Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 117

“Huh? Why are the people of Denkart acting so strange today? Bell, what kind of nonsense are you saying to me?”

Tilting her head, Delilah continued speaking, her determination to make sure I attended the banquet evident in her tone.

…It was nice of her to think of me, but honestly, this was too much pressure.

I had adored her like a younger sister since childhood, I did want to attend her wedding… but that was just my personal wish.

That’s why I had planned to send a gift and a heartfelt letter—something I had bought from the black market.

‘It might even happen after I leave, anyway…’

I laughed and tried to dodge the topic, but then I suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, Your Highness. Is His Highness the Crown Prince currently at the palace?”

“Of course!”

Like the close siblings they were, she looked genuinely happy that the Crown Prince was still in the capital.

She even started telling me things I hadn’t asked about.

Apparently, the kind and gentle Crown Prince had cleared his afternoon schedule to take a stroll with her—it all sounded so peaceful.

That left me with an odd, bitter feeling.

‘Wait, so he has this much free time… but he’s not coming to see our young master?’

In the original story, the Crown Prince was the classic romance novel’s perfect male lead—someone who always showed up no matter how busy he was.

Just like how he was making time for Princess Delilah now.

But when it came to our young master, he hadn’t even shown his face.

‘…Is that a good thing?’

I had a strange feeling I couldn’t quite describe, but for now, I focused on the cookies Delilah had brought.

There was nothing I could do about it at the moment, so I decided to focus on the conversation.

I wouldn’t have many moments like this left…

I already felt a little sad, but I reminded myself to stay focused so I wouldn’t regret it later.

But then, suddenly, I smelled something sweeter and more pleasant than the luxurious cookie I was eating.

Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, I turned my head—

And there he was.

The young master.

He had appeared without a sound and was now sitting neatly right next to me.

“…Ugh.”

Delilah’s cookie got caught in my throat.

Even though we were in the same mansion, I hadn’t attended to him today, so I thought I wouldn’t see him until tomorrow.

I never expected to run into him here.

I wouldn’t have been this surprised even if I had seen a ghost.

I hurriedly covered my mouth with both hands, trying to either swallow or spit out the cookie stuck in my throat, but before I could do anything—

The young master acted first.

With careful movements, he gently patted my back, gave me water to drink, and then even took out a handkerchief to wipe my mouth.

It was quick, precise, and absolutely perfect.

Even the maids nearby were staring at us with shocked expressions.

Thankfully, no cookie crumbs ended up on the table, and my coughing quickly subsided.

“Bell, Bell! Are you okay? Huh??”

Delilah had already gotten up and rushed toward me, reaching out to pat my back.

But she couldn’t—because the young master’s strong arm was wrapped tightly around my shoulders like a snake.

By the time I fully came to my senses, I was already leaning against his chest, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Delilah stomped her foot in frustration.

“I could’ve given Bell water too! Bell, if you choke again while eating, I’ll be the one to help you next time!!”

…Was that a blessing or a curse? I wasn’t sure.

Either way, I smiled and assured her I was fine before sitting back up properly.

I turned to the young master, wanting to thank him.

But instead of saying anything, I just stared with my mouth slightly open.

Because he had just picked up my teacup and taken a sip—

With his right hand.

And then I recalled the way his hand had moved so smoothly earlier, reaching out to help me.

It was such a natural and effortless motion that it was impossible to believe he was someone who had an injured hand.

‘……’

The cookie had already gone down my throat, but for some reason, my chest felt tight.

Meanwhile, after taking a sip of tea, the young master folded his arms and asked the princess in a dry tone.

“What brings you here?”

“You still don’t know proper etiquette, do you? When you see a royal, you should greet them first.”

“Not informing your host of your visit in advance is also against etiquette, yet you didn’t follow that.”

“Oh, so you do know manners? Then why do you keep ignoring our letters?! You’ve been rude to my brother too!! Because of you, I had to come all the way here— Ah, right! I almost forgot.”

She had been fuming with anger, but then she suddenly clapped her hands together as if she had remembered something.

“I was planning to give you this.”

“…An invitation?”

The young master narrowed his eyes, and Delilah proudly continued.

“Yes! I’m personally inviting Bell! Here, take this.”

As I opened the invitation she handed me, I snuck a glance at the young master sitting beside me.

He didn’t seem particularly curious about the invitation.

He just sat there with his arms crossed, lost in thought.

‘…What is he thinking about so seriously?’

I was wondering about that when he suddenly asked something completely unexpected.

“Will His Highness the Crown Prince also be attending?”

I mentally nodded to myself.

‘Yes! That’s right, young master!’

As the future head of a noble family, he had to make rational decisions.

No matter how much resentment his family held toward the royal bloodline, it was still in his best interest to maintain ties with the Crown Prince.

It seemed like he would finally take the time to reply to the letters he had been ignoring.

‘…Wait. That makes sense now, but then why did he openly oppose Princess Delilah in the past?’

Was it because he was too young back then…? Or was it because of Dif?

There were still secrets about Dif’s power that I hadn’t uncovered, so I couldn’t be sure.

After all, unlike past generations of Denkart heirs, the young master had inherited both the Denkart curse and Dif’s blessing.

As I silently pondered these things, the young master gave the princess a firm answer.

He would be attending the event.

With me.

****

Until we arrived at the imperial palace, the young master treated me with his usual smiling face.

I was worried he might bring up what happened at the drinking party or our conversation that night, but he showed no signs of it.

Honestly, I felt a little embarrassed that I had been dwelling on it for so long—it made me seem childish.

‘But still… I’ve been using travel fatigue as an excuse to avoid banquets all this time. Will it really be okay to attend this one?’

The incident at the black market had been covered up by saying it was business related to a merchant group close to Denkart, but… this time was different.

Since this was a grand banquet hosted by the princess, there would be even more people than before.

For the young master, who already disliked noisy and crowded places, it would probably be exhausting.

While I was quietly worrying, he sat by the window, staring outside with a calm expression.

‘…If anything, he actually looks more at ease than usual.’

That helped me relax a little.

We had a smooth conversation until we reached the imperial palace.

“You don’t need to come into the banquet hall, Lobel.”

Right before we got off the carriage.

“You can rest in one of the rooms until I call for you.”

The moment his feet touched the ground, he gave me this instruction, and I was caught off guard.

Denkart had designated rooms in the palace where we could rest.

But there was no reason for me to go there.

I wasn’t feeling unwell or anything.

More importantly, his hand still hadn’t fully healed, and unlike other nobles, he had far fewer attendants. If I wasn’t there, things could get inconvenient for him.

If he needed anything, I should be the one to take care of it.

So, I opened my mouth to protest, but then he asked,

“Is there someone you have to meet?”

If he meant someone I needed to see… it was probably Delilah.

Now that I thought about it, she had made it clear that she wanted to introduce me to her fiancé.

Realizing that, I suddenly understood why the young master was telling me to stay away.

If I attended the banquet, Princess Delilah—who was already loud—would become even more excitable.

The real problem was the gossip.

Especially among nobles who knew about the rumors between the young master and the princess. Since I was his attendant, my presence would only add fuel to their whispers.

For the young master, it would be an even more uncomfortable and unpleasant event.

So, I obediently agreed.

“Alright.”

“I’ll escort you to your room—”

The young master had been smiling in satisfaction, but his expression suddenly stiffened.

Following his gaze, I saw nobles approaching from a distance, one by one.

The last time we were here, he seemed fine, but now… it looked like he was still uncomfortable interacting with them.

Pressing his hand to his forehead, he stepped in front of me as if to shield me.

That simple gesture made his unease obvious.

“Arif.”

Then, he called out to Sir Arif, his bodyguard.

“Take Lobel to her room right now.”

“Yes, my lord.”

…This was practically him getting rid of me. And Delilah wasn’t even here this time.

His voice made it clear—he wanted me gone before those nobles arrived.

I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.

‘I even dressed up nicely for coming to the palace today…’

Scratching my neatly styled hair, I half-jokingly asked,

“Young master. Do you not want me around when there are other nobles?”

“Yes. I don’t.”

His voice was as blunt and honest as when he was a child.

Well… I’d rather hear the truth than a lie, but this was still kind of a shock.

I had always taken pride in being the first person he trusted and in my role as his attendant.

‘Am I… that embarrassing?’

Sure, compared to Sir Arif, who always looked perfectly polished, I was nothing special…

‘But still, people say I have a pretty likable face.’

I glanced enviously at Arif, who looked like the textbook definition of a handsome knight, and scratched my cheek.

At that moment, the young master suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking my view.

It was an odd sight.

They were both large men trained in combat, but Sir Arif—who had always seemed massive—was now completely overshadowed by the young master’s broad frame.

When he was younger, he used to look so small next to Arif. But now, there was no comparison.

“I don’t want anyone else to see you, Lobel.”

On the face of the fully grown young master, an expression as immature as a child’s was laid bare.

“I only want to see you myself.”