Readers will definitely notice I think. Not all of them most likely, but at least a handful will. Especially if they are your friends/family
However, they might not have initiative or feeling of enough loss and curiosity to express and question it like OP does, or reach out directly to the creator. They might simply figure out what was probably the cause. Also, they might be hopeful it is just a short hiatus, and don't make a big deal of it.