As soon as the Crown Prince saw Baron Pierson, he sprang up as if startled.

“Let’s talk outside.”

He hurriedly approached the baron, gripped his shoulder, and roughly pushed him towards the door.

“?”

Amy and Noah were perplexed, wondering why the Crown Prince was acting this way. He had seemed about to burst into anger just moments ago, but suddenly his desperate rush to leave this place was suspicious.

The Crown Prince turned back at the door and smiled awkwardly.

“Well then, let’s talk again later.”

“……Take care.”

Though uneasy, Amy politely bid him farewell, then shook off the uncomfortable feeling and brought up the urgent matter she had come for.

“Please officially appoint Mrs. Weaver as the head maid.”

“……”

Unexpectedly, Noah just stared at Amy without answering. It felt strange to see a different side of someone who always acted blindly agreeable to her words, saying “If Amy says so, then it must be right.”

“What’s wrong, Your Highness?”

When Amy asked, Noah rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and made a sour expression.

“Well… Now that I think about it, it seems a bit strange.”

“Strange? What does?”

Tilting her head in confusion, Amy saw Noah look at her meaningfully and speak deliberately.

“With Amy here, do we really need to have Mrs. Weaver as the head maid?”

“!”

Her heart sank, but fortunately it didn’t show outwardly. She had felt it before, but Noah, who was usually languid and relaxed, had sharp intuition in peculiar areas. Amy gazed at him steadily while inwardly muttering.

‘Because someday I’ll leave this place and live my own life.’

But she couldn’t honestly tell him that. The look in Noah’s eyes as he gazed at her… It may sound odd, but it seemed desperately clinging.

‘That can’t be.’

She dismissed it as an absurd thought and brushed it away.

‘It’s just… since it’s far in the future, there’s no need to tell him now and cause confusion.’

The Grand Duchy’s system was not yet properly established. Now was the time for everyone to band together and move towards a single goal.

Amy spoke nonchalantly.

“The work I do is more than the title of head maid can handle. You know well how much I’m doing, Your Highness.”

“……”

Noah stared sharply at Amy as if trying to see through her. But he must not have found anything particularly suspicious, as his expression soon softened.

“That’s true.”

Just as Amy relaxed, he gently took her hand.

“!”

As she drew in a surprised breath, Noah raised her palm to his cheek and whispered.

“I’m sorry for acting childish when I know you’re so busy preparing for the banquet.”

He sighed like a young puppy, then continued.

“This is all new to me… I guess I got impatient.”

Ah, it must have been overwhelming. Finally lowering her guard, Amy calmly replied.

“That’s understandable. It’s your first time appearing before others as the Grand Duke.”

“……”

“Firsts are nerve-wracking and scary for everyone. When I first became head maid, I was so flustered that I tripped and fell as soon as I was alone in my room.”

Amy covered her mouth and giggled. But Noah, whom she expected to laugh along, instead made a sulky face. That expression disappeared in an instant though, and Amy only saw his usual gentle face nodding.

“That’s why I keep relying on Amy more and more.”

“……”

Meeting Noah’s clear eyes, Amy felt her stomach churning again. As she tried to gently pull her hand away, Noah gripped it tighter and nuzzled his face against it. Then he muttered like he was whining.

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“That’s not good.”

Amy immediately frowned. Her concern about insomnia made her instantly forget the uncomfortable feeling. Worriedly, she touched his forehead with her other hand. Thankfully there was no fever…

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere, Your Highness? Should I call for a physician?”

Come to think of it, she needed to recruit a resident physician for the Grand Duchy too, but had overlooked it due to being so busy. Scolding herself for her carelessness, Amy quickly turned her thoughts.

‘First I should consult with the butler and the parish priest… Getting Mrs. Weaver and James’ opinions would be good too.’

Seeing Amy looking genuinely worried, Noah shook his head with a pleased expression.

“It’s not that bad. Let’s finish the banquet first and then take care of things step by step.”

Then he smiled radiantly, like a flower bud bursting open.

“We’re not just living here for a day or two, after all.”

“…Ah, there’s something else I need to tell you.”

Amy’s heart had sunk at Noah’s smile, but she managed to pull herself together and deliberately changed the subject, pulling out a letter from her bosom.

“It’s from Jack and Dwayne, who went to search for the magic tool.”

Noah took the letter and skimmed it, raising one eyebrow.

“Does this mean they’ll be back soon?”

“Yes. So about that… I’d like to briefly enter the Grand Duchy’s secret chamber.”

“……”

Noah looked up silently. Amy tensed slightly. The Grand Duchy’s secret chamber was a place only direct family of the Grand Duke could enter. Noah himself had received the key from the bloodline of the previous Grand Duke and kept it in his personal possession.

“Alright.”

Noah soon nodded agreeably, taking out a bundle of keys from deep in his desk drawer and placing it on the desk, along with an inventory of items stored in the secret chamber.

“Good timing. While you’re there, check if everything is properly accounted for too.”

Amy, who had been mentally preparing various excuses, was taken aback.

“No, I told you before that you should do that yourself… And how can you just give this to me so easily?”

“Didn’t you ask for the key?”

As Noah blinked in confusion, Amy sighed and pressed her hand to her forehead.

“You should at least ask why I need it.”

“I’m sure Amy knows what she’s doing.”

Noah seemed to find even asking bothersome. Amy glanced at him briefly, then slumped her shoulders.

“I’ll be careful and come right back. Thank you for trusting me.”

“Mm.”

Amy felt somewhat embarrassed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was grateful for Noah’s excessive trust in her, but at the same time it weighed heavily on her heart.

Noah watched her fidgeting with amusement, then spoke.

“Amy, you know I’m always grateful, right?”

“I know. And you know this is my choice, right?”

She deliberately winked playfully, and Noah opened his mouth in a loud laugh. Amy was inwardly surprised. In all her time with Noah, this was the first time she had seen him laugh so freely and openly.

Eventually Noah stopped laughing and gazed deeply at Amy.

“I’m always wondering how to repay you for that choice.”

Once again, the weight of his sincerity pressed down on her. She was startled to feel burdened rather than grateful. Amy was silent for a moment before managing a smile.

“I’m not doing it expecting repayment. You’re my lord, Your Highness, so it’s only natural that you receive my loyalty.”

For a moment, Noah’s face darkened. He quickly lowered his eyes and mumbled.

“…Right.”

Just then, Amy’s eyes widened as she remembered something.

“By the way, did you hear from Captain Vernon?”

“Ah, about the Crown Prince’s knights showing suspicious movements?”

Noah’s eyes, which had been relaxed and gentle until just now, suddenly tensed with a grim smile on his face.

“I left it to the Captain. I told him I’d take responsibility even if things got out of hand, so he should do as he sees fit. I have to handle that much as Grand Duke. You should know that too, Amy.”

“Yes, I think that’s for the best.”

Amy grinned along with him. While thinking she should consider how to use this to further trip up the Crown Prince.

Leaving the Grand Duke’s office, Amy hurried her steps to go to the inner castle tower. Cecil, who had been waiting outside, quickly fell in behind her.

“Head Maid. There was a commotion in front of the kitchen.”

“What kind of commotion?”

Cecil bit her lip tightly, then murmured in a low voice.

“The subordinate knights of Guard Captain Martin were harassing the maids.”

“!”

Amy’s steps halted. She turned to Cecil with a hardened expression.

“Tell me the details.”

Captain Vernon had a headache. He had rushed over hearing there was trouble, being the only one with free hands, only to find Martin’s knights drunk early in the day and picking fights with the maids.

‘Hah, is this some kind of bad luck charm?’

He had started work with the mindset of new wine in new wineskins, having obtained an overly generous new job… only to encounter Martin here again, with whom he’d had bad blood since the imperial palace. What’s more, Martin still held a grudge against Vernon despite everything going his way. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

‘At least Martin himself isn’t here, thankfully.’

Just thinking about what might have happened if he’d come face to face with Martin made his head throb. Vernon strode forward to block the knights.

“Let’s settle this nicely before things get out of hand and cause trouble for both sides.”

He spoke glibly while pushing the maids behind his back. Fortunately, upon closer look it wasn’t sexual harassment, but more along the lines of mockery and taunts about how livable the Grand Duchy was and how they could survive in such a rural area.

The problem was that the maids were inexperienced and scared, surrounded by strapping knights.

“Who’s going to be in trouble?”

Martin’s closest knight glared provocatively at Vernon. A whistle sounded from behind.

“You were flat on your belly at the imperial palace, but now you’ve got some spine to show off in front of the ladies out in the countryside.”

Loud laughter erupted among the Crown Prince’s knights. Shaking his head at their lack of situational awareness, Vernon noticed the eyes of the trembling maids behind him suddenly change. Their gazes were so seasoned it was hard to believe they were the same people who had been intimidated just moments ago.

“You’re still as clueless about the atmosphere as ever. The ladies probably want to get along with the capital’s knights too, you know.”

“Of course. Where else would these things ever get to meet Sir Knights?”

As the knights puffed out their chests like peacocks in heat, the maids laughed coarsely.

“There are plenty of things like you in the garbage dump.”

One even made a spitting gesture, “Ptui!”

“In the North, they wouldn’t even value you as firewood, yet you talk big.”

“Pfft.”

The maids lowered their heads, trying to hold back laughter. Meanwhile, Vernon managed to persuade the knights back to their quarters, suppressing his rising anger.

‘This is seriously messed up…’

He wanted to tell them to take off their rank insignia and settle this with fists, but work life is all about endurance.

“Are you alright, girls?”

He carefully approached the maids huddled together shoulder to shoulder. Looking up at him with large doe eyes, they all seemed young enough to be his daughters, making him feel even more sympathetic.

From what Vernon had observed since coming here, the guards, servants, and maids were all kind and innocent. That made this situation even more regrettable and worrying. How shocked these young ladies must have been, encountering the foul-mouthed and ill-mannered knights from the capital.