Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 59

The woman walked straight toward Amy’s group. Then, she thumped the table.

“Hello, Head Maid. It’s me, Viola.”

“Uh?”

Amy stared blankly at the woman greeting her so warmly, then her eyes widened a moment later.

“Ah, Viola! The maid from the Baron Fallen estate in the Empire!”

“Yes. You recognize me! It’s an honor.”

Amy leaned toward Noah and whispered, “She’s the maid who worked at Baron Fallen’s manor where we met Captain Vernon and Mrs. Weaver.”

“Ah, the one who was whipped by the Baroness,” Noah recalled, nodding as he recognized her. Viola’s face lit up. She chattered away while looking at Amy.

“As I mentioned back then, I quit and left shortly after. Now, I’ve come here on a trip with my fiancé.”

Viola turned back and gestured, and a fairly handsome man bowed awkwardly toward them.

“!”

Rita and Cecil’s eyes grew huge as they nudged each other’s sides. Even for them, who were usually stingy with their evaluations of men’s faces, Viola’s fiancé seemed to exceed expectations.

Amy smiled and asked, “Have you come to see the Northern festival?”

“Yes. I hesitated a lot about whether to come or not, but I’m so glad I did. The village is so beautiful, there’s so much to see, and the people are kind. Above all, the streets and houses are so neatly maintained that it’s very pleasant. It was worth every penny.”

She spoke with such heat that her face turned red, showing she wasn’t just being polite. Hearing this made everyone from the Grand Duchy feel a swell of pride. Amidst the conversation, Amy thought of the newly renovated, pristine white temple.

“Say, Viola. Where are you getting married? Have you picked a place yet?”

“Oh, no. Not yet. Neither of us really has a hometown to return to, so we were planning to just do it wherever we liked.”

Amy’s eyes sparkled. She grabbed Viola’s hand and said passionately, “The temple in this village is quite a sight to see. Why don’t you take a look at it?”

“The temple here?”

Viola’s eyes went round. Amy’s mind was spinning at top speed.

‘In the North, the average age of residents is high because young people have been heading to the Empire for jobs, right?’

So, if we use this opportunity to revitalize the wedding business to make money, and provide funds and support for them to settle in the North?

‘To mine the Black Gold beneath the earth, we need a large workforce.’

As if sensing Amy’s thoughts, Noah chimed in from the side.

“If you have no ties elsewhere, consider settling here. We’ll treat you well.”

“Oh, pardon?”

Amy and Noah grinned with identical expressions. Viola looked flustered, wondering what was happening. Just then, Mrs. Weaver returned from the restroom, recognized Viola, and greeted her happily.

“Is that you, Viola?”

“Mrs. Weaver!”

The two were so delighted to meet again that they held hands and hopped up and down. Amy watched them fondly, but Noah glanced at her and then addressed Viola.

“Today is the last day of the festival. Do you intend to leave as soon as you finish sightseeing?”

“Ah, no. We were thinking of staying for about another day.”

She looked back at the man as if asking for her fiancé’s opinion. Amy asked, “What does your fiancé do for a living?”

Viola’s expression turned proud. “He worked in the mines. He’s young, but he’s very capable. He was even a manager at a famous gold mine in the East!”

“!”

Amy’s eyes nearly popped out. She looked back and forth between Viola and her fiancé, clenching her fist beneath the table. For the exact workforce they needed to roll in on their own accord, was this not destiny?

Rita spoke to Viola. “By the way, there will be a dance time in the square once the sun sets. Are you going?”

“Ah, yes. I heard they give prizes to the couple that dances best, so we’re going to try.”

Viola smiled brightly, saying she was looking forward to it. Mrs. Weaver also praised Viola, saying she was a well-known dancer back in the Fallen estate. Amy exchanged a secret look with Noah and then said to her suggestively:

“Ask your fiancé. How about staying at the Grand Duke’s castle tonight?”

“What?”

Viola’s eyes widened. She looked at Amy and Noah in a daze. Amy gave a tempting smile.

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen Mrs. Weaver, so you can catch up. Oh, James works here too.”

“Oh my, really?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’d love for you to stay at the castle. You can see Ethan, too.”

“I see. I’ll ask him.”

With a flushed face, Viola hurried over to her fiancé. In the meantime, Amy shared her thoughts with Noah. Noah laughed, saying it was a great idea.

Soon, Viola returned with her fiancé. The two readily agreed to stay at the castle. Everyone left the tea house and headed toward the square.

“There’s some time left before the dance begins, and there’s a place with beautiful scenery nearby. Would you like to see it?”

“Oh, that sounds lovely!”

Viola and her fiancé brightened at Cecil’s suggestion. Amy beckoned Rita over and whispered:

“Rita. You must take responsibility for bringing Viola and her fiancé back to the castle. Got it?”

“Oh, Head Maid, we’re locals here. We’ll show them a proper good time, so don’t you worry.”

“Well, alright. I trust you.”

After getting a promise from Rita, Amy took a small coin pouch from her pocket and handed it over. Rita accepted it gleefully. Then, she led Viola and her fiancé away somewhere.

Amy turned to Noah and asked, “What shall we do now? Would you like to return to the castle?”

Noah looked at Amy intently before asking slowly, “Is your business all finished?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s sightsee a little more. Just the two of us.”

The nuance felt somewhat strange, but Amy nodded without thinking much of it.

“Alright, Master Noah.”

“Are you going to call me that here?”

“Ah, then Master Noah it is.”

“Still the same as ever.”

The two looked at each other and laughed, recalling the time they had visited the central market in the Imperial capital before coming to the North. Amy scanned Noah anew. Only about half a year had passed since then, but the Noah before her eyes had changed so much that it was hard to find traces of his former self.

Just then, someone from ahead shouted loudly and approached at a rapid pace.

“Out of the way! Don’t blame me if we collide!”

The moment Amy turned her head in surprise, Noah’s arm wrapped smoothly around her waist and pulled her toward him. Amy suddenly found herself held in Noah’s arms.

A moment later, a man carrying a large load brushed past her. If Noah hadn’t caught her, she surely would have been hit.

“Are you alright?” Noah asked softly, looking down at her.

Amy, feeling burdened by the close contact, pushed against his chest with both hands and stammered, “Ah, I, I’m fine.”

She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Fanning her flushed face was a bonus. As Noah stared at Amy meaningfully, someone from behind suddenly called out to them.

“Hey there, young lady, young man!”

Surely they aren’t calling us? Amy thought as she kept walking, but then a fussy, coaxing voice came from behind again.

“You there, the pretty and handsome couple! Honestly, I’m shouting until my throat bursts, why won’t you look back?”

Only then did they turn to see an old woman, crouched on the roadside with a small box in front of her, her face blossoming into a smile as she looked at them.

“Are you talking to us?” Noah asked, pointing to himself in confusion. The old woman nodded and gestured for them to come over.

Amy and Noah looked at each other and shrugged. At a glance, she was a traveling fortune-teller. Since they operated on the streets without renting a stall or a shop, they didn’t pay taxes to the Grand Duke.

‘Still, it’s because of people like this that the festival thrives.’

The two readily walked up to the fortune-teller and crouched side-by-side with the box between them.

“From the look of it, you two are head over heels for each other, but tsk, tsk, what a shame. You are fated to part.”

The old woman, draped in a frayed woolen robe, clicked her tongue and abruptly declared their separation.

“Amy. Have all the street stalls removed.”

Noah spoke in a sinister voice, his expression changing instantly. Amy tapped his arm to calm him down and whispered softly so the old woman couldn’t hear.

“The festival ends in half a day. And besides, the one who permitted the street stalls was you, Master Noah.”

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

Noah glared at the old woman. His gaze was so fierce that she pulled the cloth over her head to hide her face, muttering as if making an excuse.

“Wait, you have to listen to a person until the end. Who said you’d part forever? Adversity, yes. I meant there is an adversity that will make the bond between you two even stronger.”

Amy had already lost interest and was looking around. It seemed the dance time was about to start.

Unable to trust the old woman, Noah narrowed his eyes and asked, “Then what happens after we overcome that adversity?”

“Why even ask? You live happily ever after.”

“ ”

Only then did a shy smile grace Noah’s face. Amy noticed people starting to move toward the square and nudged Noah’s side.

“Let’s head out now.”

“Alright.”

Amy stood up and handed over a copper coin as a fee. While the old woman grumbled that it was too little, Noah suddenly took a silver coin from his pouch and flicked it with his finger. The silver coin flew through the air and landed neatly in the old woman’s hand.

“!”

“Master Noah!”

The old woman and Amy were surprised at the same time. The old woman grinned, revealing her few remaining teeth. As Noah turned and walked away, Amy quickly followed, nagging him.

“It’s all lies anyway, why give such a large amount of money?”

Just then, the fortune-teller woman shouted from behind.

“Wait!”

“Yes?”

The two turned back in surprise. The old woman puffed out her chest and shouted.

“I’ll tell you one more thing, specially!”

Then, she raised her hand and pointed her finger at Amy.

“You there, young lady. Take good care of your body.”

“Pardon?”

The nuance was strange, causing Amy to tilt her head. Then, the fortune-teller spoke solemnly.

“It’s a son.”

“…”

Noah’s jaw dropped, then he lowered his gaze and stared intently at Amy’s stomach. Amy, who could only blink in a speechless daze, crumpled her face and shouted:

“You just wasted a perfectly good silver coin!”

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