Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

Both of them moved exactly as expected.Alexis let Lobel into his office without hesitation.The guards were caught off guard by her sudden intrusion, but Alexis only laughed to himself.This was orchestrated.He had planted his aide to bring Lobel here, and he had intentionally left the door open during his conversation with Edric.But now, Alexis needed to ensure her continued usefulness.“Return as Edric’s attendant when he comes back,” he told her. “Until then, you may stay at the mansion or commute as you wish.”It was a generous offer—one made purely for strategic reasons.If Edric died, so be it. But if he got scared and retreated, seeing Lobel would push him forward again. Edric had developed that much sense by now.Lobel, unaware of these calculations, lowered her eyes and spoke in a composed tone.“I appreciate your generosity, but I came here to ask about Young Master, not for my own sake.”Alexis raised an eyebrow at her change in demeanor.“So, the foolish clown act is over?”His voice was mocking, but he tilted his chin slightly, signaling her to continue.Lobel clenched her fists as if suppressing her anger and asked,“…Is there really no way to stop Young Master from going?”“There isn’t.”Unlike Lobel, who was visibly anxious, the Duke remained indifferent.For a father sending his own son to his death, he was unbearably cold.Lobel swallowed back the sharp words she wanted to hurl at him and asked instead,“Then tell me—why did you let me hear that conversation on purpose?”“We cannot refuse an imperial order. It’s the leash we’ve carried since our ancestors’ time.”Lobel bit her lip.Memories of the novel’s storyline surfaced in her mind.Edric had never outright defied the crown prince’s commands.Some readers had questioned the logic behind this, calling it inconsistent.Others argued that he simply couldn’t go against the prince’s orders.At the time, Lobel had dismissed it, thinking personal relationships were more important.But now, the answer was clear.It was a curse.Anyone with Denkart blood was bound by an unbreakable compulsion to obey the imperial family.Edric, through his mother’s lineage, carried the blood of spirits.But through his father, he had inherited this curse.‘So this is the secret revealed in the fifth side story…’Lobel felt like the world had gone dark.But it wasn’t total despair.She realized something.She was alone with the Duke.And that meant she had a chance to learn something that could save Edric.Desperation filled her voice.“Tell me how to help Young Master. How do we break the curse?”“You’re far more reasonable than my son,” Alexis mused.It sounded like mockery, but he meant it.Neither of them smiled.Then, as if revealing a long-buried truth, Alexis spoke in a quiet, measured voice.“Ancient ruins have been discovered in the northern region, where three former royal strongholds intersect.”Everyone already knew about the ruins.But what did that have to do with saving Edric?Lobel frowned in confusion, and the Duke elaborated.“A large number of ancient tablets were found there—ones that contain clues on how to break the leash.”This was information known only to a select few.After revealing such a critical secret, the Duke narrowed his eyes and muttered,“To be precise, the location is near the land of the barbarians.”“…How could something like that be in barbarian territory?”Wouldn’t it have been discovered long ago?When Lobel asked, the Duke replied casually.“Because on the day William I first negotiated with the barbarians, he threw them all into a lake. He wanted them buried at the bottom of that vast, deep body of water—lost forever.”“……!”“He was thorough enough to deceive both the barbarians and the royal family. That’s why it took so long to uncover them.”Lobel listened intently.“The tablets we’ve already found contain some information on breaking the curse. Once we recover the rest, it will be complete.”Denkart had discovered the truth.Breaking the curse was now only a matter of time.And once it was lifted, Denkart would no longer be shackled by the imperial family.The Duke was confident that this mission would free him.But the process was the real problem.“For now, I’ll continue studying the tablets here in the mansion’s underground archives.”Lobel suddenly understood another reason why Edric was being sent to the northern stronghold.If the first emperor had hidden the tablets, there wouldn’t just be one or two of them.The Duke wanted to use Edric’s unparalleled ability to identify genuine artifacts.By splitting the search between the northern ruins and the mansion’s underground vault, he could work efficiently, prove his loyalty to the crown, and avoid suspicion.‘But… how can he do this to his own son?’Even knowing the Duke was selfish, Lobel couldn’t help but grit her teeth in frustration.Watching her seethe, Alexis spoke with mock regret.“There’s a problem, though. Most archaeologists refused to help.”“…Why?”“The writing differs significantly from known records. Even deciphering a single character takes too long.”Lobel immediately understood why scholars had fled.And the Duke confirmed it with his next words.“If they’re handled incorrectly, they could explode. Some might even die underground.”His tone remained calm, as if discussing the weather.How utterly infuriating.Finally, the Duke got to the real point.“If the mansion’s tablets are deciphered faster, Edric can return sooner. And when he does, he won’t have to waste his time locked in the archives.“So. Can you do it?”“…No.”Lobel’s voice came out cracked and hoarse.The Duke accepted her answer easily.She was only thirteen.Of course, she’d fear curses and death.Besides, she had already left once under a false excuse—she had no real attachment to this place.It was a pity since she had potential, but it wasn’t a major loss.‘I’ll use Edric until he dies, and then dispose of her if necessary.’If Edric perished, Lobel would become irrelevant.She didn’t seem like the type to expose secrets, but if she did, his subordinates would silence her permanently.For now, he decided to simply threaten her and send her away.But then—Lobel spoke again.Her words took him by surprise.“You’re asking if I can do it… No, I can’t.”She met his gaze without fear.“But I can do it well.”There was no hesitation, no trembling.She was standing before the second most powerful man in the empire.And yet, instead of cowering, she demanded something.“If I’m staying, I want everything related to Young Master under my control.”   *****  If it weren’t for me, Young Master might have suffered under the Duchess as in the original story, but he wouldn’t have ended up in such a dangerous place.And yet, all I ever did was take from him—from start to finish.So… I had to take responsibility.The best thing I could do right now was to cooperate with the Duke and bring Young Master back as soon as possible.That’s why, right after my conversation with the Duke last night, I reinstated myself as an attendant.I planned to serve Young Master while he was still here and dedicate myself to deciphering the tablets after he left.The other servants, unaware of my reasons, welcomed me back, saying they had expected me to return.Some, still upset that I had left without a word, were distant at first. But once I admitted my mistake and sincerely apologized, they gradually forgave me.Before long, they were asking me to take care of Young Master until his departure.I readily agreed. Even if no one had asked me, I had already resolved to do just that.And so, I got to work immediately.At the break of dawn, I entered Young Master’s room and threw open the curtains.Then, for good measure, I opened the windows wide.Golden autumn sunlight flooded the spacious room without restraint.On the bed, Young Master stirred. Normally, he would have woken up by now, but he remained still.Well, it was no surprise. He had been so busy lately—he probably hadn’t had a moment to rest properly.Standing by his bedside, I pulled the canopy curtains closed, shielding only his face.I need to wake him up, but… let’s allow him a little more sleep.But as I continued watching his exhausted face, I started to regret my enthusiasm.Maybe I was being too eager. Perhaps I should have just waited quietly instead of barging in like this…Then, his long, thick eyelashes trembled.Moments later, drowsy green eyes slowly blinked open.“……?”Seeing me, he blinked twice, as if he couldn’t quite believe his eyes.He stared blankly for a long time before finally speaking in a groggy voice.“… Lobel?”“Yes.”“Why… haven’t you left yet?”He sounded as though he had expected me to be gone by morning.And he looked slightly worried, too.Of course, given how suddenly I had quit and how indifferent I had acted when we met again in the city, it was natural for him to assume I had left for good.Feeling a bit guilty, I answered shamelessly.“I rejoined as of today.”“…Rejoined? But I haven’t even left yet. Don’t tell me you’re planning to come with me?”Young Master, who had been sluggishly processing my words, suddenly bolted upright.“No, I’m staying here.”He studied me intently, as if trying to decipher my true intentions.I didn’t tell him about my conversation with the Duke.He would find out eventually, but for now, I didn’t want him to worry.Instead, I framed it as a casual decision.“I don’t have to be here only when you’re around, do I? I was your only personal attendant, so I can still do small tasks here while earning a salary.”“You’re… staying here to do small tasks?”“Yes. I’ll serve you until you leave, and then I’ll stay on and work. They even said I could commute if I wanted.”Young Master still looked concerned, so I reassured him with a fact that comforted me as well.When I left home, I had told my parents that I was heading to another city to track down some fraudsters personally.I had actually requested an investigation through the capital’s Shadow Guild and had been receiving updates, which I reported to my parents to keep their suspicions at bay.But still, I needed to check in at home occasionally.If I go home from time to time, my parents will worry less.Even as he listened, Young Master still looked uneasy—until I mentioned commuting.“…Ah. Commuting. Right… commuting… That’s a thing, isn’t it…”Muttering to himself as if the concept had completely slipped his mind, he visibly relaxed.It seemed like he had assumed, like the other servants, that I had left because of homesickness and then returned after renegotiating my conditions.“They pay well and treat me well. I was just being shortsighted.”Forcing myself to sound cheerful, I continued.“Your schedule wraps up today, right? You should rest tomorrow, but for now, it’s time to get up.”I glanced at the wall clock, and Young Master still looked half-asleep.So, to wake him up properly—and lighten the mood—I teased him.“…Would you rather I go home for good?”“—No! No, of course not!”Young Master shook his head frantically and sat up straight.Then, as if just realizing his bed hair was a mess, he quickly pressed down on the back of his head with his hand.“W-wait a second. I—I’m going to wash up first.”Suddenly flustered, he rushed toward the bath.I picked up some spare clothes and followed after him.But just as he reached the middle of the hallway, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.“……?”Then, in one swift motion, he spun around.His entire face—along with his ears and neck—was bright red.Closing the distance between us in a few strides, he blurted out,“Don’t follow me. Wait in my room.”Then, in a sudden panic, he snatched the clothes from my arms.“A-and from now on, have Wayne or Rimson bring me my clothes! No—never mind! I’ll do it myself!”Before I could even respond, he turned back around and marched away.Up until now, he had never complained about me preparing his clothes…It seemed Young Master had grown much more independent in my absence.