Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

“…Alcohol?”Edric, who had never cared much for food or drink, hadn’t expected that answer at all.Rimson glanced at him with an odd expression.Come to think of it, Edric had never touched alcohol, drugs, or even cigarettes—even in the most dangerous territories.In places like those, it was said that at least two out of the three were necessary just to survive.Even Arif had started drinking and smoking there, though he had been trying to quit ever since returning…In a way, Edric still seemed like a child in certain aspects.So, feeling like he was speaking to the same naive boy from years ago, Rimson started rambling.“Yes, alcohol is the best! Men bond over drinks, don’t they? Sharing a few glasses helps open up the heart! Ha! And don’t even get me started on appetizers—”Rimson always had too much to say about pointless things.Edric promptly ignored his speech about snacks.Instead, he seriously mulled over the idea.‘Alcohol, huh…’It was true that most adults enjoyed drinking.Even the ever-stoic duke kept a vast collection of fine wines in Denkart’s cellar.But since Edric had yet to develop a taste for alcohol, it all sounded foreign to him.As he remained silent, Rimson kept rambling about how he and Tilly had grown closer over shared beers.Since Edric was well aware of how much Tilly had initially disliked Rimson, he found the story surprisingly compelling.But in the end, he firmly rejected the idea.“No. That won’t work.”“…Why not?”“Alcohol isn’t good for Lobel.”He spoke as if alcohol were pure poison.For Rimson—who had just enjoyed a hearty black beer last night—the statement was downright depressing.And as Denkart’s most dedicated drinker, he couldn’t help but feel a bit offended.He tried to convince Edric otherwise, but the young master’s stance was unwavering.Realizing he was getting nowhere, Rimson sighed and left the room, rubbing the back of his head.Truth be told, he had been carrying a quiet guilt for some time now.Because he, too, had been lying to Lobel.Like father, like son. Both the duke and Edric were endlessly trying to deceive her.At first, Rimson had convinced himself—I’m doing this for Lobel. I’m doing this for the young master.But by now, he was reaching his limit.As someone who valued loyalty above all else, the deception was wearing on him.That said, things had been slightly easier lately.“Tilly, I’m back!”Tilly had been the first to notice his inner turmoil and had helped him work through it.“Rimson. The young master gave you trouble again, didn’t he?”“Well, here’s what happened…”Of course, it hadn’t always been this way.[ Rimson! Why do you keep looking so distracted? Is there someone else? Huh?? If you’re seeing someone else, you’d better tell me now before the wedding!!! ][ W-What?! No, Tilly! How could I?! ][ Then why do you keep acting weird? And what’s with that face?! You look like a cake that’s been dropped on the floor and left there for a month! ][ I told you, it’s nothing— ][ Be honest with me. Or I’ll call off the wedding. ]…And so, Rimson had ended up spilling everything.From Edric and Lobel’s childhood, to their absolutely insane love story, to all the reckless things they had done for each other, and finally—his burden as the ever-loyal big brother keeping up the lies.[ …That’s really everything? ]When Tilly finally switched back to calling him dear, Rimson felt like he could breathe again.She had been skeptical at first, but knowing how much Rimson valued honesty and loyalty, she had chosen to trust him.Since then, whenever he felt especially guilty—usually over deceiving Lobel—he had begun confiding in her.They say that married couples share everything.Tilly, feeling sorry for her husband, would comfort him and offer advice.As a result, their relationship had only grown stronger.Rimson even cut down on smoking. (Though, admittedly, Tilly had started drinking more.)Today was no different.“So, I suggested alcohol! And the young master completely lost it!!”“That’s strange. Not even a single glass? They say a cup of Rinniskillin wine is practically medicinal. And Lobel is perfectly healthy.”“He absolutely refused! Ugh… And to think I know that guy sneaks around outside the young master’s room at night!”Tilly pondered for a moment before suddenly asking,“Then why don’t you help them?”“…Me?”“Yes. Set something up for them. Just a simple get-together with a different atmosphere. A drink isn’t even necessary—just the change in setting might encourage them to open up to each other.”“Would that… really work?”“Of course. They’re both adults. It’s not like you’d be forcing them to drink.”Tilly was worried about Lobel, but she was even more worried about Rimson.She was sick of watching him lose sleep at night, muttering, I can’t believe I’m lying to that tiny thing… and sighing so hard it could shake the house.She wanted him to help just this once, then put his guilt behind him for good.Not that it would change much—commoners like them couldn’t really influence noble affairs.But Rimson, ever the simple man, brightened at her words.As expected, Tilly is brilliant!Without hesitation, he rushed off to find Lobel.As always, Lobel was in the back garden, sorting herbs.The moment Rimson stepped through the back door, he winced and pinched his nose shut.Ugh!A pungent, almost unbearable stench of herbs assaulted Rimson’s nose.How does Lobel stand this without gagging?The fact that he could endure it at all was honestly impressive.They’re already ridiculously close—how much closer do they even need to get?Rimson just couldn’t understand it.Still, after thinking about Tilly’s advice, he had to admit—Edric and Lobel did need a proper setting to talk.They had spent seven years apart, yet they still acted so stiffly around each other.So, despite his own suffering, Rimson braced himself.He had no choice but to persuade Lobel.   
…Why is this guy acting so weird today?I shot Rimson a suspicious look as he barged in unannounced.The moment he arrived, he started rambling—practically reciting a scripted monologue—about how worried he was about the young master.Considering I had been blindsided during our trip to the capital, I wasn’t about to let my guard down.So, I simply waited in silence, letting him talk.Let’s see how far he takes this nonsense.“…You see, the young master will start attending banquets and social events now, right? And yet, he’s never had a single drop of alcohol before.”That was… unexpected.But when I thought about it, it actually made sense.The way he had lived—constantly dealing with one crisis after another—meant there had never been an opportunity for him to drink.And knowing his personality, he wouldn’t have let his guard down even if he had the chance.Before I knew it, I let out a small sigh.It was a bit sad, really.Even now, as a fully grown adult, he had never experienced something as simple as a drink.A strong liquor might be too much, but a sweet wine here and there wouldn’t hurt.“…Which means we have no idea what his tolerance is like or how he acts when he’s drunk. That’s where you come in.”…Hold on.Did he just completely shift responsibility onto me?“So I was thinking—you’ve taught him how to read, you’ve taught him about capital trends… why not teach him about alcohol, too?”“…Why would I do that? Wouldn’t Lady Sylviet be a better teacher for that?”“She’s busy mentoring the children of another noble family. The aides are all swamped, too…”That left only one possible candidate.I muttered to myself as I tended the flames beneath the brewing herbs.“…The duke? No, that’s not an option.”“…Yeah. That’s exactly why I didn’t even bother asking.”We exchanged a knowing, somber glance.Normally, these things were learned from parents.But his mother had passed away long ago.And his father… wasn’t even worth considering.A man who could abandon his own son while knowing full well about his leg injury—there was no point expecting anything from him.Besides, the young master didn’t have a particularly wide social circle, which is probably why the responsibility had somehow landed on me.Wayne was around, but he wasn’t nearly as close to the young master as I was.“…Wait a minute. Why does it have to be me? Can’t you just do it?”“…I promised Tilly I’d stop drinking. If I have one more glass, she’ll divorce me on the spot.”“…Maybe you shouldn’t have drunk so much in the first place. Or smoked so much, for that matter.”“If you’re gonna bring that up, at least say the full word properly! Do you know how much trouble I had convincing Tilly I wasn’t cheating on her?!”“Fine. Cigarettes.”“If she asks, make sure you explain it properly.”“Cigarettes, cigarettes.”Even as I gave him half-hearted responses, Rimson hovered uncertainly, looking like he still had something to say.All the while, he scrunched up his face at the strong herbal scent in the air.Which was really starting to get on my nerves.Ugh, this is a delicate process, and he’s distracting me.Controlling the fire was crucial right now.“…Fine, I’ll do it. But not today. Just prepare a selection of wines. The lighter ones.”“I’ll take care of it right away!”“…Why do I suddenly feel like I should cancel this whole plan?”Even though I asked the question bluntly, Rimson just laughed and disappeared.I watched him leave, then sighed to myself.But then, a thought struck me.…Wait a second.The young master is still on medication.Is it even safe for him to drink alcohol…?