so that we may build and enjoy the prosperity of the North that begins today.’

Noah wore a nonchalant expression, but his eyes were sharp, watching the situation closely. While handling his usual duties and lessons, he had personally overseen and checked even the smallest details of this festival. If anyone were to vote for the person who worked the hardest among the castle family, Noah would be the unanimous choice.

Just then, Noah gestured to a guard. As the guard hurried over, Noah whispered to him.

“There’s someone who looks like a pickpocket at that fork in the road. Block the exit and catch him.”

“Yes, sir.”

A few guards slipped away. Not long after, a pickpocket was dragged away screaming, his arms pinned behind his back.

Having finished their tour of the area, the group headed to a tea house, complaining of thirst. Amy waved to Mrs. Weaver and the other maids who were already there and sat across from them with Noah.

Looking around the tea house, Cecil spoke in a low voice.

“But why does no one recognize His Grace the Grand Duke?”

It was strange, considering a portrait had been hung in the village square. Amy replied nonchalantly.

“Oh, that. We altered the painting slightly.”

“Pardon?”

As Rita and Cecil blinked in confusion, Amy explained.

“We touched it up to make him look older. There was an assassination attempt; we couldn’t just display His Grace’s face exactly as it is.”

“That makes sense.”

The maids stole glances at the young faced Grand Duke as he drank his tea in silence. Goodness, his beauty was so fresh and crisp that it made one feel content just looking at him.

Just then, the snacks they ordered arrived at Mrs. Weaver’s table.

“Why did you order this cookie?”

At Lucy’s question, Eva suddenly wiggled her shoulders and spoke in a nasal voice.

“I ordered it because they say it’s delicious.”

“Hahahaha!”

As the maids burst into laughter, Mrs. Weaver accidentally knocked over her teacup. She cleaned up the table as if nothing had happened, but Amy saw the tips of her ears turn bright red. Amy sipped her tea, thinking of Captain Vernon, who was likely back at the castle sulking by himself.

‘Failure, my foot. This is a total success.’

The maids seemed to think so too, as they smirked. Mrs. Weaver, feeling embarrassed, quickly left the seat, claiming she needed to use the restroom.

Just then, Noah leaned forward. Recognizing he had something to say, Amy, Rita, and Cecil leaned in until their heads were almost touching. Noah’s lips moved softly.

“Two tables over, diagonally, there is a woman who keeps staring at us.”

“!”

Cecil’s head popped up. Rita quickly grabbed the back of her head and pulled her down.

“Urgh!”

“Have some tact. You can’t just look back so openly.”

“Ah, sorry.”

As Cecil scratched the back of her head awkwardly, Noah suddenly tilted his head.

“I’ve seen that face somewhere. Who is it?”

“Pardon?”

Amy was horrified. If it was a woman Noah recognized, she was likely someone he had seen in the Imperial Palace where he had lived his whole life. Just then, Noah whispered again.

“She’s coming this way.”

Support