Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

‘…What is he talking about?’Edric couldn’t understand right away.The Black Chains were Denkart’s proud knight order.But why did the Duke call them the Emperor’s blessing? And why had past family heads never agreed to it?‘There must be a reason he brought this up…’His suspicions deepened, but the Duke showed no intention of explaining further.So, Edric turned to leave.Just as he opened the door, the Duke said something.Clack.But his words were drowned out by the sound of the door closing.‘…Was he just talking to himself?’Edric hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the thought and headed straight to his room.With the sudden journey ahead, he had far more urgent matters to deal with than the Duke’s cryptic words.As he approached his room, he found his two aides already waiting at the door, trying to stop him.“Please reconsider. That place is still scarred from the civil war.”“This time, your legs might not make it back in one piece.”Even Benjamin, who was usually reserved, spoke at length to persuade him.But Edric’s decision was final.“I’m not changing my mind.”Neither the Duke nor Edric was the type to go back on their word.Seeing Edric’s unwavering stance, Benjamin closed his eyes briefly, as if making up his mind, then spoke.“In that case, I will accompany you.”“No, I should—”“Denean, you have a family.”Benjamin cut him off firmly.“I also know the terrain better than you do. Take me instead. I’ll get the Duke’s permission.”With that, Edric ended the discussion and sent them away.Now alone in his dark, empty room, Edric stood still, unmoving, as if time had frozen.The dim amber glow from the wall lamp flickered across his face, which was void of emotion.There was no anger or resentment toward the father who was sending him to his death.If anything, for the first time in his life, he was grateful to the Duke for being his father.Had he not been the Duke’s son, he wouldn’t have been able to help Lobel’s trading company.But just then, he heard the door creak open.A strange sense of déjà vu washed over him.Instinctively, he turned his head.A familiar silhouette stood in the doorway.It was Lobel.Her face, pale as a ghost, peeked out from beneath the hood of her robe.   *****   As soon as I heard the news about Young Master from my mother, I anxiously stomped my feet.‘Has he lost his mind?! Why is he going to such a dangerous place?!’I had overheard something about him leaving before, but I hadn’t asked for details, not wanting to get too involved.I never imagined it would be something like this.‘I can’t let him fall into a danger that wasn’t even in the original story.’Determined to stop him, I rushed back to Denkart.But the moment I arrived at the mansion’s front gates, a man approached me as if he had been waiting.His face seemed familiar. I thought back and realized he was one of the Duke’s closest aides—I had seen him a couple of times but had never spoken to him.“Follow me.”He spoke as if he had predicted my arrival.It was strange, but then I considered the possibility that Young Master had given advance notice.Since he had already asked me to return, he might have mentioned it to the Duke or his subordinates.So, without suspicion, I followed him.But instead of leading me to Young Master’s room, he stopped in front of the Duke’s office.The hallway was eerily empty, the only light coming from the dim wall lamps.A shadow stretched long across the floor through the slightly open door.I thought I heard voices—Young Master and the Duke.‘Is he meeting with the Duke? But… why would they leave the door open like this?’Just as I was questioning it, the aide spoke in an indifferent tone.“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”With a short bow, he disappeared down the corridor.Now, I was completely alone.I hesitated for a moment before quietly stepping to the side of the door.From here, I could hear their conversation more clearly.“Complete the imperial mission without fail.”“Yes.”‘So this imperial mission… is what’s sending Young Master to his death.’I bit my lip and waited for more.Then, something completely unexpected reached my ears.“I hear your former attendant’s ‘relative’ owns a trading company in Velikan. Since they were your first attendant, I understand you must be concerned. I will ensure the city’s businesses remain stable even after you leave.”Young Master gave no visible reaction, as if they had already discussed it before.I let out a heavy sigh in my mind.‘Even at a time like this, he was worrying about me…’Young Master had always been considerate—even sponsoring Ivo’s orphanage just so I wouldn’t worry.Of course, someone as kind and foolish as him wouldn’t leave without making sure I was okay.But then, an even stranger exchange followed.“If you try anything while I’m gone… I won’t sit back and watch. I’ll destroy Denkart entirely.”“You misunderstand.”The Duke let out a low chuckle.“That wasn’t a threat. If anything, it’s an offer that intrigues me.”“……”“The Black Chains of Denkart are called the Emperor’s blessing. Yet, no head of this family has ever agreed to it.”The Duke’s voice carried an unsettling weight of truth.“Remember this. The Black Chains of Denkart aren’t a blessing—they’re a leash.”That last remark struck me as deeply ominous.I was still trying to make sense of it when—Creak.The door suddenly swung open.Reflexively, I pressed myself against the wall, holding my breath.Young Master stepped out.But just before he closed the door behind him, the Duke muttered under his breath:“And now… the wretched curse passed down since the first emperor ends here.”Clack.The door shut, snapping me back to reality.I hurriedly followed after Young Master.Nothing else mattered right now—stopping him was the priority.But as I walked, I tried to sort out the storm of thoughts in my head.A curse passed down since the first emperor? That means it’s been in the Denkart family for generations…The Denkart line had thrived since the founding of the empire.If this so-called curse had continued all this time, then…Young Master wasn’t exempt from it.Neither was the Duke.Suddenly, I understood why the Duke was forcing this.Unless this curse was broken, Denkart would always remain under the imperial family’s control.As I walked through the corridors, I caught glimpses of a few familiar faces.But no one seemed to recognize me.Only the two aides standing by Young Master’s door seemed to notice. They looked like they had a lot to say but silently let me through.And just like that, I found myself face to face with Young Master—an unplanned reunion.“Young Master.”At my voice, he turned sharply, eyes widening in shock.Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned away.Without hesitation, he walked to his bed, calmly taking off his coat, as if he had just arrived.He spoke in an indifferent tone, completely different from the frustration I had heard earlier when he was speaking to the Duke.“What are you doing here?”Hearing his detached voice only made my frustration boil over.I spoke bluntly.“Can’t you not go?”The hand placing his coat on the nightstand froze midair.“I heard everything. That place… it’s dangerous, isn’t it? Don’t go. Denkart has plenty of talented people and money. There’s no reason for you to go.”The original story had already changed significantly. Young Master had gained so much—he didn’t need to take this risk.Sure, sending him would make Denkart look loyal to the imperial family.But what was the point if it came at the cost of his life?If I cared about him at all, I couldn’t let him go.And the Duke’s mention of a curse… That terrified me more than anything.I tried desperately to convince him.“As I said before, it doesn’t have to be you. You just recovered. You’re still young—”“Lobel.”His voice cut through mine, firm and steady.“None of that matters. It’s already decided.”“It’s not set in stone. You haven’t left yet. You can still change your mind.”“If someone from Denkart has to go, then I should be the one to take responsibility. I will inherit Denkart. If I back out, it would be shameful.”“This isn’t responsibility—this is sacrifice.”What had the Duke ever done for him to deserve such loyalty?How could a father send his child, who had only just learned to stand on his own, to his death?The injustice of it made me seethe.But Young Master simply soothed my anger with a quiet voice.“It’s a sacrifice I want to make. And it’s not entirely one-sided. I stand to gain something from it.”For the first time that night, he smiled faintly.His expression was so calm, so at peace, that I couldn’t bring myself to argue further.“The night is late. You should rest, Lobel. Stay in the next room tonight. We’ll finish this conversation another time.”His tone was firm. A command.As if hypnotized, I left his room and leaned against the door, burying my face in my hands.Flashes of the Duke’s suspicious actions played in my mind.The stone tablets. The tests to see if Young Master could recognize fakes.I let out a shaky breath.“…Ah.”Now, it all made sense.The reason those rare, uncirculated stone tablets were piled up in the Denkart mansion.Why the Duke had shown them to Young Master.Just as I had recognized Young Master’s extraordinary abilities, the Duke had seen them too.From the beginning, he had been testing Young Master—not to raise him as his heir, but to use him.I had thought I was helping Young Master prove himself, but in reality… I had played right into the Duke’s hands.I could already guess what awaited Young Master in the North.The Duke had been preparing for this for a long time.Young Master wouldn’t be able to escape his grasp.‘I was the one who brought this upon him…’Guilt and despair overwhelmed me.I collapsed onto the cold floor, unable to hear the guard speaking to me.I had interfered with his life to survive.I had changed the course of fate.And because of that—Young Master might die.This was an even worse tragedy than the original story.