Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

And so, the actual drinking didn’t happen until the following night.There was no way I would allow the young master to mix alcohol with his medication.Considering how carefully I monitored everything he consumed—even his water and milk—there was no way I’d let him do something so reckless.So, after asking the physician multiple times and receiving a clear confirmation that “a little wine is fine,” I finally agreed to the gathering.The table was set with an assortment of fruits and dishes, all meant to complement wine rather than serve as a full meal.As the servants bustled around preparing everything, the young master, who had been gazing out the window with a thoughtful expression, slowly approached.But instead of excitement or anticipation, his face showed nothing but reluctance.Most people are excited for their first drink… Could it be that he dislikes wine?Considering his heightened sensitivity to scents, it wouldn’t be surprising if he found wine’s aroma overwhelming.Or maybe—like any proper protagonist—he had some tragic backstory tied to alcohol.Meanwhile, the servants wheeled in a prepared wine cellar, stocked with an array of fine wines, including some from our own trading company.I eagerly scanned the labels, then selected the lightest and sweetest one for him—an ice wine made from frozen grapes, renowned for its rich, honeyed flavor.With practiced ease, I removed the label and popped the cork in one fluid motion.The young master, watching closely, seemed oddly fascinated.Well, I suppose it made sense.In my first life, I had frequently enjoyed beer and wine, so this level of skill was second nature.As I poured the wine into a glass with effortless precision, I felt his gaze lingering on my every movement.Then, he spoke.“Who did you drink wine with?”…Ah.So, I had looked too experienced.Most first-time drinkers struggle with even opening the bottle.Well… While I had never actually consumed alcohol in this world, I couldn’t exactly tell him the truth.So, I gave a vague but reasonable answer.“Only during my parents’ birthdays. Not very often.”As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a pang of guilt.The truth was, whenever I did return home, I barely stayed long.I would just greet my parents briefly before heading back here—straight to the underground archives to work.Back then, my only thought had been to bring the young master back as soon as possible.I had left behind my parents’ disappointed expressions without a second thought.Even now, I only sent them letters occasionally.The bitterness in my mouth wasn’t from the wine.And then, I froze.Lost in my own thoughts, I had failed to notice the young master’s reaction.He was smiling.But it was an empty, unreadable kind of smile.“…Your parents.”“…….”“Ah. I see.”…Why does it feel like he saw through my lie?A strange discomfort settled in my chest, but I chose to stay silent.I had always been careful about discussing family around him, so I simply let the topic fade into silence.Fortunately, he didn’t press further.Without any change in expression, he picked up the wine glass by the stem.I watched his movements carefully, but…There was nothing to correct.If anything—“You’re better at this than I am… How do you already know what to do?”“I learned seven years ago.”That caught me off guard.Seven years ago?…As far as I remembered, he had never had the opportunity to drink back then.Had he somehow learned from someone else during those years away?“I read about it in a book. This is my first time actually trying it.”“Ah… I see.”Now that he mentioned it, I vaguely remembered something.Right—Lady Sylviet had once brought a book on wine etiquette during her lessons.At the time, I had wondered why anyone would bother reading about drinking.…But he actually remembered all that just from reading it?Of course. He’s my brilliant young master, after all.I beamed at him with admiration.His eyes, however, remained fixed on the dark liquid swirling in his glass.“I’ve smelled the aroma enough. Can I drink now?”“Yes.”“Hm.”…Weird.Why does he sound a little annoyed?Regardless, he carefully took his first sip, savoring the taste as he had been taught.As I observed him to gauge his reaction, he suddenly spoke.“Lobel, aren’t you drinking?”“…Me?”“Normally, at banquets, everyone drinks together. Drinking alone is considered bad manners. Since we’re practicing, wouldn’t it make sense for you to drink as well?”His words were strangely quick, almost rushed.More than that, the way his green eyes gazed at me so intently…Something about it made me uneasy.I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I suddenly felt like I had.“Uh… Well, that’s true, but I need to stay alert in case you need anything. I thought I’d join at the end instead.”“Why? You could just call another servant.”…Didn’t he say that having other servants around was uncomfortable?I swallowed back that response.Somehow, I had a strong feeling that saying it out loud would be a very bad idea.And then, the young master spoke again—words so unexpected, they might as well have been magic.“…What?”The young master blinked, clearly caught off guard.I rested my chin on my hand, tilting my head as I stared at him.“You heard me. Why do you keep acting all reserved around me?”“…”His green eyes wavered, and I could see the way he tensed up slightly, his grip tightening around the stem of his wine glass.I was tipsy but still sharp enough to notice the subtle reactions.“Before, you never hesitated to say what you wanted, but now, it feels like you’re always holding something back.”I leaned forward, lowering my voice slightly.“Is there something you’re not telling me?”His lips parted slightly as if he wanted to answer, but then, just as quickly, he shut them again.Silence stretched between us.A slow smile curled on my lips.“See? You’re doing it again.”The young master exhaled, pressing his fingers against his temple.“…Lobel.”“Hm?”“…How much did you drink?”I blinked. “I dunno. Not that much?”“…Not that much?” He glanced at the nearly empty bottles.Oh.Okay, maybe it was a bit much.But I felt fine, so wasn’t that what mattered?I swirled the remnants of wine in my glass and muttered,“You’re avoiding the question.”A heavy pause.Then, finally, he sighed and met my gaze, his voice softer than before.“…You’ll leave if I don’t.”I stopped.“…Huh?”“If I don’t act properly… if I say or do something wrong…”His fingers tapped against his wine glass, restless.“You’ll leave.”The air between us grew heavy.I blinked slowly, processing his words.Then, I chuckled.“…You really think I’d leave just because of that?”He didn’t answer.Which meant—he did think that.I let out a breath, shaking my head.“Geez, do you really think I’m that shallow?”“……”I reached across the table and poked his forehead lightly.“I’m not going anywhere, you idiot.”His eyes widened slightly.The redness on his neck seemed to creep a little higher.“…Lobel.”“Hm?”“…You just called me an idiot.”“Yeah. What about it?”His lips pressed together.And then—“…Say it again.”…Huh?Was the wine hitting him already?I raised a brow.“…Idiot?”His expression didn’t change, but his ears were definitely turning pink.The young master picked up his wine glass and took a long sip.“Forget it.”“No, no, wait, what was that? What kind of reaction was that?”“I said forget it.”Now I was curious.Was he actually enjoying it?“…Idiot?”He cleared his throat and turned his head away.Oh.Ohhh.A slow grin spread across my face.“…Oh, this is fun.”“Lobel.”“I knew you were hiding something.”He ran a hand down his face, groaning.“Just—drink your wine.”“Okay, okay. But you’re acting a little suspicious, idiot.”“Lobel.”His voice was low, almost a warning.But it didn’t scare me at all.If anything—I was definitely going to mess with him more from now on