Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 128

I was genuinely horrified.

It turned out that the song had been sung by the young master…

And it wasn’t something I could simply brush off with a “He sings well.”

…No way… Could the young master have been possessed too?

I knew it was ridiculous, yet the thought crossed my mind regardless.

That was something only Koreans would recognize.

Just in case, I casually asked the young master, “Ya-neodu?”

But there was no reaction.

So, he wasn’t possessed.

…Then, does that mean he heard me singing alone before?

Everything was getting more and more confusing.

Still, I tried to calmly sort out the situation.

For one, just a few hours ago, we had what was probably our first-ever argument—though, in reality, I had been completely overwhelmed.

The young master, who had formed an unusual attachment to me since childhood, had been deeply disappointed upon learning that I intended to leave without a word.

He had caught onto some of my lies and had even gotten angry.

…At this point, I really can’t pretend I don’t know what kind of attachment this is anymore.

His gaze, as if he were longing for something from me, made my head ache.

Even if I had been reincarnated into a BL novel and was disguised as a man… I never expected the young master to have these kinds of feelings for me.

But to me, the young master was no different from my older brother, Rober.

He was family—someone as close as blood.

He had always been a child I cherished dearly since we were young.

I had never even considered that kind of relationship.

Since I’m disguised as a man, he must still see me as one… Does that mean he actually wants to be in a relationship with me?

A noble and a commoner.

And on top of that, two men.

The young master must know there’s no future in that, so why was he acting this way toward me?

He had even explicitly told me that as soon as he inherited his title, he would take a wife.

Then… maybe he doesn’t see it as a relationship at all. Maybe… he just wants something fleeting and temporary.

Or perhaps it was nothing more than a childish first love.

A reckless, impossible first love.

If that was the case, I needed to either convince him somehow… or finally confess the truth and leave for good.

But if I choose the latter… what if he’s too shocked to handle it?

Even though I knew I had to take responsibility for the situation I created, the thought alone gave me a headache.

The only glimmer of hope was that since he was the protagonist of a BL novel, maybe once he found out I was a woman, he would let go of his feelings.

But if he still refused to let me go after that…

That was a terrifying possibility, but it wasn’t something I could figure out in just a few hours.

Yet the young master didn’t even give me the time to properly think about it.

“…Young master. What are you doing?”

“Work.”

His reply was short.

His tone still carried the same sharpness and irritation from yesterday.

Well, of course, he was working.

Even if we were in a tense situation, he still had duties to fulfill as the heir to Denkart.

The problem was where he was.

“But… this is my room.”

“I know.”

Caught off guard, I was at a complete loss for words.

The young master, however, responded so casually—as if I were the one saying something strange—that it made me flinch.

Even when he noticed my stunned expression, he remained unfazed.

Instead, he spoke in a dry, sarcastic tone, making my stomach twist.

“Why? You worked in my room from dawn till late at night too. Even sneaked naps in there.”

…That’s not the same thing, you know.

The sight of him sitting at a desk, calmly reviewing documents just a few steps away from my bed, was absolutely exhausting.

Even though this was my own room, I felt as if I had stepped into a stranger’s.

…I really thought he had left earlier, but who would have guessed he’d come back with work?

The only relief was that he was only working and not ordering me around.

And at least we weren’t sitting face-to-face…

Still, I had no right to complain, considering everything I had done.

Letting out a silent sigh, I moved toward the window, hoping to clear my head.

The large glass window covered an entire wall, and I unknowingly stood in the exact spot where the young master had been earlier.

Realizing that, I subtly shifted a few steps to the side.

I could feel his piercing gaze on my back, but I pretended not to notice and focused on the view outside.

…I just need to ignore him.

If I awkwardly tried to make conversation, I’d probably hear something even more confusing in response.

And I felt like my brain was already at full capacity.

Outside, I saw the servants’ children playing.

Since their families had served this household for generations, those kids would likely grow up to serve the young master one day as well.

…They all seem kind. That’s a relief.

But watching them reminded me of the young master’s childhood.

He was so adorable back then that I still smile thinking about it. So why did he turn out like this…?

Just as I let out a silent lament, the young master called my name.

“Lobel.”

I ignored him.

I was too frustrated with him to respond right now.

Even if he wanted me by his side, even if he wanted me to rest here, this wasn’t the right way to do it.

But then—he asked something so absurd that I couldn’t ignore it.

“Do you find me disgusting now that I’ve grown up?”

…Did I just hear that correctly?

The sheer absurdity of his words made me involuntarily turn around.

The smile had vanished from his face.

Strangely enough, he looked genuinely anxious as he pressed further.

“Tell me. Do I disgust you now? Is that why you like those kids outside better than me?”

…He wasn’t joking.

That made it even worse.

Rather than answering, I briefly closed my eyes, took a breath, and moved toward the summoning rope.

I yanked it hard.

“D-Did you call for me?!”

As if he had been standing right outside, Rimson burst into the room the moment the door swung open.

His eyes immediately landed on me.

Then, he hesitated—his gaze flickering awkwardly—before stiffly turning toward the young master.

It was painfully obvious that he was pretending not to see me. What a traitor.

“What is it, young master?”

“Brother Rimson, please fetch a physician. I think our young master might have eaten something bad or has a fever.”

“…That’s not it, is it? You still like me better than those kids, right?”

The young master spoke at the same time as I did.

His voice wavered, teetering between despair and hope, making my ears burn.

But I continued to ignore him and turned to Rimson, who looked like he wanted to run for his life.

“Brother Rimson. What are you doing? Hurry and bring the physician. Are you just going to leave the young master like this?”

“Rimson. Forget the physician. Just wait outside.”

The young master and I gave Rimson an order at the exact same time, as if we had planned it in advance.

“I told you to bring a physician.”

“Didn’t you hear me? Get out.”

“…….”

Rimson’s face twisted with both anxiety and confusion.

Despite his large frame, his shoulders slumped, and he looked as if he were about to cry.

“No, but… What exactly am I supposed to do here…?”

Lately, he had been saying that he would bury his bones in Denkart as if it were a habit, but maybe he actually meant it.

His nervous gaze darted between me and the young master before he hesitantly asked,

“S-So… are you saying… I just need to go outside and… breathe?”

The young master gave a slight nod, and Rimson’s face immediately brightened.

That—that traitor…!

I shot him a glare.

After all the years we’ve spent together, this is how you repay me? Maybe I should just spill everything you’ve said about the young master behind his back.

At my pointed look, Rimson flinched, clearly aware of his guilt.

But in the end, he still left.

Just as his expression had so transparently revealed, he had no intention of staying.

The moment the door shut behind him, the young master turned his head toward me—as if he had been waiting for this moment.

His already sharp, sensitive gaze narrowed even further.

But I couldn’t let myself get flustered or back down.

I squared my shoulders and met his eyes directly.

“What? Is there something you’d like to say?”

“Yes. Listen carefully. Lobel, you like me.”

The abrupt confession made my mind go blank.

…What kind of baseless declaration was this?

No, more importantly, shouldn’t he be the one telling me that he likes me?!

Why is the order all messed up? Where did he learn this nonsense?

Someone here needed to stay rational, no matter how ridiculous things were getting.

Steeling myself, I answered cleanly.

“Of course. I like you, young master.”

The young master’s eyes widened in surprise.

Objectively speaking, he looked stunning in that moment—but I knew what I was about to say would shock him even more.

Ignoring that, I continued.

“But I don’t really discriminate when it comes to liking people. You know that, right? That’s just the kind of person I am—I rarely dislike anyone. You’ve seen it yourself. I get along with almost everyone, don’t I?”

My voice grew firmer as I spoke.

“And you’re no different, young master. You used to be the same way, and now you get along with everyone too.”

Seeing that he was actually listening attentively, I felt a sense of relief.

Good. If I do this right, I can convince him without either of us getting hurt.

“You’ve started caring for the other servants, looking after them, and being generous to them.”

But his next words shattered that fragile relief.

“When did I ever care about anyone other than you?”

“…Did you forget? You were the one who made sure the servants had medicine.”

“You must have misunderstood. I did that for you.”

…For me?

That didn’t make any sense.

At the time, I had been perfectly healthy—I had no reason to take medicine.

No one in the world knew I had been sick back then except for me.

…Did he lie just to get my attention again?

A dark suspicion crept into my mind, but I forced myself to stay calm.

I simply stated the facts.

“Still, you looked after Brother Rimson, didn’t you?”

“That was just to get on your good side. And what I did for Rimson’s wedding was to repay the favor he showed you.”

Rimson had slightly cracked the door open when he left, probably planning to intervene if voices were raised.

It seemed he had been worried about us.

Now, through that small opening, I could see his broad shoulders sagging.

…Poor guy.

“Do you not even want to talk to me anymore? What are you thinking about while standing right in front of me?”

His suspicious gaze made me feel like I was losing my mind.

The young master had never been this forceful before…

Pressing a hand to my throbbing forehead, I answered honestly.

“…That I really, really want to call a physician. Because no matter how I look at it, you’re not acting normal right now.”

“There’s no need for a physician. This is something only you can fix. But I do agree—I’m not normal right now.”

“…You realize you’re being way too honest, right?”

“Well, since you’re not being honest, someone has to be.”

BANG!

A sudden gust of wind slammed all the doors and windows shut, sealing the room like a locked chamber.

The thunderous noise made me instinctively cover my ears.

And yet, the young master’s next words, spoken in a low voice, rang out even louder.

“Lobelia Flor. I don’t care if you keep underestimating me, deceiving me, or mocking me.”

“……”

His ominous voice sank into the heavy silence of the room, where even my own breathing had stilled.

“But do all of that while staying by my side.”