Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 124

Louis shook his head as he recalled that shocking day.

‘…What a madman.’

No matter how deep a bond was, making a once-in-a-lifetime Blood Oath just to protect a mere attendant was unheard of.

Solving the three stronghold issues as the emperor had ordered was one thing, but choosing to also subdue the barbarians was an extreme act—one that meant sacrificing his entire youth.

Even as the crown prince, who loved the Terua Empire more than anyone, Louis found it difficult to understand.

But the results were undeniable.

Lobel was now protected from those who sought to use him.

Even the imperial aides, whom Denkart had failed to keep in check, could no longer touch him.

‘And the same will go for any future threats…’

Louis had initially thought it was an impossible task and had agreed to the contract out of generosity. Now, he could only click his tongue.

‘If it ever becomes necessary, I might even have to use all the diplomatic ties I’ve built abroad for his sake…’

But there was something even stranger.

Edric didn’t just stay behind to deal with the barbarians—he also took on the purification of the tainted forest.

It made Louis wonder if he had planned it all from the start.

‘If that’s true… then he really got everything he wanted out of this.’

A chuckle escaped him.

He had underestimated him as just a child, only to find himself shackled by chains forged by the next emperor himself.

Still, it didn’t feel entirely unpleasant.

As he walked past the sunlit garden, surrounded by lush greenery, the last image of the young lord at the imperial palace resurfaced in his mind.

More than anything, he remembered the way Edric looked at his silver-haired attendant, Lobel.

His green eyes, usually dark and heavy like an approaching storm, held a vibrant hue—like the everlasting life of a summer that would never fade.

Thinking back, that was the same way his fiancée, Uriel, had looked at him.

And because of that, he understood the feelings she had never been able to put into words.

On the day of their engagement.

[I… am not enough for you. So, you can bring someone else into your life if you want. ]

And even on that one night…

The night her illness took a sudden turn for the worse, leaving her in critical condition.

Even then, she had gazed at him with the same unwavering eyes.

‘…Uriel had always been like that.’

Realizing it again now, a dull ache spread through his chest.

Suddenly overcome with emotion, Louis impulsively ordered a carriage to be prepared for Holthausen.

And for the first time since becoming crown prince, he broke his daily routine—an obligation he had never postponed before.

Even his meeting with Legendar had been cast aside.

Because right now, he wanted just one thing.

Just as the young lord had looked at his attendant…

He, too, desperately wanted to see his fiancée.

 

 

*****

 

 

 

“Ha…”

As soon as I finished talking with Fedric and barely made it back to my room, my legs gave out.

I slid down in front of the closed door and covered my face with both hands.

A hollow laugh escaped through my fingers.

Our young master has changed.

…Edric Denkart.

Yes, that was the best way to put it.

He was no longer the angelic young master I once knew. Now, he truly looked like Edric Denkart—the heir who carried the powerful name of Denkart and acted however he pleased.

The young master I once knew…

He would never have acted so recklessly. He would never have been so careless.

“After causing such a huge commotion at the imperial palace… and then acting as if nothing happened… and on top of that, towards me—”

I bit my lip hard.

Even without looking in the mirror, I could tell my face was burning red.

Memories from that night at the banquet… and the carriage ride back… they were still fresh in my mind.

At the time, I hadn’t been able to say a proper word until I got into the carriage.

No, that wasn’t right. I hadn’t been able to think at all.

I had been completely dazed, like half my soul had left my body.

Something had gone terribly wrong, but I couldn’t figure out when it started or how to fix it.

But as the carriage moved forward, reality slowly sank in.

“Ugh…”

A sharp pain flared up in my lower back—a familiar ache I had dealt with for years.

Lately, it had improved thanks to the young master, but there were still times when it would suddenly feel like electricity shooting through my spine.

Ironically, it had been more manageable when I worked underground.

Forcing myself to sit in a more comfortable position, I tried to gather my thoughts.

“What’s done is done. But for the young master’s future, I have to set him straight.”

For his own good, I needed to warn him never to make such a reckless mistake again.

Unlike commoners, nobles lived by their honor and reputation—he had to be careful.

I tried to focus only on that, pushing aside all other thoughts.

I deliberately avoided thinking about why he had acted that way… or the look in his eyes.

“Young Master, earlier—”

But the moment I recalled that scene, my throat tightened.

It wasn’t the people’s stares that unsettled me.

It was his gaze—that deep, unwavering stare.

I had to take a breath before continuing.

“You must never act like that again. There was no reason for you to do that.”

Before I could say more, the young master, who had been quietly watching me the entire time, finally spoke.

“Then why did you do it to me before?”

He sounded as if he had been expecting my words.

As if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time—already prepared with his response.

“That trend never even existed in the capital, did it?”

I knew the right answer to this question.

I should just laugh it off, say it was a joke, just childish play from years ago.

But my lips wouldn’t move.

“……”

Because his eyes—so clear and full of emotion—were fixed directly on me.

Even now, he was still keeping the promise we had made as a joke at a drinking party.

How could I lie to someone looking at me like that?

At the same time, I couldn’t tell the truth either.

I couldn’t say that I had only acted that way back then because I needed him to help me recover.

If he realized that the person he had trusted most had been deceiving him for years…

Just the thought of it made my hair stand on end.

I was a coward. I didn’t want to disappoint him.

“Honestly… the trend was just an excuse.”

Unlike me, who was hesitating, the young master remained firm.

“Lobel, you did it because you liked touching me.”

“Even if I did like it… back then, it was just childish play. It’s completely different now.”

“Yeah. You’re right. It is completely different now. Back then, it was just kids playing around, like you said.”

Even though he agreed with me, the strange feeling in my chest didn’t go away.

Because in his eyes… there was something different.

Something unsettling.

For the first time ever, there was an odd tension between us.

An unfamiliar weight in the air.

This isn’t right.

My instincts told me I had to break this atmosphere immediately.

But before I could think of a way to change the subject, the young master suddenly stood up.

“…Huh?”

It was a dangerously reckless move inside a moving carriage.

Startled, I instinctively reached out to stop him.

“What are you doing?! Sit down right now!”

But saying that had been a mistake.

A completely unnecessary worry.

Because in the next moment, without the slightest hesitation, he stepped forward and sat down right next to me.

Unlike me, who had gone completely pale, the young master remained calm.

I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or start scolding him—whether to address this incident first or the one from earlier.

Either way, the words that left my mouth came out in a strict, almost automatic tone.

“Y-Young Master.”

But before I could say anything more, his next words completely stunned me.

“Then, now that we’re adults, we should check properly.”

…Check?

Check what?

I waited for an explanation, but instead, he said something even more incomprehensible.

“We shouldn’t judge without trying first. Not just for me… but for you too.”

Then, he reached out toward me.

His movements were different from when he had walked toward me earlier—slow, careful.

His hands drew closer at a pace slow enough that I could have easily avoided them.

But I didn’t even think to move.

Because unlike his usual calm expression, his eyes looked desperate.

Why…?

They reminded me of a summer forest just before a storm—a sky dark with uncertainty, the air heavy with unease, tension rippling beneath the surface.

Just watching him made my throat feel dry.

“If you say no, I’ll stop right away.”

Even if I have to cut off my hand, choke myself, or bite my tongue—I’ll stop immediately.

His voice carried a strange kind of determination.

And just like that, his hand finally reached my cheek.

It was nothing like the times he had playfully slapped me before.

His fingertips still trembled slightly, but his gaze was steady now—no longer wavering.

His eyes never left mine.

They shone in an indescribable way.

His cool fingers touched my burning cheek, soothing the heat that had flared up there.

“How does it feel, Lobel?”

“…”

“Do you hate it when I touch you?”

I couldn’t answer.

Or rather, my thoughts had frozen completely, and I couldn’t think of anything to say.

…What am I even doing right now?

I didn’t understand.

Why was I here, like this, with him?

It wasn’t unusual for us to ride in a carriage together.

It wasn’t special.

It wasn’t strange.

But this—

Being pressed so close that I could feel the warmth beneath his clothes, sharing each other’s breath, the faintest shifts in our scents—

This had never happened before.

Not even when we were children.

I remained frozen, my breaths coming out in uneven gasps.

But unlike me, he murmured something in a relieved tone.

“So… you don’t hate it.”

Then, his face suddenly moved even closer.

“What about this?”

The carriage swayed slightly, and our noses nearly brushed.

At this dangerously close distance—

“What does this feel like?”