Amy placed the neatly folded letter on the altar and weighed it down with a heavy stone to prevent it from flying away. Then she stepped back.

“Let’s go back now.”

As Amy turned around, Dwayne was startled and looked back and forth between Amy and the altar.

“What? Is it over? Is this the end?”

“Yes.”

Ignoring the puzzled looks of the people, Amy crossed the open space towards the cliff while recalling her memories from before the regression.

One day when she was imprisoned, a talkative guard informed her that the North had been overturned.

‘You know those immigrants from beyond the Black Mountains who kept invading the North? Apparently they coveted the North enough.’

The ruling family of the Viscon clan had a structure where the eldest son monopolized everything for generations. But when the previous generation’s leader finally had a long-awaited son and the child grew to some extent, a problem arose.

The midwife who had delivered the son at that time confessed that she had switched babies. The clan was turned upside down. The child who had been groomed as the leader’s son and heir was immediately cast out. When they went to find the child as the midwife confessed, there was no one there. Only traces of people who had lived there long ago remained.

From then on, the Viscon clan fell into chaos.

‘How can we find a child that’s gone now, we should choose an heir from the collateral bloodline. No, how can we trust the midwife’s words, the cast-out child is the real son…. Internal strife broke out and everything.’

The guard clicked his tongue and unfolded an even more intriguing story.

‘But you know, that clan had a strange magical artifact? They say that artifact had the ability to determine the bloodline of an ancient god. The ruling family of the Viscon clan was said to be descendants of an ancient god, you see? So with that artifact, they could tell if the child they had raised as a son was really theirs.’

The guard who had spoken up to that point shook his head with a regretful expression.

‘But as if heaven was playing a trick, wouldn’t you know, someone stole that artifact. The previous generation leader was beside himself with rage. He had to find the child, had to find the artifact…. He spent his whole life searching the world and then just died.’

‘……’

Though she had lost her tongue and couldn’t respond, Amy thought as she listened to the story. With no heir and the leader dead, a dogfight must have broken out.

Sure enough, the clan split into several factions, and the powerful momentum they had previously held sharply declined, they said.

But there was a fact that came to light afterwards. It was that a traitor from the clan had fled to the Empire with the artifact for proving parentage. However, he died before he could go further south from the North. Since it was clear that he had hidden the artifact somewhere in the North before he died, the clan began searching carefully so as not to alert the Empire.

‘But that was discovered not long ago. Would you believe it, they say it was found in an unrelated grave in a temple in some northern territory.’

The person who discovered it seems to have made a deal with the Viscon clan. He handed over the artifact to the Viscon clan free of charge, and thanks to that, they were able to find the leader’s true child.

‘They say that clan doesn’t let favors or revenge go unrewarded. So they compensated that person, and would you believe it was with black gold that comes from under the ground in the North?’

They say they handed over a magical artifact for finding the location of black gold as if in exchange. So he used it to dig up black gold, and as he sold it to the continent, he accumulated enormous wealth.

Black gold!

That was the tribute that Amy was going to offer to Noah, her benefactor.

‘The person who found the artifact and got the black gold because of it was later revealed to be a criminal and was executed.’

And his crimes were very heinous. Instead of using the enormous money he earned for the development of the North, he used it to kidnap young girls and boys, abuse them, and brutally murder them.

‘So I don’t feel even a bit of guilt for taking away that guy’s opportunity.’

Noah wasn’t someone who would monopolize even if given enormous wealth.

You could tell just by looking at how he was dedicating himself to studying, wanting to do well even though he wasn’t a Grand Duke by his own will. Moreover, when you talk to him, you realize that he is thinking deeply about his responsibilities and duties.

‘Under Noah’s rule, the North will enjoy unprecedented prosperity.’

As Amy strode forward, Dwayne hurried to catch up and walked beside her. Then he leaned towards Amy and whispered discreetly.

“Want to switch bags?”

He was saying this knowing Amy’s bag was empty.

“……Pfft.”

Ah, laughing at something like this hurts my pride. Amy belatedly bit her lip. Dwayne chuckled.

“You know I’m joking, right? If I really did that, I’d be beaten to death by His Highness.”

“His Highness doesn’t use unnecessary violence.”

As Amy wrinkled her nose and chided him, Dwayne’s mouth fell open. Are we talking about the same person? Dwayne put on a serious expression.

“Look, Head Maid. I’m not trying to disrespect you.”

“Why is the introduction always the same?”

“No, that’s not important right now. Do you have any plans to visit the training grounds often?”

“Why there? If you need anything, tell Melvin.”

“That’s not it….”

Dwayne briefly considered whether he should mention that he gets pinned down by Noah every three days or so. No matter how oblivious he was, he couldn’t help but notice that the Grand Duke acted like a gentle lamb in front of the Head Maid.

“Anyway, come take a look. You’ll see something funny.”

“……More than now?”

Amy said, staring intently at Dwayne’s feet. Wondering what she meant, Dwayne looked down and realized he had stepped in animal droppings, making him jump.

“Ugh, what is this! Ah, how disgusting!”

He frantically wiped his foot on the fallen leaves. As Amy was contentedly watching his predicament, suddenly someone’s body blocked her view.

“Your Highness?”

“Amy, aren’t you hungry?”

It was close to mealtime. Amy furrowed her brow. Noah quickly held out the pouch in his hand. She took it familiarly and opened it to find apples and jerky inside.

“Oh, I’ll eat when we go down later. My hands are dirty right now….”

Her hands were covered in dust from cleaning the altar. As Amy looked at the food regretfully, Noah took out an apple and simply split it in half. Then he held it up to her mouth and said nonchalantly.

“Say ah.”

Amy’s eyes widened.

“Your Highness?”

As she reflexively tried to back away, Noah stopped her.

“Just eat, you’re hungry.”

“……”

She was. From the moment she recognized her empty stomach, it twisted with hunger, and her heart started racing as she began to feel anxious, to the point where even her mind was becoming faint. Still, thinking this wasn’t right, she held back firmly and opened her mouth.

“It’s okay…!”

At that moment, the apple was abruptly inserted. The moment the tart and sweet juice touched her tongue, Amy completely forgot what she was trying to do and hurriedly chewed and ate. Only then did Noah smile as if he was pleased.

“Eat the jerky too.”

“……”

Without time to answer, she quickly chewed the jerky that was put in her mouth again. After chewing a few times and swallowing, her throat hurt, but it didn’t matter if she could satisfy her hunger.

“Is it okay for His Highness to do something like that? Should I go help…”

Dwayne, who had been watching from a distance, was about to step forward rolling up his sleeves, but Bradley stopped him.

“Do you want to get thrown every day, every moment?”

“Doesn’t the Grand Duke work? Does he have so much time to throw people around?”

When Dwayne asked with genuine curiosity, Bradley ran his hand down his face and muttered weakly.

“Even Mary’s 5-year-old nephew would understand better than you…”

“Do words have ears? Or are you talking about the horses we ride? They are cute when their ears twitch.”

“……”

Fortunately, before Bradley could explode, Amy and Noah walked over to them. The snack pouch was already empty, as if they had finished eating.

As always when the Head Maid was full, Noah’s expression was gentle. Dwayne, who had been staring blankly at that sight, glanced at Noah who had started talking to Bradley and then subtly moved closer to Amy.

“Excuse me, Head Maid. I’m curious about something.”

“I’m not switching bags.”

“That’s not it. What I want to ask is… While I was away from the Grand Duke’s castle on a mission, did anyone come looking for His Highness?”

“Come looking? Who?”

Amy was puzzled, thinking that there was no one who would come even from the Imperial Palace where she had lived all her life, so who would come looking for Noah?

“No… Head Maid, don’t you know?”

“Know what?”

Dwayne lowered his voice as if he was telling a great secret.

“His Highness has someone he likes.”

“……I told you not to eat strange plants carelessly when you’re hungry.”

As Amy put her hands on her hips and made a stern expression, Dwayne trembled.

“No, what do you take me for… Come on, I just ate regular food.”

“……”

His face looked so wronged that it seemed like it might be true. Still, unable to completely erase her doubts, she looked at him suspiciously.

“This isn’t just Dwayne’s delusion?”

“Oh come on, even Jack knows and Rita knows.”

“……”

Amy’s mood plummeted sharply. To think that she was the only one who didn’t know about His Highness Noah’s affairs when most people knew. Amy lowered her voice.

“And you didn’t say who it was?”

“Of course not. Would His Highness trust me and tell me if it were you, Head Maid?”

“No.”

At the firm answer, Dwayne remained nonchalant as if he had expected it. What kind of person is this, it was absurd.

“Anyway, they say that the reason His Highness is trying to become an excellent person now is all for that person. Whew, it’s moving just thinking about it again. What could it be? Love changes the world?”

“……Bradley is gesturing for you to come.”

“Oh? He is? Then I’ll see you later, Head Maid.”

Amy turned her gaze to Noah as she watched Dwayne run off. His appearance as he conversed with Bradley was completely different from a few months ago. He had grown taller, and gained flesh and muscle, becoming more slender. Moreover, perhaps because his mind was more at ease, his gloomy impression had softened, making his beauty shine even more.

It was somehow understandable that he had a hidden lover.

‘Well, even before the regression, there were widespread rumors that he was head over heels for his lover.’