Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 115

Of course, Brother Rimson and other young men around the young master’s age often used curse words.

But… it was extremely rare for our young master to swear.

Aside from when we first met, the only person he ever cursed at so openly was the Duke…

And honestly, the Duke completely deserved it.

‘If anything, he should’ve gotten cursed out even more…’

But the Crown Prince was a different story.

Just like how the young master had made a name for himself, the Crown Prince had also been working toward his own great ambitions.

He was more of a respected figure.

He wasn’t someone who suited a curse word that started with ‘bast—’…

As I sat there, completely stunned, the young master casually lifted his wine glass and took a sip before asking,

“Why have you been so concerned about the Crown Prince all this time?”

His movements were still graceful, but for some reason, there was a sharpness to them.

Even though he had already drunk so much, my throat suddenly felt dry, so I swallowed before answering.

“Well… I mean, isn’t it obvious? It’s because of you, young master.”

“You wasted your energy. If it was for me, you shouldn’t have worried at all.”

Muttering that last part to himself, the young master twisted his lips into a crooked smile.

His lips looked even redder after quickly emptying his glass of wine.

His voice also grew deeper and heavier.

“I’m curious. If it’s because of me, then explain it properly. Why does he bother you?”

…His mood had completely changed.

He was still smiling, but he seemed really angry.

“The more you stay silent, the more curious I get, Lobel. I really want to hear it.”

…Why did it feel like I shouldn’t say anything?

As I hesitated instinctively, the young master smiled and said,

“You promised, remember? That you’d always tell me everything I wanted to know.”

“…I did.”

“People should keep their promises.”

“…That’s true.”

When he was younger, I had promised to kindly explain anything he didn’t understand so he wouldn’t feel small.

I had told him that, but honestly, it was also a vow I had made to myself.

Back then, I was deeply grateful to him for saving my life, so I wanted to do at least something for him in return.

Well, if I thought about it, nothing had really changed since then.

That realization made my mouth open on its own.

“I’m still your servant, so of course, I have to pay attention to the Crown Prince. I already know how close you two are.”

“……?”

The young master frowned instantly, looking at me like I was spouting nonsense in the middle of the night.

That expression… It looked exactly like the face the Duke made whenever I scolded him.

No… that couldn’t be it.

There was no way our young master would make that kind of face just because I was joking.

So I quickly rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand.

When I looked again, his dazzling smile was back in place.

His voice was still warm and gentle.

“Close, huh? Where did you hear that?”

“Oh, um. I met the Crown Prince. He mentioned it when I saw him at the temple during the hunting festival.”

That was the end of his questions.

He leaned back into the sofa and crossed his arms, lost in thought.

But he didn’t seem relaxed.

Instead, he looked like a predator deciding on its next prey.

I stared at him for a while before hesitantly speaking.

“Actually… there’s something I’ve been curious about for a long time but never got the chance to ask.”

The young master gazed at me steadily.

That meant I could ask.

Feeling encouraged, I blurted out my question.

“Young master, when and how did you first meet the Crown Prince?”

I asked on impulse, but I wasn’t expecting a real answer.

The young master was now the heir of a duke’s family. He wasn’t someone who made decisions based on personal feelings alone.

Thinking about how he and the Crown Prince had even discussed law reforms, I figured it would be hard for him to explain such things to a mere servant like me.

Besides, if it was something he could share, he would’ve told me before I even asked.

With that thought, I was about to let it go.

But then, I heard an unexpected answer.

“It was because of you.”

I hadn’t seen that coming.

‘…Because of me?’

As I blinked in surprise, the young master clicked his tongue and said,

“You told me to make sure to send the Crown Prince an invitation to the reading event. You said he was someone I needed to build a good relationship with early on.”

Oh… That’s right. I did say that.

Back then, I figured that if the young master was going to find a partner, and if that partner was a good person, it would be better to make that connection sooner.

Since the Crown Prince was the kindest man I knew besides the young master, I had kept saying good things about him, practically brainwashing him into having a positive impression.

‘…Wait. So it really was because of me?’

The thought that I might have been the bridge between them made me feel strangely conflicted.

“So, I sent him a letter first, and we started communicating from there. That led to a few business dealings.”

Either way, it was good that they had built a good relationship.

Stifling a yawn, I gave him the best praise I could think of.

“You did an amazing job. And so did I.”

“…I wonder.”

But unlike me, feeling proud of my achievement, the young master’s expression wasn’t great.

Did he still feel uncomfortable about the idea of being with a man?

‘Well, in the original story, the young master wasn’t really drawn to anyone other than the Crown Prince…’

Of course, he’d need to meet people properly after the curse was lifted, but maintaining a good relationship with the Crown Prince was still important.

So I started listing off facts to cheer him up.

“Manel is still as bad-tempered as ever, but she’s improved a little. Brother Evo is actually pretty loyal and got more handsome, but he’s still not as great as Prince Louis.”

“…Go on.”

“No matter how many handsome and capable men there are, Prince Louis is the best marriage candidate.”

Of course, I’d have to confirm things again once the curse was lifted.

But I had been feeling sleepy for a while now. Even while talking, I yawned, and my heavy eyelids drooped halfway shut.

That’s why I didn’t notice it.

The young master’s face had turned cold and dangerous, like he was about to sink his teeth into someone’s throat.

****

Edric truly couldn’t understand this situation.

Why did he have to listen to Lobel praise other men with her own mouth?

Not just one, but two or three of them.

And to make things worse, those men all seemed to have some level of interest in Lobel.

Honestly, it would’ve been a relief to get rid of them right away—they were that annoying.

Lobel, who was praising them, was just as frustrating.

But that dark, bitter feeling didn’t last long.

“I’m so sleepy.”

Rubbing her drowsy eyes, Lobel suddenly stood up.

“I’m going to sleep first. You should rest too, young master.”

Lobel always acted quickly.

As soon as she finished speaking, she started walking toward the door, her steps so unsteady that it made him nervous just watching.

But she didn’t even make it three steps before nearly collapsing.

Startled, Edric instinctively jumped up.

“Lobel!”

Just as he was about to rush forward and catch her, a gust of wind suddenly blew in from the wide-open window.

Lobel was pushed forward as if something had shoved her from behind.

Edric managed to catch her just in time.

But instead of feeling relieved, he was completely shocked.

‘Why… why can’t I control my powers around Lobel?’

His strength was something he had trained through countless dangers.

But never before had he used two different abilities so recklessly.

Especially not in a situation where there was no enemy or threat.

It was strange.

More than anything, he was worried that another power might activate on its own and end up hurting Lobel.

‘…No.’

By now, he had already forgotten what he was upset about earlier.

Biting his lip, Edric quickly loosened his grip on her shoulders.

He barely used any strength—just enough to keep her from falling.

But maybe it was too little.

Lobel slowly lost her balance and fell right into his arms.

‘……!’

The only thing Edric couldn’t control at that moment wasn’t just his strength.

Seeing Lobel fast asleep against his shoulder, breathing softly, made him freeze completely.

His mind, which had been burning with anger just moments ago, went completely blank.

No thoughts came to him.

He felt like the dumbest idiot in the world.

But strangely, it wasn’t a bad feeling.

“…Mmm.”

She must have been exhausted—she had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Her steady breathing tickled his neck, and her scent, stronger than usual, filled his lungs.

‘…Haa.’

Edric took a deep breath, deeper than usual.

If he could, he would’ve stayed like this all night.

But… he couldn’t.

‘If we stay like this until morning, Lobel might not feel well tomorrow.’

Edric remembered when they rode the carriage together recently.

Unlike before, Lobel had frowned slightly after sitting for a long time.

She had once mentioned that her eyesight had gotten worse—maybe her back and other parts of her body weren’t doing well either.

To Edric, who was used to seeing Lobel strong and healthy, that change had been a shock.

That’s why, after that, he tried to be more considerate of her.

So, as much as he didn’t want to, he needed to take her back to her room.

But before he could, Lobel suddenly moved.

She shifted in his arms… and hugged him.

Edric didn’t even have time to react.

Maybe she was cold from the open window, but she wrapped both arms tightly around his waist, clinging to his warmth.

‘……!’

Edric was so shocked that he couldn’t move a single muscle.

Hugging wasn’t new—they had done it since childhood.

But… this time felt different.

Edric, who had been looking down at Lobel’s sleeping face with a soft expression, suddenly froze.

What was this…?

Feeling uneasy, he tried to wake her.

He even placed his hands on her shoulders and waist, ready to push her away.

But…

Her shoulders, which had always looked small and delicate, made it impossible for him to push her.

He couldn’t just stay like this forever, though…

“…Lobel, move. Please step back.”

Closing his eyes tightly, he pleaded, almost like a desperate whisper.