Who Regressed the Timekeeper? - Chapter 12
No sooner had the words ended than a figure suddenly appeared from somewhere. It was the mercenary captain Amy had carefully selected. Amy had grown accustomed to his ghost-like appearances, but Noah still narrowed his eyes warily at him.
“As you instructed, I scouted the surroundings on our way here and saw no traps or hidden soldiers. I don’t think there’s much to worry about.”
Surprised by the mercenary captain’s words, Amy looked at Noah. When had he given such an order? Seeing his caution beyond his years inspired confidence. She felt her shoulders, previously heavy with the burden of having to do everything alone, lighten naturally.
Noah tilted his head and whispered to Amy.
“To be honest, I don’t completely trust that guy, but since Amy trusts him…”
Amy nodded with a smile. The most expensive mercenary in the empire was certainly earning his pay. Although their relationship was bound by money, Amy trusted him. Because…
‘This man sacrificed his life to protect his client in the previous life.’
The intertwined story was truly like a fairy tale. A young brother and sister, orphaned by their parents’ untimely death and threatened by their uncle for their inheritance, hired these mercenaries to safely reach their grandparents.
They rejected the uncle’s offer to pay several times more, choosing instead to keep their word. They even sacrificed their lives to safely deliver their clients to their grandparents. It was an incident that caused such a stir in the empire that even Amy, imprisoned at the time, heard about it.
“I understand. Keep up the good work.”
As the mercenary captain bowed and vanished suddenly, Amy bid Noah goodnight and went to her own room. Before going to bed, she thought about her plans for the future. For now, the biggest goal was to safely arrive in the North.
‘I wonder if the small goal will succeed.’
Time was of the essence, yet she was dragged here. As she grumbled inwardly, suddenly her stomach growled.
“Ah…”
The problem was that she hadn’t eaten properly at the inn, distracted by Captain Vernon. Amy bit her lip, then got up and came out into the hallway. She intended to sneak into the kitchen and grab something to eat.
‘It should probably be this way…’
The location of the kitchen in a mansion or castle was predictable. As she walked towards a corner on the first floor, light was streaming out from what she presumed to be the kitchen.
‘Someone’s awake at this hour…’
It would be troublesome if rumors spread that the Grand Duke was starving his servants. Thinking it was unfortunate, she clutched her hungry stomach and turned around, when a thin voice called from behind.
“Oh? Guest?”
Turning back, she saw it was the maid girl who had been struck by the baroness during the banquet. With her face still red and swollen from the whip, the girl’s eyes sparkled as if pleased to see Amy.
“What brings you here at this hour… Ah!”
As if something had occurred to her, she mumbled timidly while gauging Amy’s reaction.
“You couldn’t eat because of me, right?”
“I just got a bit hungry, that’s all.”
At Amy’s cold response, the maid girl scratched the back of her head, saying “Ah.” Just then, without any sense of timing, Amy’s stomach growled again. Amy’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“Would you like to have this?”
The girl spoke kindly as she took out a brown bread and a small jar from the bundle she was carrying. Amy stared at them silently. It clearly looked like something the girl was taking home, and Amy wasn’t sure if it was okay for her to eat it.
Sensing her thoughts, the girl quickly added:
“It’s just what commoners eat, but since the banquet ended early today, we have some extra. If you don’t mind…”
“I don’t mind.”
Amy cut her off. Since her regression, she ate food to fill her stomach rather than for taste. The girl seemed relieved and smiled brightly. It appeared she regarded Amy as a benefactor who had saved her from the baroness’s whip. Well, all’s well that ends well.
Entering the kitchen, the maid girl pulled a chair to the counter and seated Amy. Then she quickly sliced the bread, ladled some oatmeal into a bowl, and scooped out some fruit preserves from the jar as a side dish. She also brought honey and apple cider from the pantry. In no time, a modest meal was prepared.
“Then I’ll gratefully partake.”
Amy tore off a piece of bread and put it in her mouth, chewing. The maid girl sat across from her, watching with sparkling eyes. Feeling like she might choke under such scrutiny, Amy reluctantly attempted conversation.
“By the way, what happened during the banquet?”
The baroness certainly had reason to be angry. Not only was the quality of food an issue, but the order in which dishes were brought out was also a complete mess. It was something that would never happen in a properly run mansion.
“Well… We haven’t had a head maid for a while now.”
“I see.”
So that was it. Amy nodded involuntarily. In high-ranking noble families, the head lady’s maid, or in lower noble families, the head maid, assists the mistress of the house in managing household affairs.
The baroness didn’t seem particularly capable at a glance, so until now, the now-absent head maid must have taken care of everything. No wonder things fell apart as soon as the position became vacant.
‘The Crown Prince’s palace must be in a similar state by now.’
Amy smirked secretly as she put a piece of goat cheese in her mouth. She had been a head maid who worked at least three or four times harder than others. Now that she had quit and left, they must be in chaos with the shortage of hands.
Not only that, but the Empress must have quite a headache trying to keep the maids and servants quiet, as rumors of the Crown Prince’s palace faltering would be troublesome.
‘If I were Lady Esmaine, I’d use this opportunity to push my own people in.’
Of course, she wasn’t a fool, so she probably did just that.
Lost in thought and forgetting to eat, Amy felt a piercing gaze and looked up. The maid girl was staring at her intently from across the table. Feeling awkward, Amy cleared her throat and said:
“I hope the head maid returns soon.”
But the maid girl, whom Amy expected to agree, shook her head firmly.
“She won’t come back. The baroness drove her out.”
“I see.”
Amy mumbled while chewing her food. Seeing the maid girl’s regretful expression, it seemed the head maid had been quite good. Wait a minute…
‘Why would they drive out such a person? It must be hard to find good people in the countryside.’
As Amy tilted her head in confusion, the maid girl started rattling off information without being asked.
“It’s only been a week since the head maid left, but the manor is already a mess. She was strict, but it was easy for those under her. We just had to do the tasks we were assigned.”
The girl sighed deeply and added quietly:
“Actually, I’m only working until tomorrow. Others are watching and will probably quit soon too.”
Rats are the first to flee a sinking ship. It seems to be the case here as well.
For the rest of the meal, Amy had to listen to continuous praise for the departed head maid. As someone in the same line of work, she was secretly impressed. It’s extremely rare for a superior to be respected by their subordinates.
Then a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
‘Wait, the Grand Duke’s castle will need a head maid too…’
Of course, Amy would handle the overall management, but for the vast castle of the Northern Grand Duke, the more hands, the better. Amy’s eyes sparkled as she smiled at the maid girl.
“This head maid who was driven out. Could I know her name?”
Fortunately, the girl answered readily.
“It’s Mrs. Weaver. I heard she used to be a nanny in a viscount’s family. She’s an excellent person. If it weren’t for that incident, she would have worked here for a long time.”
That incident, huh. Amy nodded.
“I see. By the way…”
As Amy’s eyes swept over her, the maid girl quickly said:
“It’s Viola. I’m a commoner, so I don’t have a surname.”
“I see, Viola.”
Amy grinned. She didn’t dislike quick-witted children. She took out a silver coin from her pocket, tossed it in the air, and caught it. Viola’s eyes sparkled like a chandelier. Amy asked:
“Don’t you want this?”
Enthusiasm blazed in Viola’s eyes.
“Just tell me what to do.”
Morning came. Unlike ordinary nobles who rise late even after sunrise, Noah and Amy, who started their day at dawn, spent idle time waiting for the baron and baroness to wake up.
“I wonder why they’ve kept us here.”
At Noah’s words, Amy’s lips curled down. She had a rough idea.
“Who knows.”
Just then, Viola entered the reception room where they were and bowed politely.
“The meal preparations are complete.”
Then she winked at Amy. Amy silently nodded.
As they were eating a modest but carefully prepared meal in the dining room, the baron and baroness, who had arrived late, bustled in.
“We apologize. We overslept.”
“We didn’t expect Your Grace the Grand Duke to rise so early…”
The two hurriedly sat down. Viola and other maids quickly brought their meals. However, they didn’t even glance at the food and exchanged looks before speaking in a subtle voice.
“Um, Your Grace. We hear you received an enormous fief along with your title this time?”
The smiles of the baron and baroness were similar to hyenas surrounding a piece of meat.
‘As expected, it’s about money.’
Amy inwardly snorted. She recalled the reason for Mrs. Weaver’s dismissal that Viola had told her the night before.
‘They say she tried to create double ledgers for the Emperor…’
In principle, all land in the empire belongs to the Emperor. Nobles receive titles and fiefs from the Emperor, but they only gain the right to collect produce from the land and keep what remains after taxes.
‘Imperial law punishes tax evasion as a crime tantamount to treason.’
To attempt such a thing, and try to make a mere head maid do it, not even an accounting expert… Is this guts or a brain the size of a fingernail?
They probably thought arranging this meeting to wheedle money out of young Noah wouldn’t be a problem. Amy stifled a laugh. Little did they know that right next to him was someone who had managed the Crown Prince’s secret funds…
‘And they didn’t even bother to silence people. How absurd.’
Even a young maid knows the inside story. Perhaps their hobby is collecting crimes and punishments?
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.
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