Who Regressed the Timekeeper? (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a human figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was the mercenary captain Amy had carefully chosen. Though Amy had grown accustomed to his ghost-like appearances, Noah still narrowed his eyes warily at him.
“I scouted the area on my way here as you instructed, and found no traps or hidden soldiers. You shouldn’t need to worry too much.”
Amy looked at Noah in surprise upon hearing the mercenary captain’s words. When had he given such an order? Seeing his unusually cautious demeanor for his age, she felt reassured. The heavy burden of having to handle everything alone seemed to lift from her shoulders.
Noah tilted his head and whispered to Amy,
“To be honest, I don’t fully trust him—but since he’s someone Amy trusts…”
Amy smiled and nodded. The Empire’s most expensive mercenary was certainly worth every coin. Though their relationship was bound by money, Amy trusted him—because…
‘In my previous life, he gave his life to protect his contractor.’
Their intertwined story truly sounded like a fairy tale. A young brother and sister, orphaned after their parents were murdered, hired these mercenaries to safely reach their grandparents’ home, fearing for their lives due to their inheritance and threats from their uncle.
The mercenaries kept their honor, rejecting their uncle’s offer of several times their payment, and delivered the children safely into their grandparents’ care—even at the cost of their own lives. The incident had caused such an uproar across the Empire that even Amy, locked away in prison, had heard of it.
“I understand. Please continue your good work.”
After the mercenary captain bowed and vanished abruptly, Amy bid Noah goodnight and headed to her private chambers. Before going to bed, she reflected on her plans. For now, her primary goal was to reach the North safely.
‘I wonder if even this small goal will succeed.’
She was in a hurry—why had she been dragged here? As she grumbled inwardly, her stomach suddenly growled loudly.
“Oh…”
The problem was she’d been too distracted by Commander Vernon at the inn to eat properly. Amy bit her lip, then got up and stepped into the hallway, intending to sneak into the kitchen for something to eat.
‘It should be around here somewhere…’
In a manor or castle, the kitchen’s location was obvious. As she walked toward a corner on the first floor, she noticed light spilling from what she assumed was the kitchen.
‘There’s someone still awake at this hour…’
It would be troublesome if rumors spread that the Archduke was starving his own household. Disappointed, she clutched her empty stomach and turned to leave—but then heard a soft voice from behind.
“Oh? Guest?”
Turning around, she saw the young maid who’d been struck by the Baroness during dinner. Her face was still red and swollen from the whipping, yet her eyes sparkled with delight.
“What brings you here at this hour… Ah!”
Noticing something, the girl glanced nervously at Amy and mumbled timidly,
“It’s my fault you couldn’t eat properly.”
“I just got a bit hungry—that’s all.”
At Amy’s cool reply, the girl gave an “Ah!” and scratched the back of her head. Just then, her stomach betrayed her again with another loud growl. Amy’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“Would you like to have this?”
The girl eagerly pulled out a brown loaf of bread and a small jar from the cloth bundle she carried. Amy stared at them wordlessly. They clearly looked like food meant to take home—she wasn’t sure if it was alright for her to eat it.
As if reading her thoughts, the girl quickly added,
“It’s just commoners’ fare, but tonight’s banquet ended early, so there’s plenty left over. If you don’t mind…”
“It’s fine.”
Amy cut her off firmly. Since her return, she ate food not for taste but to fill her stomach. The girl smiled brightly in relief. It seemed she regarded Amy as the savior who’d rescued her from the Baroness’s whip. Well, that was fine by Amy.
Inside the kitchen, the maid pulled a chair from the counter and seated Amy. Then she swiftly sliced the bread, ladled oatmeal into a bowl, and added fruit preserves from the jar. She even fetched honey and apple cider from the cupboard. In no time, a simple but hearty meal was ready.
“Then I’ll gratefully accept this.”
Amy tore off a piece of bread and chewed. The maid sat across from her, watching with wide, shining eyes. Feeling oddly self-conscious, as if she might choke, Amy reluctantly started a conversation.
“What exactly happened during dinner?”
The Baroness certainly had reason to be angry. Not only was the food quality poor, but the serving order had been utterly chaotic—something unthinkable in a well-run household.
“Well… the head maid hasn’t been around for a while now.”
“Oh.”
So that explained it. Amy nodded to herself. In noble households, the lady’s maid managed domestic affairs alongside the mistress; in lesser aristocratic homes, it was the head maid who handled everything.
Judging by appearance, the Baroness didn’t seem particularly capable—so everything must have been managed by the absent head maid until now. Naturally, things fell apart the moment that position was left vacant.
‘The Crown Prince’s palace is probably in similar disarray right now.’
She smirked inwardly as she popped a piece of goat cheese into her mouth. Amy herself had worked three or four times harder than any ordinary lady’s maid. Without her, the palace staff must be scrambling in chaos.
And that wasn’t all—if rumors spread that the Crown Prince’s household was faltering, the Empress would have quite the headache trying to silence the maids and servants.
‘If I were Lady Esmain, I’d seize this chance to place my own person there.’
Of course, she wasn’t foolish enough not to do exactly that.
Lost in thought, Amy forgot even to eat—until she felt a piercing gaze. Looking up, she saw the maid staring intently at her. Embarrassed, Amy cleared her throat and said,
“I hope the head maid returns soon.”
But the maid, whom she’d expected to agree, shook her head firmly.
“She won’t come back. The Baroness drove her out.”
“Oh.”
Amy mumbled absently as she chewed her food. Judging by the maid’s disappointed expression, the head maid must have been quite good. Wait…
‘Why would they dismiss someone like that? Good help is hard to find in the countryside.’
As Amy tilted her head in confusion, the maid began blurting out unasked explanations.
“It’s only been a week since the head maid left, but the manor’s already in shambles. She was strict, but the staff felt at ease—because we only had to do our assigned tasks.”
The girl sighed deeply, as if the earth itself might cave in, then added quietly,
“Actually, I’m leaving after tomorrow too. Everyone else is watching closely and will probably quit soon as well.”
When a ship sinks, the rats are always the first to flee. It seemed the same applied here.
For the rest of the meal, Amy had to listen to endless praise of the departed head maid. As someone in the same line of work, she secretly admired her—after all, it was rare for a superior to earn genuine respect from subordinates.
Then, a sudden thought flashed through her mind.
‘Wait—if even an Archduke’s estate needs a head maid…?’
Of course, Amy herself would oversee everything, but managing the vast estate of the Northern Archduke required as many capable hands as possible. Her eyes lit up as she smiled at the maid.
“The head maid who was driven out—do you know her name?”
Fortunately, the girl answered readily.
“It’s Mrs. Weaver. I heard she used to be a governess in a viscount’s household. She’s truly remarkable. If not for that incident, she would’ve stayed here for a long time.”
That incident. Amy nodded.
“I see. Hmm… by the way…”
As Amy’s eyes swept over her, the maid quickly spoke up.
“My name is Viola. I’m a commoner, so I don’t have a surname.”
“I see, Viola.”
Amy grinned. She liked quick-witted girls. She pulled a silver coin from her pocket, tossed it into the air, and caught it again. Viola’s eyes sparkled like a chandelier. Amy asked,
“Don’t you want this?”
Viola’s eyes blazed with determination.
“Just say the word.”
Morning came. Unlike ordinary nobles who rose late even after sunrise, Noah and Amy began their day at dawn and spent the idle time waiting for the Baron and his wife to wake.
“Why did they detain us, I wonder?”
At Noah’s question, Amy’s lips curved downward slightly. She had a rough idea.
“Who knows?”
Just then, Viola entered the parlor where they sat and bowed politely.
“Breakfast is ready.”
She then gave Amy a quick wink. Amy nodded silently in return.
As they ate a simple yet thoughtfully prepared meal in the dining room, the Baron and Baroness finally rushed in, flustered and late.
“Our apologies—we overslept.”
“We never expected Your Highness the Archduke to rise so early…”
The two hurriedly took their seats. Viola and the other maids quickly served them food, but they ignored their plates, exchanged glances, and began speaking in hushed, suggestive tones.
“Ahem… Your Highness, we heard you received an enormous fief along with your title this time?”
Their smiles resembled those of hyenas circling a chunk of meat.
‘As expected—it’s all about money.’
Amy snorted inwardly. She recalled what Viola had told her the previous night about why Mrs. Weaver had been dismissed.
‘They tried to keep double books for the Emperor’s records…’
By Imperial law, all land technically belonged to the Emperor. Nobles received titles and fiefs as grants, but were only entitled to keep the surplus after collecting produce and paying taxes.
‘Imperial law treats tax evasion as treason.’
And they’d tried to get a mere head maid—not even an accountant—to do such a thing. Were they incredibly bold, or just brainless?
They must have arranged this meeting thinking it’d be easy to coax money out of the young Noah. Amy let out a dry chuckle. Little did they know that right beside him sat someone who’d once managed the Crown Prince’s secret funds…
‘And they didn’t even bother silencing their staff. Unbelievable.’
Even a young maid knew the whole story. Did they collect sins and punishments as a hobby?
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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