Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 147

Upon hearing the news of Lothier Rezandar’s passing, many mourners arrived at the Rezandar estate.

They were all prominent nobles of Terua.

Yet, despite their esteemed reputations, the funeral was conducted simply.

Not that anyone truly cared about the scale of the ceremony.

The real purpose of their visit was to win the favor of the next successor of Rezandar.

“You must be deeply heartbroken to have lost your only family.”

With the death of his elder brother, Lothar, Heaz Rezandar was forced to inherit the title sooner than planned.

Less than a week after the funeral, he would officially become the Duke of Rezandar.

His usual rational and composed demeanor had earned the admiration of his vassals, who all unanimously agreed to his succession.

Thus, the nobles were desperate to catch his attention.

“Thank you for coming. Your presence is a great comfort in my sorrow.”

Heaz Rezandar personally greeted those who looked at him with subtle congratulations in their eyes.

His twisted smile and frail demeanor seemed to reflect his grief.

But in truth, it was all an act.

There was no reason for him to mourn—he was the one who had personally dealt with his brother.

Originally, he had planned to let Lothar die naturally over time, but circumstances had changed.

Because of Edric Denkart.

Even after achieving something he had long desired, Heaz Rezandar felt no joy.

If anything, he was disgusted.

‘…A mere lapdog of the imperial family.’

Unlike the Denkart family, who served as the empire’s hounds, Rezandar was a house that even the imperial family bowed to.

Heaz Rezandar despised his parents, but that was separate from his immense pride in his lineage.

His foolish parents had raised him with beatings, claiming that only by having a second child could the firstborn find happiness.

But in the end, he had killed them—along with his brother—to purge his family of its flaws.

Now, there were no more stains left in his house.

‘Edric Denkart… And yet you dared to threaten me?’

The fact that he had been forced to accelerate his plans because of a mere threat had greatly wounded his pride.

He would not let this go unpunished.

He would strangle Edric’s throat in a manner far more wicked and cruel than how he had disposed of his brother.

‘To do that…’

Lost in his thoughts, he crushed an ant under his boot and stepped forward.

At that moment, someone caught the nobles’ attention.

A woman with platinum-blond hair, walking with an air of undeniable elegance.

Once hailed as the flower of high society, her brilliant debut had ended in a quiet, shadowed retirement.

‘…Emily Denkart.’

He had heard that she was living in seclusion at a villa on the western islands, but he had not expected her to attend.

More than anything, she was the only member of the Denkart family present at the funeral.

Neither the Duke nor the young master had come.

Only the Duke’s two aides had arrived to offer their condolences.

As for Edric Denkart—he had given the rather absurd excuse that he was too ill with a sudden fever to attend.

And yet, Emily Denkart alone had appeared.

Speculation quickly spread among the nobles—had the relationship between the Duke’s adopted son and Emily improved?

However, Heaz Rezandar looked at her for a different reason than the others.

Dressed in a refined yet solemn black mourning gown, a dark haze of smoke rose from her shoulders.

‘…Hatred.’

A manifestation of deep-seated emotions—visible only to black magicians who had bound their souls to demons.

Heaz Rezandar didn’t need to guess who that hatred was directed toward.

He knew it well.

Because he, too, held a profound grudge against the same person.

“I came to offer my deepest condolences for Rezandar’s loss. I still vividly remember the first time I met Lord Lothar… It is truly tragic that such a promising talent has passed away.”

Emily whispered as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

“I heard you’ve been looking into that servant.”

“…!”

“Are you curious?”

Her crimson-black eyes gleamed with intrigue as she curled her lips into a chilling smile.

“I happen to know a few things.”

 

 

 

****

 

 

I told my parents the truth.

I confessed everything—about how I had been afflicted with Ferus, and how I had disguised myself as a servant in order to take the Young Master’s medicine.

I apologized for it all.

But I did not tell them that the Young Master was a Dif.

I trusted my parents, but I didn’t want his secret to leak.

“Lobelia Flor! Are you out of your mind?”

As I expected, my mother scolded me for my recklessness.

Even my father, who was always gentle, looked at me sternly.

“No matter how worried you were about the cost of the medicine, how could you deceive your own parents and put yourself in danger? Is that what I taught you?”

“Lobelia. It’s a parent’s duty to find medicine for their child. No matter how useless I may be, I would never let my child beg for it. I would have sold the business, if that’s what it took.”

I knew that.

I had seen my parents struggle, watched our business crumble, and even witnessed the moment our house was taken away.

That was exactly why I had left.

But if I told them that truth, it would only break them further.

So the only words I could say were—

“…I’m sorry.”

“You… you foolish child!”

But soon, my parents were holding me, crying as they embraced me.

Even when we had lost everything, they had still hugged me like this.

I couldn’t stop my own tears from falling.

My parents were also worried about how much I must have suffered alone.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I assured them,

“I… I wasn’t struggling. The Young Master took good care of me.”

“…The Denkart heir?”

My parents had a favorable impression of him, especially after he saved our city, but they still looked doubtful.

At that moment, my older brother, Rober, who had been watching with his arms crossed, spoke up.

“That Denkart heir… I looked into him. He has a good reputation. And honestly? He doesn’t seem like a bad guy.”

“He’s not just not bad. He’s a good person. He’s kind, thoughtful, and always looks after others. No matter how lowly his subordinates may be, he never forces them to do unreasonable tasks.”

“…So?”

“I’ve seen it firsthand. I know better than anyone. And even though he’s younger than me, there’s so much to learn from him. He’s diligent and hardworking.”

For a brief moment, I hesitated—

Should I tell them that he had accepted me even after discovering I was a woman?

Should I tell them how we had truly ended up together?

But I held back.

I had already dropped a bombshell on them tonight.

I’d have to wait until tomorrow morning to reveal anything else.

More importantly, my mother looked so pale from shock that I was starting to worry.

So instead, I continued praising Edric.

“He’s been like that since he was young. Even when he was sick, he always endured it maturely. He took his medicine without complaint. At first, he didn’t know how to read, write, or even follow proper etiquette, but he put in the effort and earned recognition.”

“……”

“There isn’t a single servant in Denkart who doesn’t respect him. I mean it.”

My father, looking surprised, gently took my mother’s hand and said,

“Lobelia. Go upstairs and get some rest.”

With that, I returned to my room.

My parents had things they wanted to discuss privately.

Lying in bed, I covered my eyes with the back of my arm.

Lately, thanks to the Young Master, my body had been recovering.

The pain in my lower back and elsewhere had improved.

But I had been tense all day, and now my head was pounding.

‘I wonder… what the Young Master is doing right now.’

Just yesterday, we had been practically glued together.

Being apart felt strange.

‘I want to fall asleep in his arms.’

I hugged my silk blanket tightly, as if it were him.

‘…But his skin was much softer than this.’

Even with the deep scars on his back, his skin was firm, warm, and comforting.

So much so that I had wanted to stay wrapped around him forever.

I had even liked the way his arms and legs coiled around me like ropes.

When I nestled my face against him, it felt more secure than any fortress.

Burying my face into the blanket, I let out a long sigh.

“I want to bring Edric with me…”

His name, once unfamiliar, now felt natural.

And I liked it.

I had never been this excited before.

It was fascinating.

‘…Even at my age, I can still feel this giddy.’

I chuckled, remembering how Edric had been sulking about my experience.

But since I couldn’t reveal the truth about my regression, and I didn’t want to lie again…

I had coaxed and reassured him that this was my first time in this life.

Still, he had looked a little dejected.

And it had been adorable.

‘…Goodnight, Edric.’

I whispered a silent message of love, even though he couldn’t hear it—

And closed my eyes.

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

 

‘…That’s strange.’

The next morning, as I made my way downstairs, something felt off.

Our house was always kept tidy, but today… it seemed too decorated.

Even the furniture looked different from the last time I saw it.

‘…Mother isn’t the type to change furniture often.’

A strange sense of déjà vu crept over me.

And the moment I stepped into the living room, I became certain of it.

My parents were having tea, their faces bright with laughter.

Mixed in with their voices was the unfamiliar sound of another person laughing.

‘…A guest?’

Feeling a sudden urgency, I quickened my pace toward the living room—only to stop dead in my tracks.

From the connecting hallway, I could see everyone inside.

My parents, my brother Rober, and one large figure sitting with his back to me…

‘…Gray hair?’

I flinched in shock.

That hair color wasn’t unheard of in the empire, but hair that fine and silken was rare.

Sensing my footsteps, the man turned his head.

And in a tone dripping with mischief, he greeted me—

“Hello…?”