The moment Amy heard the 2nd Prince’s words, which were like a shy confession, her face crumpled.

“Ah, that’s a bit…”

A chill ran down her spine as she recalled the events that unfolded when the Crown Prince liked her in the past. If there was one thing she had learned from the terrible starvation she experienced in her previous life, it was that she should never get personally involved with the lord she served.

“Huh?”

The 2nd Prince doubted his ears. Amy quickly changed her expression and said sweetly.

“Then I’ll take care of it until someone more precious than me comes along for Your Highness.”

“Uh… huh?”

The 2nd Prince blinked blankly and then opened his eyes wide.

“No, Amy, that’s not what I…”

“Oh my, it’s already this late? Your Highness, hurry up. We need to leave the palace soon.”

“Huh? Oh, alright. But Amy…”

“We’re in a hurry now, so if you have something to say, tell me later.”

Amy pushed the 2nd Prince out of the kitchen as if herding a dog. The 2nd Prince stumbled out, bewildered.

With a thud, the door closed, and Amy leaned her back against it, silently sighing. Behind her, she heard the sound of the 2nd Prince hesitating before returning to his own chambers.

Amy muttered to herself.

“I can’t go back to that mess again.”

Her tone was as if she was making a promise to herself. She couldn’t be responsible for the 2nd Prince’s feelings just because she was grateful and sorry to him. Rather, this was for the best. She should cut off any buds now. There’s no need to repeat the tragedy of the Crown Prince era.

‘It’s not that the 2nd Prince is ungrateful like the Crown Prince.’

She had felt it before and was even more certain after spending time with him recently. The 2nd Prince was a trustworthy person. Amy intended to repay her debt to him for sending her back in time. However, her desire to carefully build her second chance at life, which she had luckily obtained, was equally strong.

‘It would be better to separate public and private matters.’

She would never make the same mistake again.

After organizing her thoughts like this, Amy limped over to the counter, gathered the remaining food onto a plate, and placed it on the table. Then, as if possessed, she shoveled the food into her mouth, chewing and swallowing hurriedly.

***

The sun had tilted slightly to the west. It was time to leave. Amy stood at the entrance of the palace with the 2nd Prince, anxiously looking outside. She was uneasy about why they hadn’t arrived yet when it was past the time they should have come.

“Amy? When are we leaving?”

“Ah, just a moment.”

Amy stretched her neck and stared towards the main palace. Her heart was filled with disappointment. Could it be that they had failed…?

Just then, dust rose in the distance. Several horses were galloping towards them. Amy’s eyes widened as she watched, and as the horses drew near, she quickly straightened the 2nd Prince. Then she stood up straight herself.

Neigh. Finally, imperial guards in splendid silver armor arrived and stopped their horses. They dismounted onto the dirt ground and strode over.

The 2nd Prince tensed his body, seemingly uneasy at the sight of the large-bodied guard.

“Stand straight.”

Amy said, moving only her lips while standing properly. The 2nd Prince flinched but then puffed out his chest and stood proudly.

‘When we get to the Grand Duchy, I’ll have to educate him thoroughly.’

Amy’s eyes hardened as she looked at the 2nd Prince. Now that she had decided on this course of action, she couldn’t bear to see the 2nd Prince looked down upon by others.

‘The Crown Prince is already grinding his teeth.’

When Amy realized she had died and returned to the past, she didn’t waste a single moment. She immediately went to the Empress to express her intention to resign (the Empress welcomed it with open arms), and as soon as she became free, she volunteered to be the head maid of the 2nd Prince. The palace department, which had been suffering from chronic manpower shortages, warmly welcomed the arrival of high-quality personnel.

Everything happened while the Crown Prince was away on a trip. When he returned and found out, he was furious beyond measure. When he stormed into the 2nd Prince’s palace, demanding to take Amy back, it was surprisingly not her who sent him away.

‘Is Your Highness, in your exalted position, intimidating a mere woman?’

At the 2nd Prince’s words, the Crown Prince wore a dumbfounded expression before becoming even angrier. He couldn’t have been pleased by the rebuke from his younger brother, whom he had looked down upon and despised all his life.

‘You little one, stay out of this.’

‘That’s not possible. Amy now belongs to me.’

For someone who had been cowering like a dead person until now, his words were quite thorny. Amy wasn’t the only one who noticed this, as the Crown Prince’s face hardened.

‘How dare you…’

‘I apologize. I spoke out of concern that if people knew about this, it might tarnish Your Highness’s reputation and Amy’s standing.’

‘…’

The Crown Prince, who had rushed in blindly with anger clouding his eyes, hesitated. He finally realized that this was a situation ripe for rumors to spread. As the two men glared at each other in silence, Amy calmed them down.

‘If you have any complaints, you should go to the Empress’s palace, as she has given her approval.’

Of course, she said this knowing he couldn’t do it. The Crown Prince’s face immediately turned pale. He glared at Amy with resentful eyes before turning his back, causing a cold wind as he left. He departed from the 2nd Prince’s palace without looking back once.

‘Even though your affection was so shallow that you ignored me dying in prison.’

Although she was astounded by the Crown Prince’s behavior, acting as if he was the one who had been betrayed, she quickly calmed her mind.

‘Now is not the time to think about such trivial matters.’

Finally, with a clanking sound, the imperial guards stopped in front of them. Amy took a short breath, then gracefully held her skirt and bent her knees.

“I am Amelia, the head maid of the 2nd Prince’s palace.”

The guard looked down at her with arrogant eyes and spoke indifferently.

“We have brought the Emperor’s order.”

Amy smiled gently with her mouth tightly closed. See? They don’t even introduce themselves?

“…”

The guard furrowed his brow when Amy just smiled without answering. Amy, who had remained silent for a moment as if giving time, finally opened her mouth.

“The 2nd Prince is here.”

“…I know that.”

The guards’ eyes fell on the boy standing next to Amy, then returned to her. A vein popped on Amy’s forehead.

‘You know and you’re still like this?’

Hiding her true feelings, Amy spoke gently.

“The descendant of the Imperial Sun is waiting for Captain Martin’s greeting.”

As if to say, “Do I have to spoon-feed you this?”, Amy’s fierce gaze made the guard captain finally realize his mistake.

“No, I mean… 2nd Prince, Your Highness.”

Amy’s insides twisted at his reaction, as if he had never even thought of greeting. Moreover, the 2nd Prince seemed more flustered than the guard captain, which made her feel even worse.

“Amy.”

The 2nd Prince tugged slightly at Amy’s sleeve with an embarrassed expression. Amy coldly glanced at his hand and silently asked ‘What?’ with her eyes.

“I’m fine with it…”

He muttered in a small voice after glancing at the burly guard captain and guards. Amy blew out an angry breath, flipping her bangs. Then she spoke again with a kind expression.

“Of course you are. The 2nd Prince is generous.”

“…”

The 2nd Prince wisely kept his mouth shut. He had quickly noticed that although Amy was kind, she wasn’t really being kind. Amy smiled brightly.

“But subordinates can’t be like that. That’s the etiquette of the imperial palace and the courtesy towards members of the imperial family. Isn’t that right, Captain Martin?”

Amy turned to look at him with a gaze that seemed to say, “Tell me if there’s anything wrong with what I said.” The guard captain became dumbstruck. It was because there really wasn’t a single incorrect point.

“…I pay my respects, 2nd Prince. I am Martin, the captain of the imperial guards in charge of palace security.”

He finally bowed his head to the 2nd Prince.

“Oh, um, yes… Nice to meet you.”

The 2nd Prince tried to respond dignifiedly while glancing at Amy. Although not entirely satisfied, Amy thought this was good enough and moved on to the main point.

“Please hand over the Emperor’s order to His Highness.”

“Yes.”

The guard captain, with an expression that suggested he wanted to go home quickly, promptly handed over the rolled-up scroll to Amy. Amy took it with both hands and respectfully presented it to the 2nd Prince. The 2nd Prince swallowed hard and slowly unrolled the scroll.

“…Amy, is this correct?”

After briefly looking over the contents, the 2nd Prince tilted his head slightly towards Amy and whispered. Amy modestly stood next to the prince and quickly scanned the contents of the order with her eyes.

‘Let’s see, first of all, the land is indeed the combination of all three northern territories… Recognition as an independent principality, not a dependency… Good! And an annual tribute to the empire equivalent to 30 pouches of gold coins. Well, this much is fine.’

Inwardly cheering, Amy straightened her back with an expressionless face. Then she nodded gracefully.

“You should express your gratitude to His Majesty the Emperor, Your Highness.”

“Okay.”

The 2nd Prince, as practiced with Amy the day before, faced the direction of the main palace where the Emperor resided, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed. Then he proclaimed in a clear voice.

“I express my infinite gratitude for the grace of the Imperial Sun. May the glory of the Empire always be with His Majesty the Emperor.”

“…”

The guard captain and guards, who had been disregarding the 2nd Prince all along, had peculiar expressions at this rather proper etiquette. Regardless, Amy dismissed them.

“Well then, His Highness must now depart for the Grand Duchy…”

“Ah, yes.”

The guard captain, sensing something amiss, kept looking back as he mounted his horse. Amy patiently waited until they were completely out of sight. And finally, when their figures disappeared, she sighed in relief and approached the carriage.

“Aren’t we leaving now?”

As Amy checked once again if all the luggage was loaded onto the carriage, the 2nd Prince tilted his head and asked. Wasn’t all business at the imperial palace finished once they received the Emperor’s order?

As she hesitated to answer with an ambiguous expression, going “Hmm,” the sound Amy had been waiting for finally reached her ears.