During the meal, Amy was busy giving various instructions to maids Rita, Mary, and Cecil. Having finished their meal early on the butler’s orders, they eagerly ran off to carry out the stewardess’s commands.

“Amy, try this.”

Noah pushed a dish from in front of him towards her. Amy looked at the golden-brown roasted jackbird and hesitated before finally reaching out to tear off a leg.

“……Not eating?”

Seeing Amy holding the leg without taking a bite, Noah narrowed his eyes. Reluctantly, Amy took a bite.

“!”

Amy’s eyes widened in surprise, and seeing this, Noah smirked.

“Tasty, isn’t it?”

“Yes…….”

Honestly, Amy hadn’t expected much from the cuisine of the countryside Grand Duke’s estate. Yet, to her surprise, the food was remarkably delicious. As Amy began to eat more quickly, Noah and the butler smiled contentedly.

“You prefer apple juice over grape wine, right?”

Noah replaced Amy’s glass with one filled with apple juice. It was something he had prepared in advance with the butler. Amy chewed her food, making a bittersweet face.

‘It’s hard to tell who’s serving whom.’

She swallowed her food and then cautiously spoke.

“Please eat, Your Highness. You’ve hardly touched anything.”

“Alright, I will.”

Noah began to eat only after making sure Amy was eating properly.

‘His Highness seems to be particularly attentive to the stewardess’s meals.’

Joseph, sitting nearby, watched them with a smile. They looked like a close pair. When Amy and his eyes met, he coughed and looked away.

“Should we host a banquet now that the Grand Duke has arrived? When would be a good time?”

Amy broached the subject, causing Noah to frown slightly.

“Why not just skip it…….”

“That’s not possible. It’s your first meeting with the nobles of the North.”

Amy cut him off sharply. Knowing how the local nobles could slight the young Duke, canceling the banquet would only fuel more gossip. She steeled herself anew; she couldn’t stand to see her master disrespected.

“In a couple of months would be good.”

Joseph suggested cautiously, explaining that after the harvest and tax payments, it would be less burdensome for the nobles to visit the Grand Duke’s estate. Noah and Amy nodded in agreement.

Towards the end of the meal, Rita came to announce that the inner chamber was ready.

Amy noticed Noah looked quite tired, perhaps not yet recovered from the journey, and the scuffle with Dwayne only added to his fatigue. They decided to retire early, and Amy went with Noah to check his inner chamber.

‘Melvin is skilled, as I heard.’

The Grand Duke’s room, attended to by the maids, was neat and elegant. Expensive tapestries, vases, ebony wardrobes, and plush bedding were all tailored to Noah’s taste. Amy was pleased.

“Get some rest, Your Highness.”

“……Amy.”

Having finished preparing for bed and lying down, Noah gazed at her with heavy eyes.

“Yes, Your Highness. What is it?”

“……Do you like it here?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Amy momentarily lost her words. Noah continued in a drawn-out tone.

“If I…… become a good Grand Duke… will you be happy?”

He was a boy who had never shown signs of weariness during the arduous journey. She had presumptuously meddled in his life, yet he had trusted and followed her without complaint.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Amy’s voice trembled slightly as she answered. Noah smiled comfortably, closed his eyes, and murmured.

“I’ll do well. So that Amy can be satisfied. So, just…….”
His voice gradually quieted down until it finally became silent; he had fallen asleep. Amy looked at his peaceful face and then exhaled sharply, blowing out the candle. Her soft voice echoed in the chamber.

“Sleep well, Your Highness.”

The Grand Duke’s hall was bustling with servants, maids, and guards having breakfast. The main topic of conversation was similar: the Grand Duke they saw for the first time yesterday, the stewardess, the captain of the guards, and his subordinates.

“Dwayne was really impressive,” one of the maids murmured dreamily, prompting Mary to chuckle.

“You must have missed seeing him getting trounced by the Grand Duke.”

“No way, they are so different in build.”

Those who had not been at the training ground yesterday dismissed Mary’s words as a joke. Mary smirked, saying, “Really, how else would the Grand Duke have called him ‘pudding’?”

“Pudding!” The maids burst into laughter. Just then, Amy entered the hall.

“Oh, the stewardess!”

Mary and Rita rushed towards her like dogs wagging their tails, eager to greet her. Amy, looking down at them with a gentle smile, said, “I’ll eat later; continue with your meal.”

“Yes….” Their faces softened. Rita thought to herself that compared to Dwayne or whatever his name was, their stewardess was much more handsome and much cooler. Mary, who had grown up with Rita and understood each other’s thoughts with a glance, nodded in agreement.

As the two sat down and began scooping oatmeal porridge, they gazed adoringly at Amy. At that moment, the butler, Melvin, entered the hall.