Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 150

“Were you very nervous?”

“…A little.”

At Lobelia’s words, Edric, who had been bedridden for days, simply smiled without letting it show.

In truth, nervousness wasn’t the real issue—his body was.

The new medicine he had taken in a rush was at least working, which was a relief.

If not, he wouldn’t have been able to take a single step out of bed.

Ever since Lobelia had left, Edric had felt as heavy as a waterlogged sponge.

But delaying his visit to her home was not an option.

She had already spoken to her parents about him, and if he didn’t accept their invitation, he could only imagine what they would think of him.

More than anything, he didn’t want to make them worry.

They already knew that their daughter had disguised herself as a man and served in a noble household for seven years. Now that her secret was out, they probably weren’t even able to sleep properly.

As he oversaw the gifts being carried down from the carriage, Lobelia asked again.

“Are you really… sure about this?”

This time, her question had a different meaning.

Edric was already the most eligible bachelor in and outside of the empire.

For someone of his status to date a commoner’s daughter without even being engaged—it was a flaw that society wouldn’t overlook.

Instead of answering, Edric tightened his grip on Lobelia’s hand.

Then, as if escorting her, he walked toward the entrance.

Not a trace of hesitation in his steps.

“The house is… a little old and small,” she murmured.

Passing through the dimly lit entryway, Lobelia laughed awkwardly.

But Edric was completely unfazed by her concern—he actually found the place wonderful.

Even at night, Lobelia’s home felt warm and welcoming from the very first step inside.

It resembled the kind of cozy, loving family home one would find in a fairy tale.

The aged structure and faded wallpaper, gently illuminated by the soft lighting, felt inexplicably comforting to him.

His gaze swept over the little signs of her family’s life—the lines carved into the walls, the worn wooden frames…

Knowing that Lobelia had grown up here made even these ordinary things seem extraordinary.

Noticing his lingering gaze, Lobelia scratched her cheek in embarrassment before explaining.

“My brother and I used to measure our height there every year. And that over there… um, we had a few practice sword fights.”

“Did you win?”

“Of course not. He’s older than me, bigger too. And honestly, he was the one who forced me into it…”

“Then I’ll win for you.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Lobelia mumbled something about how immature everyone was.

But she didn’t look the least bit annoyed.

As she turned her head to the side, her cheeks were softly tinged with pink. It made him want to pinch them.

As he seriously debated it, a sudden thud came from deeper inside the house.

“…Oh my.”

Turning his gaze, he saw a young man frozen in place, staring at him as if he had just seen a ghost.

‘Rober Flor…’

Edric gritted his teeth internally.

He had just heard how much Rober had made Lobelia suffer, so his feelings toward him were… less than pleasant.

But since this was her family, he had to be polite.

“I am Edric Denkart.”

“…It’s real? It’s really real?”

“I told you, I was coming to introduce him.”

“Would you have believed it? Not even if the crown prince walked in here would I be this shocked!”

At that, a middle-aged couple emerged from the back, wondering what the commotion was about.

Edric’s heart pounded violently.

Even in front of the emperor, he hadn’t been this nervous.

“I am Edric Denkart. Thank you for inviting me.”

Fortunately, he had rehearsed this moment.

Perhaps it was the warmth of Lobelia’s hand in his that helped his lips move.

For a long moment, her parents were speechless, then they stiffly gestured him toward the living room.

“You’ve arrived early. Come inside, please.”

“Hm, hm. You must be tired from your journey.”

“Come in, quickly now.”

‘…They don’t have to be so formal with me.’

Feeling a tinge of regret, Edric followed Lobelia’s family inside.

A strange atmosphere settled in the living room.

Her parents, in particular, seemed at a loss for words, even with a young man before them who was younger than both their children.

After all, this was the son of Denkart—so influential that even the imperial family had to tread carefully around them.

Meanwhile, Edric sipped the tea Lobelia liked best, trying his hardest to maintain a composed expression.

But he couldn’t contain his excitement.

‘…There are three people here who look like Lobelia.’

He had seen her parents before, but never this closely.

And now, Edric realized a few things.

Her silvery hair came from her father. Her eyes were an exact match for her mother’s.

And the way they all awkwardly smiled or hesitated while gauging the situation… It was uncanny how alike they all were, even as four separate people.

Then, Lobelia squeezed his hand firmly and spoke.

“This is the person I’m seeing.”

“….”

“….”

“….”

The already heavy atmosphere grew even denser.

Her father cleared his throat before speaking with unexpected formality.

“I heard… you were willing to overlook everything. Thank you for that. For forgiving our foolish daughter… It is my fault.”

“It is nothing. If anything, Lobelia—Lobelia has been far kinder to me. And please, you may speak comfortably with me.”

“Hm, hm. Well then… It’s getting late. Shall we have dinner?”

At her father’s words, everyone rose from their seats one by one.

Though their movements were somewhat stiff and unnatural, no one showed it.

Finally, in the dining room, Lobelia’s mother smiled warmly and said,

“Well… um. It’s nothing special, but please, eat as much as you’d like.”

“Mother, what are you saying? The table is about to—ouch!”

“Here, this, this! This is my mother’s specialty.”

Despite the commotion right in front of her, Lobelia busily used the tongs to pile food onto Edric’s plate.

Edric chewed diligently, barely aware of whether the food was entering his mouth or nose.

Even so, he made sure to take note of the dishes that tasted particularly good and placed them on Lobelia’s plate as well.

Though she didn’t say anything, the constant smile on her lips showed her delight.

She uncorked the wine bottle and drank with large, practiced motions at an impressive speed.

Edric observed her closely.

Just like before… Lobelia was very skilled with wine.

‘…Who on earth did she drink with?’

A few casual drinks with family wouldn’t have made her this proficient.

As his suspicion deepened, Lobelia’s father offered him a glass of wine.

Edric let out a slow breath.

‘Here it comes.’

Rimson had warned him multiple times about this situation.

[They’ll definitely offer you alcohol. You need to be careful! Damn it! What kind of father would want to entrust his daughter to a man who can’t hold his liquor?]

Edric hadn’t understood why Rimson had gotten so worked up about it at the time, but he did see the logic.

Back in the village, whenever the town chief and the men drank and became disorderly, he had found it pathetic and repulsive.

But Edric was confident in his own drinking tolerance.

Even if his body wasn’t in great condition, he could handle a few drinks.

No, he had to handle it.

As he took the wine without hesitation and drank, Lobelia’s father’s eyes gleamed.

“You hold your liquor well.”

“Thank you.”

Hearing the satisfied note in his voice, Edric inwardly sighed in relief.

He had feared the worst—that he might be thrown out on the spot—but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Watching the scene unfold with amusement, Lobelia suddenly spoke up.

“Edric doesn’t have any bad drinking habits.”

“….”

“….”

“….”

The atmosphere became strangely tense.

All three of them seemed startled by the way she had just addressed Edric so familiarly.

Lobelia was four years older, yes—but she had once been his servant.

Despite their curiosity, no one openly asked about it.

Edric wasn’t offended; he understood.

When he had first learned under Oliver, he had been too nervous to ask even the most basic questions.

So, he took the initiative and spoke in a softer-than-usual voice.

“My first drink was with Lobelia.”

That caught their interest.

“Your first drink… was with Lobelia?”

“Yes. She has taught me many things. She taught me how to read, and she taught me how to drink.”

“But… didn’t you have tutors for that?”

“Lobelia was better than all of them.”

Edric’s voice carried an unmistakable sense of pride.

So much so that Lobelia felt embarrassed listening to it.

It had only been a few hours since they arrived, but this was the first time she had seen him boast like this.

And it wasn’t about something grand like wealth or power—it was about her abilities.

Naturally, this endeared him to her parents. His humble demeanor only added to their growing favor.

Her father, clearing his throat to hide his emotions, finally said,

“Well… that’s true. My daughter is second to none.”

“And now, I have the honor of sharing my second drink with all of you.”

“Your second? You don’t drink often?”

“No.”

He should have added more to his response.

He knew that.

But Edric had never been particularly good at embellishing words.

So he simply answered and waited for the next question.

Her father, looking much more relaxed than before, murmured to himself,

“A rare young man, indeed.”