Who Regressed the Timekeeper? (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
Suddenly lifting her head, Amy saw a gray-winged messenger bird flutter down and land on a nearby tree branch with a soft *puddeuddeok*.
Amy skillfully caught the bird and pulled a note from the small tube fastened to its leg, then quickly read through its contents. A smile soon appeared on her face.
The Second Prince was curious about what was happening, but he held back. Amy had already promised to explain everything once they left the capital.
“Amy, is everything going well?”
But he couldn’t suppress this question. Though Amy had remained calm the whole time, his natural intuition and years of reading people told him she had been on high alert lately.
‘Besides, she even injured her ankle.’
Feeling guilty that it was all because of him, he grew sullen.
“Yes, everything is going very well.”
Amy smiled gently and reached out to smooth the Second Prince’s disheveled clothes.
The Second Prince stared at Amy without blinking. It was the first time he’d seen her smile since she’d abruptly appeared before him two months ago, declaring she would become his lady-in-waiting.
‘When she served as the Crown Prince’s lady-in-waiting, she at least smiled occasionally…’
He’d blamed himself for becoming her chain, but seeing her smile so brightly now… it seemed a bird had flown right into his small heart, its wings flapping noisily.
The Second Prince’s procession departed from the Imperial Palace. Having dismissed his few remaining maids, his only close attendant was his lady-in-waiting. Aside from her, there were only three coachmen and two servants for odd jobs.
The Emperor, worried others might think the Second Prince was being slighted, offered to assign palace guards as if bestowing a favor.
But the Second Prince politely declined, saying his destination was the distant, barren North, and that palace guards had a duty to protect the capital. It was an exceptionally reasonable and sensible reply.
‘Did the Second Prince ever speak so well before?’
Someone thought something seemed odd, but quickly forgot about it.
The North suffered such harsh winters and severe droughts in summer that survival itself was the highest priority. How long could a young prince possibly endure such conditions? In truth, it was practically like walking straight into exile.
For the Empire, however, it was a profitable arrangement—granting an unproductive, tax-deficient land the status of a duchy in exchange for steady annual tribute.
‘Lady Esmain truly is clever.’
It was Lady Esmain who had proposed making the Second Prince’s territory an independent duchy. She cited the barbarian tribes beyond the Northern Mountains, who had long-standing hostilities with the North.
‘There have been twenty-three uprisings in the past ten years, and they’re becoming more frequent lately. Though there have been no casualties yet, this clearly indicates war is imminent. If the Second Prince’s territory remains an imperial province, the Empire would be forced to fight that war. But if it becomes his sovereign Grand Duchy, any future conflict would be entirely separate from the Empire.’
She wasn’t wrong. Moreover, she’d stipulated annual tribute as a condition—should he ever neglect it, the Empire could simply reabsorb the territory.
Through this matter, Lady Esmain had firmly impressed the Emperor. In truth, the idea had originated from Duke Esmain’s advisor. When the Duke tried to commend him, the advisor declined and requested retirement, citing poor health.
‘You’re of foreign slave descent, aren’t you? Wouldn’t it be better to simply remain attached to our house?’
Lady Esmain hadn’t intended to insult anyone. She merely discriminated against and belittled foreigners as naturally as breathing, driven by her sense of superiority as an imperial citizen—and specifically, as a pure-blooded noble. She wasn’t even aware she was doing it.
‘My health has worsened… *cough*. Actually, I suspect it might be an epidemic…’
When the advisor coughed with a pale face, Lady Esmain immediately banished him from the estate. He left with a meager severance and headed toward the bustling district. Upon reaching his reserved inn, he wrote down recent events and sent them off via messenger bird.
That very bird had just delivered its message into Amy’s hands. Thus, she was the one who had orchestrated this entire scheme.
The Second Prince tilted his head in confusion.
“Is it really that important for me to become a Grand Duke and for the North to become an independent duchy rather than an imperial territory?”
Since ancient times, imperial citizens believed the barren North survived only under the Empire’s protection. Naturally, Amy’s desire to break away seemed strange to him.
Amy gave a bright smile.
“Of course it is. Just trust me. I’ll make Your Highness’s duchy the wealthiest nation on the continent.”
“If Amy says so, then it must be true.”
The Second Prince nodded without a trace of doubt. Amy looked fondly at the boy and thought to herself,
‘Only by separating from the Empire will the gold and jewels I gather from now on remain entirely the duchy’s property.’
Months ago, upon returning through reincarnation, she had already laid out every plan for this day. And this was only the beginning.
“Shall we go now, Your Highness?”
“Yeah.”
At Amy’s words, the Second Prince nodded and climbed into the carriage without hesitation. Leaving the place where he’d lived his entire life felt utterly dry and emotionless. As Amy followed him inside, she turned to take one last look at the Imperial Palace.
She’d once believed she’d found family here and had devoted her youth to him. Yet this place had taken her life.
Perhaps that was why her steps felt so light as she left.
‘I’ll topple the Crown Prince and loyally serve the Second Prince.’
She turned her head once more, steeling her resolve. The gilded palace meant nothing to her anymore.
“Amy, where are we going now?”
The Second Prince, who had been gazing out the carriage window, turned and asked. Amy, who had been checking a bundle of documents, looked up and peered outside.
“To the central market.”
“The central market? That’s right in the heart of the capital. Aren’t we supposed to be leaving the city?”
“I need to buy a few things. And I have some errands to run.”
“I see.”
His curiosity satisfied, the Second Prince returned to his window-watching with a quietly pleased expression. Amy tapped her cheek lightly with her pen, lost in thought.
‘Come to think of it, has he never been to the capital before?’
She wasn’t sure. She’d only started serving him a few months ago, so she honestly didn’t know much about him. She knew mountains about the Crown Prince, though…
‘That bastard gets athlete’s foot every summer and drips snot all winter… When he was little, he once secretly spat carrots into his shoes because he hated eating them, then waddled around like that…’
Remembering this, her anger flared anew.
‘Seriously, what does Lady Esmain think I am, to saddle me with such an idiot?’
Moreover, whenever the Crown Prince did something foolish, the Empress would beat her. Each time, he’d cry and apologize, only to forget everything the moment he turned around and repeat the same mistakes. As a result, her calves had never gotten a chance to heal properly as a child.
‘Are they insane? How could anyone expect me to fall in love with someone like that?’
Shuddering with rage, Amy’s feather pen trembled slightly. Just then, the Second Prince asked softly,
“Amy, what’s wrong? Are you hungry?”
His amber eyes, fixed on her, were filled with concern. Throughout history and across cultures, it was a universal truth that anger melted away at the sight of a cute, handsome face. Amy relaxed her expression and replied,
“I just remembered something unpleasant. But Your Highness, are you hungry?”
“Hmm… a little?”
The Second Prince gave an awkward smile. Amy mirrored it with a gentle grin. Oh well—kids should eat well. Though only three years apart in age, the Second Prince was smaller than his peers, likely because he’d never eaten properly growing up.
Thus, Amy often found herself treating him like a child without even realizing it.
“Once we leave the capital, we won’t see such a well-maintained market again… Shall we take a look around? Maybe try some street food too.”
“Is that okay?”
Hope floated brightly in his small face. Amy suppressed a laugh and nodded.
‘They say he’s notoriously prickly—the whole palace gossips about it—but he’s just sweet. Truly, you never know a person until you’ve lived with them.’
Not long after, they arrived at the market. After leaving their carriage and luggage at the storage, they entered hand in hand like siblings.
The central thoroughfare bustled with stalls and crowds. Worried for the Second Prince’s safety, Amy glanced back over her shoulder. Her hired mercenaries had already encircled them unnoticed. The hefty price she’d paid was worth it. Reassured, Amy resumed walking—when the Second Prince, brimming with excitement, tapped her hand.
“Amy, look at this! Such a strangely shaped flower.”
“Amy, have you seen that? How can a person breathe fire from their mouth?”
“Amy, Amy! Can we buy that outfit we just saw? I think it’d suit you really well…”
Her ears felt like they’d grow calluses. It was as if she’d heard a lifetime’s worth of “Amy”s in one day. The Second Prince kept calling her name without tiring.
“Amy, hey~”
“Yes, Your Highness. Amy isn’t going anywhere.”
At Amy’s resigned reply, the Second Prince giggled. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he tilted his head.
“But… is it really okay to call me ‘Your Highness’ in a place like this?”
“Oh, you’re right. That was my mistake.”
“No, it’s not that—I just…”
All at once, the Second Prince avoided Amy’s gaze and fidgeted nervously. Amy furrowed her brow. Why was he acting like this?
Blushing shyly, he spoke.
“Could you… just call me Noah…?”
“…What? But that’s Your Highness’s childhood name!”
Amy, who had briefly wondered who “Noah” was, suddenly realized and waved her hands in alarm. By tradition, only a royal’s parents or spouse could use their childhood name.
The Second Prince looked up at Amy with glistening eyes.
“Everyone who used to call me that is gone now. I’d really like it if Amy called me that.”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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