Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 134

…Am I some kind of toy?

Even while openly insulting me, their shamelessness was something to be admired.

I lowered my gaze to the ground, afraid my eyes might betray my disgust, but their sneering didn’t stop.

“Why don’t you stop when you’re called? Is that how your master trained you?”

“Calm down, everyone. Show some tolerance. Hasn’t the young lord of Denkart been a noble for less than a year? It’s possible he doesn’t know proper etiquette.”

“Well, considering he spent half his life in the slums and the other half among savages, it’s no surprise he’s ignorant.”

I couldn’t hide my scoff.

‘Then why didn’t you step up yourselves so the young lord could have leisurely studied etiquette?’

Thanks to him suffering through hardships, your taxes were reduced.

While you sat comfortably in your homes, slacking off…

I had to swallow my rage as I listened to their nonsense.

Not to mention, the young master personally filled in and sacrificed himself for the sake of strengthening national defense…

They were reckless fools who spoke without knowing their place.

I had planned to just endure it and leave, but they crossed a line I couldn’t ignore.

“Enough. My master is not ignorant.”

I knew they were trying to provoke me, but I couldn’t hold back.

“He is braver than anyone. That’s precisely why he voluntarily left the capital.”

“Hey, you idiot. Listen carefully. Thanks to you, your master’s already tarnished reputation has been completely shattered.”

“How dare you insult a noble so recklessly?”

“Hearing you insult my master here is a greater offense to me. If you have something to say, you should formally request an audience with Denkart.”

I gave a brief bow and turned to leave when something silently passed right by me.

‘…Young master?’

When had he finished and come outside?

Was he planning to confront them directly?

‘Even so, he shouldn’t cause a commotion himself.’

I immediately moved to stop him, but Arif, who had followed behind me, grabbed my shoulder and shook his head.

By then, the young master was already standing before them.

They froze at the sight of him towering over them by at least a head.

But it wasn’t just the difference in physique that made them fearful.

Even if Denkart had no interest in politics, there wasn’t a single place where his influence didn’t reach.

If he made an issue of this, they could be in serious trouble.

Exchanging flustered glances, they quickly put on sly expressions.

“Well, well, who do we have here? Haha. The young master of Denkart— AARGH!”

The young master proved, without a doubt, why he was one of the most formidable warriors in Terua.

I hadn’t even seen him draw his sword, yet he had already unsheathed it and pointed it at them.

Blood dripped onto the ground—one of them had already been struck.

“A-A real sword?! That’s against the rules!”

“H-How dare you! Even if you are from Denkart, this is unforgivable—”

“You ignorant, uncivilized—”

No.

That wasn’t a real sword.

I realized the truth faster than they did.

One of the decorative swords from a nearby statue had disappeared.

The gaudy sword, excessively encrusted with jewels, had looked like a mere ornament earlier… yet in his hands, it now appeared deadlier than any real weapon.

If even I saw it that way, they must have seen it the same.

The noble young masters turned pale.

“Oh. Was this not appropriate?”

But the young lord remained indifferent.

“In my homeland, and in the faraway lands I’ve lived in for years, this is how one issues a duel. There, the sword always moves faster than words. Since you seem to know so much about my origins, surely you understand?”

Then, slowly moving the tip of his sword as if scrutinizing each of them, he asked,

“So tell me—how should I formally challenge you to a duel?”

Fear kept them from answering immediately.

But perhaps their pride was wounded, for the one clutching his bleeding wrist suddenly shouted,

“A duel can only be initiated through proper procedure! That’s basic knowledge!”

“T-The location isn’t even appropriate! A proper noble should first send an official notice and then arrange for a duel at the Imperial Grand Arena—”

“There’s also the issue of time—”

“Oh, is that so?”

…This is getting out of hand.

I grew anxious, but then the young master turned to look at me.

At the same time, the sword, which had been brimming with deadly intent, slowly lowered.

Thank goodness.

Though the anger hadn’t completely left his eyes, he seemed willing to show some mercy.

But those fools, as if unaware that silence was their best option, kept running their mouths.

“There are too many witnesses here. If we escalate this further, it will disgrace our families. Let’s just drop it here! I’ll be leaving Terua soon, so I can’t waste time on a duel.”

They were clearly trying to brush it off—too proud to apologize but too scared to accept the challenge.

The young master, of course, saw through them, but he seemed willing to let it go.

“That’s unfortunate. Then, since a duel isn’t possible due to your circumstances…”

And before they could fully sigh in relief, he continued,

“That only leaves a territorial war as the solution.”

“Are you insane?! A t-territorial war requires imperial approval!”

“The territorial war law was revised in 426, during its third amendment. It states that if a noble is publicly insulted, they may immediately invade the offender’s land. You didn’t know?”

“..…!”

“To start, I suppose we’ll have to raise our banner on the highest tower of the capital and burn yours.”

He had baited them on purpose.

…There’s no way he didn’t know the proper way to issue a duel.

“Arif. Go make the preparations.”

A chilling fury settled over his face.

“My longbow unit’s arrowheads were forged from Silvin, obtained in the north. You can look forward to it. No matter what kind of helmets you wear, they’ll be shattered.”

By the way, when was the last time your ancestors even participated in a battle?

He muttered to himself with a mocking grin.

“Oh dear. If those old relics have been rotting in storage for generations, it’ll take at least half a year to get them ready. Perhaps you’d be better off throwing them away and buying new ones?”

No merchant would dare sell weapons to anyone at war with Denkart.

Meanwhile, Denkart’s armory and siege weapons were meticulously maintained, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

Helmets, castle gates, walls—everything could be breached as soon as tomorrow.

“Even Carman, famed for its impenetrable defenses, would fall easily. I wonder if you lot would last any longer?”

Carman was one of the most prestigious noble houses, known for its difficult terrain and strong fortifications.

Just mentioning them made it clear that everyone recognized the name.

Yet he spoke as if toppling them would be simple.

How could they not be terrified?

“Why are you trembling?”

I had served the young lord long enough to understand his intentions.

“T-This is far too reckless—!”

“Reckless? Me? If you’ve insulted everything the heir of Denkart stands for, you should be prepared to lose everything in return.”

He was absolutely serious.

That’s why I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

He knew the weight of his words—yet he so easily declared war.

“Take it back.”

I spoke firmly as he turned to give further orders to Arif.

“If you don’t retract your statement, I’ll never see you again.”

It was barely above a whisper.

Yet his broad shoulders flinched.

“I mean it. I won’t even check in on you.”

Just as I had read his sincerity, he also understood mine.

“I take it back.”

The moment I finished speaking, he retracted his words.

“I will follow proper procedures for the duel. We can meet at the Imperial Grand Arena at your convenience.”

At those words, the noble youths turned even paler.

 

 

 

****

 

 

The young master, back in the carriage, looked sullen.

And yet, he kept glancing at me.

“You know you did something wrong, right?”

I crossed my arms and asked him outright. He flinched slightly before quickly responding in protest.

“Lobelia. I’m a man too. When someone I care about is being insulted right in front of me, I’m not some spineless idiot who can just stand there and do nothing.”

Then, as if afraid I would say more, he hurriedly added,

“I’m using everything I’ve built up—everything I risked my life for—on you. What’s the problem with that?”

“I appreciate the sentiment… but everything is the problem. This isn’t right, don’t you think?”

As I took a firm stance, the young lord at least stayed quiet and listened.

But I knew what that meant.

He was just pretending to listen.

I let out a sigh at his blatant defiance, but I kept my voice calm as I continued.

“I’m not a noble, so honor and prestige don’t really mean much to me. And I don’t want to gain them at the cost of harming innocent people.”

What does it matter if you gain something by hurting others?

In the end, it’s the people of the land who suffer from the pride battles of nobles.

Even if they evacuated the residents beforehand, the damage would still be immense.

If the young master had refused to back down in the end, I would have been deeply disappointed.

I might have never seen him again. I had spoken with that resolve.

“And just hypothetically, let’s say there’s a duchess who comes from a commoner background—”

“A duchess?!”

“No, I’m not talking about me! It’s just an example.”

But the young master’s face brightened at my words, and he nodded enthusiastically. Three times…

On top of that, his cheeks turned red, his eyes going hazy as if he were lost in some sweet dream.

Snap out of it!

Ignoring him, I pressed on, determined to get my point across.

“In that situation, of course, there would be rumors. People dislike things that go against their understanding of the world, and it’s hard for them to accept them. You can’t go around challenging every single person to a duel or a territorial war, can you?”

Honestly, I wasn’t in a position to say this, considering I had been the one who got angry and lashed out earlier.

But for now, I just wanted to give an example that might actually make him understand.

“If you want to earn respect in a high position, you have to show people that you’re worthy of it—whether through dignity or ability.”

“…….”

“It’s a far more solid and reasonable approach than having innocent people suffer unnecessarily.”

The young lord had been listening silently for a while when he suddenly called my name.

“…Lobelia.”

But his tone was unusually heavy and serious.

I understood.

Right… He was the heir to a great noble house, a commander who had led countless knights—of course, he had his pride.

And nobles had their own culture, one where honor was taken very seriously…

I braced myself, ready to calmly listen no matter how he argued back.

But then, with a face so red it couldn’t possibly get any redder, he said,

“You are going to be a duchess so revered that your name will go down in history.”

…For some reason, I got goosebumps.

Just a moment ago, he had been looking like he was ready to kill someone, and now he was looking at me like I was the most precious thing in the world.

“I mean, even I, who have never respected anyone in my life, have come to respect you.”

His bright green eyes sparkled, and I started feeling dizzy.

“…That’s not the point right now!”

As I struggled with my confusion, he suddenly asked,

“Can I tell you another one of my secrets? It’s been a while since I shared one with you.”