Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 137

Before the young master left for the north, he had left behind many things.

The small bag of candies we had bought together in the city, the sheets of paper we had practiced writing on side by side…

He had treasured those things so dearly, yet when it came to the most important matters, he treated them so carelessly.

I let out a sigh, momentarily forgetting I was still in front of the Duke.

‘Why does the young master always…’

That young boy, who had once braced himself for death, had always been willing to do things for me—even things I never wanted.

I couldn’t even begin to fathom what went through his mind when he decided to make me his heir.

I wasn’t his fiancée. I wasn’t even his wife. At best, I was someone who had deceived him.

As I stood there, stunned into silence, the Duke, who had been observing me, spoke again.

“Inheritance outside the family requires both a signature and a seal. Do both.”

One by one, I began to realize things I hadn’t grasped before.

Lobelia Flor.

‘That means… the Duke already knows my secret.’

He had every reason to be furious, yet he looked completely indifferent.

As if none of this mattered to him.

That only made my frustration rise.

If he had been a father who truly cared about his son, the young master would have never resorted to such extreme measures.

“I appreciate you overlooking my secret, but… shouldn’t you be telling me to never see the young master again?”

Perhaps because he was the young master’s only family, I directed my resentment at him.

But the Duke remained unbothered.

“Why would I?”

My vision blurred slightly as I forced my voice to stay steady.

“Why? You’re his father. You’re an adult.”

“You know full well that I’m not one to concern myself with trivial matters. And even if I said something, do you think he’d listen?”

“…….”

I had thought the Duke had changed.

But he hadn’t.

Talking to him felt like a waste of time.

I had foolishly hoped he had changed, just a little—especially since he had never hesitated to support me when I requested aid for the underground and the northern regions.

But then, he smirked slightly and said,

“He listens to you more than he does me.”

“The young master doesn’t listen to me these days. Didn’t you know he inherited your stubbornness?”

“Of course. That’s why he’s saying absurd things about marrying a commoner woman.”

“…Did he tell you that?”

For the first time, his usually uninterested red eyes flickered with amusement.

He studied me for a moment before stroking his chin and replying,

“Yes. He told me he loves you.”

Love…

I never thought I would hear such a word come out of the Duke’s mouth.

Reeling from the shock, I barely managed to steady myself and responded,

“I don’t see why I should be hearing that from you when the young master hasn’t even properly confessed it himself. I don’t think there’s anything more to say between us, so I’ll be taking my leave. And this—”

Rip. Rip.

I tore the document neatly in half and stood up.

“I don’t need it. And please, don’t ever call me for something like this again.”

Even as the Duke’s sharp gaze narrowed, I continued without hesitation.

“And one more thing—please stop being so openly hostile toward the imperial family. You may be done with your title soon, but the young master will have to deal with the consequences.”

“Sign it.”

“I won’t. Have a peaceful day.”

He was still the young master’s father, so I had to at least maintain some level of politeness.

With a respectful bow, I turned and left.

As expected, the Duke didn’t stop me. He would probably just let it slide.

That was the kind of man he was.

But… the young master was the real problem.

The moment I stepped out into the corridor, I pressed a hand to my flushed forehead.

‘…This is insane.’

The young master had grown up into someone incredibly dangerous.

No matter how much he loved someone, this—this level of devotion wasn’t normal.

There was no such thing as a one-sided relationship. Even between a parent and child, that wasn’t how it worked.

‘But… what do I do? I’m not sure of my own feelings…’

Guilt was already sinking in.

I had plenty of affection, attachment, and concern for him…

But imagining how I would reject the young master, who had given me so much, made my head feel like it was burning up.

Still, I couldn’t just stand here feeling overwhelmed.

I needed to start untangling this mess, one step at a time.

Next was Sir Arif.

I headed toward the training grounds, where he would soon be finishing his practice.

All the knights passed through this main passageway, so if I waited, I would see him.

And as expected, it didn’t take long before he appeared.

“…!”

But the moment Arif saw me, he flinched and stopped in his tracks.

Then, like a soldier assessing an escape route, he awkwardly glanced around.

I let out a deep sigh.

‘…This must be the young master’s doing.’

As if I would just let him run away.

I immediately blocked his path.

“Sir Arif, good morning.”

“…Yes.”

“It’s been a while. I’d like to talk—shall we move somewhere quieter?”

Despite his reluctant response, I shamelessly continued.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded.

We moved into the inner part of the garden—a place often used for tea time with Delilah.

Since neither the Duke nor the young master ever cared for tea, this place was usually empty.

Still, the skilled servants kept it well-maintained, and the round marble table gleamed under the light.

As I took a seat in one of the matching chairs, Arif cautiously sat down as well…

…a full three seats away from me.

“Do I have some kind of contagious disease?”

I stared at him in disbelief, and he, realizing his mistake, hastily added in an awkward attempt to justify himself,

“Y-you’re perfectly audible from here.”

That was all I needed to confirm my suspicions.

“Thank you.”

Ever since his return from the imperial palace, he had been keeping a greater distance when walking beside me.

“For knowing that I’m a woman and still pretending not to.”

“…!”

Arif’s eyes widened as he grasped the meaning of my words.

Yes, this was the normal reaction.

The Duke’s reaction earlier had been far too strange.

But just as quickly as he was startled, Arif regained his composure and regarded me calmly.

He was probably curious—why I had become a servant despite being a woman, what I wanted—but, just like the young master, he didn’t pry.

Since I wasn’t ready to tell anyone other than the young master about my illness or anything else, I simply repeated my gratitude.

That’s when he suddenly asked,

“So, when is the wedding?”

The moment of sentiment was gone in an instant.

Annoyed that he had thrown my already chaotic emotions into further disarray, I shot back,

“When are you quitting smoking?”

“By the end of this year… I swear on my life… I will succeed.”

…Most people just make resolutions. Who swears on their life over it?

And yet, he looked incredibly guilty.

I almost felt bad for bringing it up.

“Lobel-kun… No, Lobel-yan.”

The last honorific was one I had almost never heard before.

As I awkwardly scratched my crossed arms, he hesitated, looking somewhat troubled.

“Is it wrong for me to call you that?”

“Not wrong, just… wouldn’t it be easier for both of us if you just stuck to what you’re used to?”

“Then, Lobel-kun.”

Though his choice of words was awkward, his tone was firm as he continued.

“You wouldn’t know, since you haven’t been there, but… that place… is difficult to endure without substances harmful to the body.”

This wasn’t just an excuse.

There was a deep sincerity in his voice.

“Has the young master ever told you why he refused to touch those things?”

“…No.”

Arif hesitated, perhaps wondering if he was being too forward.

Then, in a quiet yet resolute voice, he said something unexpected.

“It was because of you.”

“What?”

“I asked him once… He said Lobel-kun hates the smell of smoke.”

He then added, as if emphasizing the point,

“The young master loves you very much.”

“…….”

“And… he has already entrusted me with a request. If anything dangerous happens… I am to protect you before him. It wasn’t an order. It was a request.”

“…….”

“I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while. The young master… he isn’t the type to express things directly.”

“That’s… true.”

I tried to smile, but it didn’t quite work—my face twisted involuntarily.

Seeing my expression, Arif continued speaking quietly.

“Knights exist for honor… but before that, we are human. Please take care of the young master.”

“…Why are you saying what I was supposed to say?”

“…!”

At the word “brother,” he flinched.

But soon, he placed a hand over his chest and, as if swearing an oath, solemnly declared,

“I mean it. I will repay this debt with my life.”

A strange feeling stirred within me.

Back then, he had tried everything to escape from the young master’s side…

Perhaps reading my expression, he averted his gaze and spoke in a low, regretful voice.

“I am a sinner. I have too many debts to repay in this lifetime.”

“Well, so do I.”

“Then… I will take my leave.”

“No, you won’t.”

“…?”

“Sit down.”

Despite my words not being an order, Arif hesitated, then eventually sat.

I, on the other hand, suddenly stood up, moving closer and leaning my arm on the back of his chair.

“Since we’ve started this conversation, you need to finish it properly.”

He stiffened.

“It’s been seven years. There must be more, right? The things you haven’t told me about the young master.”

His already large eyes wavered noticeably.

That reaction confirmed it—there really was more.

And judging by his demeanor, it wasn’t anything pleasant.

Which meant I had to hear it.

Whether it was by his own choice or forced upon him… I wanted to know everything the young master had hidden.

Not just the things he had kept secret—I wanted to know everything.

“Just what kind of reckless things has the young master done for my sake?”

I couldn’t give him strength now that he had so much of his own.

But I could share his pain.

And that was something only I could do.