Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 148

‘Why… why is Manellano here?!’

I wanted to scream into the empty hallway.

I had just barely escaped from that tea party.

My parents, my brother Rober, and—of all people—Manellano Stell were sitting together.

My parents, who normally wanted nothing to do with nobles.

Unless it was an important business partner, they avoided conversations with them altogether.

I had played along, pretending this was my first time meeting him, but…

Ordinarily, my parents would have kicked Manellano out the moment they learned I had worked as a servant in a noble house.

And yet, there he was, sipping tea like our home was his own.

‘How on earth did he manage to win over my parents like that?!’

Even if they saw him as their son’s peer, they wouldn’t normally treat him this warmly.

Actually… they probably didn’t see him as a peer at all.

After all, he looked every bit the noble he was, down to the last polished detail.

He wasn’t someone you’d instinctively feel close to.

So what exactly did he do?

He seemed to have built quite the friendship with my brother as well…

“Lobelia!”

Unlike me, who had slipped away, Manellano had stayed behind to chat with my parents—but he quickly caught up to me.

Startled, I glanced around.

Thankfully, the hallway was empty, but still—how bold of him to call my name so freely.

With his long legs, he closed the distance effortlessly, not the least bit out of breath.

“It’s different seeing you here, isn’t it?”

He actually looked refreshed.

“Oh, and speaking formally with you feels weird.”

I eyed him warily as he continued chatting away.

Manellano had an ego that reached the heavens.

There was no way he would be acting this carefree after finding out I had deceived him.

“…How did you even get in here?”

“I was invited. By your parents and your brother. They have excellent judgment, I must say.”

I tensed, half-expecting some kind of trick, but he simply smiled.

“That’s why they welcomed me.”

“…”

Somehow, that put me even more on guard.

The Manellano I knew wouldn’t just sit around and wait after discovering my secret.

He wasn’t the type to mingle so casually with commoners, either.

‘He’s definitely up to something.’

Regardless of his true intentions, though, at least he didn’t seem upset with me.

That meant I had to tread carefully—maybe even play the pitiful victim.

Putting on my best melancholic expression, I said,

“You’ve heard that I’m a woman, haven’t you? The truth is… I had my reasons for disguising myself as a servant.”

“Oh, I know. And now, you can even marry a man, huh?”

‘…Why does he keep grinning at me like that?’

There’s an old saying that you can’t spit on a smiling face, but his was seriously testing that theory.

More than my circumstances, he seemed simply delighted by the fact that I was a woman.

For some reason, it was hard to meet his gaze.

Avoiding eye contact, I asked,

“When did you find out?”

“A little while ago. By chance.”

“…”

“Why are you so suspicious? It really was a coincidence. Just like how I happened to meet your brother.”

“…I see.”

At my reaction, Manellano pursed his lips, looking almost offended.

Then, in the blink of an eye, his mood flipped again.

“So, are you not wearing glasses anymore? It’s because the ones the young lord gave you were uncomfortable, right?”

“There’s nothing uncomfortable about something my lord gifted me. You are the one who’s bothersome.”

Ignoring his raised eyebrow, I fell into thought.

The truth was, my eyesight had improved, so I no longer needed glasses.

Ever since my lord started living in the manor, my vision had gradually become clearer.

‘Come to think of it… I must have absorbed some of Dif’s influence.’

But that raised another question.

If that was the case, then why did my lord’s mother pass away?

‘Even though she was a Dif herself and lived with one… she still died so easily?’

Was it because the poison prepared by the duchess had been that lethal?

Or was it because my lord, as the protagonist, had stronger purification abilities?

‘Or… is there some other hidden secret?’

The ancient tablets said that Dif hid their true identities even from their own kind.

Based on that, something about this didn’t sit right with me.

But before I could dwell on it further, Manellano’s next words erased my thoughts like smoke.

“Your brother told me your type. Handsome, rich, tall, diligent, and smart, right?”

‘…Why is he acting like this?’

Manellano listed my ideal type as if he were reading off his own résumé.

In both the novel and now, Manellano Stell was not the type to show up at my house, looking all giddy while rattling off my preferences.

‘And what’s with this weird buddy-buddy act?’

Polite speech, calling my brother brother(hyungnim)—none of it suited him.

As I stared at his overly bright expression and his gleaming golden eyes, a strange chill ran down my spine.

‘…Wait. Don’t tell me.’

The realization struck me, and all of Manellano’s past behavior came rushing back.

[It’s not about anyone else.]
[I came to see you.]

‘No way. Him? Liking me?? WHY?! What did I even do?!’

Looking back, his words hadn’t changed—whether he thought I was a man or now that he knew I was a woman.

I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.

If he had fallen for the young lord, or even Princess Delilah or Arif, I’d understand.

‘…Should I be relieved that he’s interested in me and not my naive young lord? It’d be easier for me to fend him off.’

I was being realistic, but I shook my head to clear the thought.

There was no need to drag this out.

Even if I wasn’t in love with Edric, I wouldn’t have ever considered Manellano.

“Uh, Lord Manell.”

The best move was to crush his hopes quickly.

“There’s actually one more must-have condition for my ideal type.”

“What is it?”

His expectant gaze pricked my conscience, but…

For peace’s sake, I carried out my plan.

“Younger men.”

For a moment, I thought I had won.

Then, Manellano’s eyes glowed with a stubborn intensity.

“Oh, Lobelia. I actually asked your brother about your birthday. Turns out, you’re older than me. I was born in the winter, you see… Noona.”

…Did he just call me noona that easily?

I could hardly believe the words had come from his mouth.

But Manellano looked like he would call me noona a thousand times over if that’s what I wanted.

“What’s wrong, noona? If you don’t like it, should I call you nunim instead?”

*Noona or nunim” (누나) is a Korean word that means “older sister”. It’s also used as a respectful term of address or endearment for an older female. it can also be used when a boyfriend addressing his older girlfriend

“…Actually, my ideal younger man is one who will inherit a dukedom.”

I scrambled to revise my answer.

Manellano scowled.

“Are you gonna keep this up?”

“Why are you raising your voice? Who here actually has the right to be mad? Be honest—did you already know I was a woman when you came here?”

I squared my shoulders, putting strength in my voice.

A small show of dominance.

Manellano didn’t seem like he meant me harm, but I pushed further.

“This is just sad, honestly.”

He faltered slightly, muttering,

“Why are you overthinking this like some backwater peasant? I just happened to show your brother around the capital, that’s all. And today, I came here…”

He bit his lip, hesitating, before sighing heavily.

“…Not to pressure you. Just because I wanted to see you. Damn it, that prince won’t even let me step foot in Denkarte anymore!”

His voice rose as his frustration boiled over, but when he saw my blank expression, he quickly backed down.

“So, whatever. You go do your thing, and I’ll just… keep looking at you from afar. I won’t even ask to be treated as a guest.”

…Did he seriously not realize that was way more burdensome?

Regardless, I had other things to do.

I headed to my personal study.

Manellano followed closely behind, which was annoying, but…

Telling him not to come would have been a waste of breath.

‘…It’s been a while since I’ve been in here.’

The study was as pristine as ever.

Inside, I had both the ordinary ancient tablets that Rober had prepared and the magical stone tablets that Edric had secured for me.

As I checked the ones on my desk, a long shadow loomed over me.

“This is what Evo Martin was after, isn’t it?”

So, word had already gotten out.

I ignored him.

He had told me to do my own thing, after all.

“You’re still in contact with Evo Martin? What exactly is going on between you two?”

I continued to ignore him and picked up a regular tablet.

The moment my fingertips touched it, a jolt ran through me, and its contents instantly flooded my mind.

‘Just like back at House Cassidy… I think I’ve really gained some of Dif’s abilities.’

I had even tried to blow out a candle with my mind several times after returning from Cassidy’s estate, but never once succeeded.

I had asked Edric about it, but his response had only drained my energy further.

“You just do it like you move your arms or legs.”

‘Is it because my bloodline isn’t pure?’

I compared the ancient tablets and the magical stone tablets.

But when I touched the magical ones, nothing happened.

All I saw was the faint, shimmering outline of a constellation.

‘But back when I touched that shard of a celestial stone tablet… I did see writing similar to the Dif records I saw in my past life.’

At the time, I had thought it contained the hidden secrets of the Dif race.

Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I wasn’t ready to give up.

I had to uncover something before it was too late.

It could help Edric.

Maybe even lead him to his true lineage.

More than anything, it just didn’t sit right with me—how a race as exceptional as the Dif had disappeared so completely.