Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 167 - Side Story Chapter 2

Surviving as an Obsessive Servant
Side Story Chapter 2

 

Manellano’s words made sense, so I couldn’t dismiss them easily.

My husband and I had spent more years as commoners than as nobles.

I was born and raised as a commoner, and Edric had spent his early years as one before reclaiming his noble status.

Because of that, we weren’t greatly influenced by the lives of the nobility. However, if I were to have children, things would change.

Unlike us, our children would be born noble. They would have many privileges, but also responsibilities.

So, I couldn’t simply disregard noble culture and traditions. Children are deeply influenced by their parents, after all.

‘Hmm… If I start preparing now, I should barely make it in time for the social season.’

I stared at the calendar, which was adorned with drawings of farmers heralding the arrival of spring, lost in thought.

A debutante was typically for young girls making their entrance into high society—so I was already far too late for it.

Since I had decided to step into noble society, it was best to make my debut as soon as possible.

‘Alright. No matter what, I’ll participate this season.’

Now that I had made up my mind, I planned to prepare the finest dresses, accessories, and anything else required for the social scene.

There were also some things I needed to act on right away.

I glanced wistfully at the cookies Edric had personally baked for me every day without fail, then reluctantly pulled my hand back.

‘For the time being… Yes. I have to endure. Endure.’

I had already sent a letter to Edric about my decision.

I wanted to discuss it with him in person, but lately, he had been busy inspecting the lands of Deep.

Edric saw new hope in the purified lands of Deep.

He was convinced that the herbs from that land could be used to produce more medicine.

And as he had promised me, he wanted to continue making the cure—something I could never stop him from doing.

Now that there was no more danger, he came and went regularly.

‘But really… there isn’t much for me to do.’

Though I was born a commoner, I had received only the best parts of a noble education.

The lessons I had overheard from Edric’s studies in the past had been incredibly helpful.

So, in my free time, I focused on memorizing portraits of the young noble ladies attending this season’s debutante ball.

But then, something unexpected happened.

“Madam, the former Duke has invited you to dinner tonight!”

The former Duke… had invited me to dinner?

Hearing Michelle’s words, I was momentarily confused.

The former Duke?

I wondered if Michelle had misspoken, or if I had simply misheard her.

“Wait… Edric came home early?”

“No, no. Not the Duke—the former Duke. He specifically requested that you attend dinner tonight.”

“……”

I instinctively gave Michelle a doubtful look, and she pouted as if she had been wronged.

Well, she wasn’t the type to lie.

“You’ll be going, right?”

It was uncomfortable, but… I couldn’t refuse the invitation.

Regardless of any lingering feelings, he had been a great help to Edric. And now, he was family.

“…I suppose I have to.”

I reluctantly rose from my chair.

‘…What’s this about?’

Though we lived in the same estate, it had been a long time since I last saw him.

He usually spent his time resting at the villa or working in his study.

Most of the time, I barely even noticed his presence in the mansion.

He found conversations tiresome…

So I had been careful to avoid encountering him in the study at the same time.

‘What could this be about…? Oh.’

I realized I had been lost in thought for too long.

Sitting across from me, the former Duke was cutting into his steak.

I forced a polite smile, but even the simple act of dining together felt awkward.

To be fair, it wasn’t surprising—after all, I had been quite rambunctious in the past.

‘Even dressed like this in an elegant gown… he probably still sees me as a reckless troublemaker.’

I had criticized the working conditions here, openly complained, and even—perhaps in his eyes—tried to drive a wedge between him and his son.

Looking back, I cringed at my past behavior.

The more I reflected, the worse I felt. I was starting to break into a cold sweat.

And then—his cool, measured voice broke the silence.

“Why have you lost so much weight?”

“…?”

For a second, I thought he was talking to someone else at the table.

Though we rarely had guests, I briefly considered the possibility that he had invited another noble.

I glanced around, but…

There was no one else.

When I turned back to face him, our eyes met.

“…Are you talking about me?”

“Who else would I be talking about?”

I instinctively lowered my gaze, but no matter how I looked at myself… I couldn’t agree with him.

‘…I don’t think I’ve lost weight?’

If anything, I had gained weight after getting married.

I had even worried that my wedding ring might not fit anymore…

Not too long ago, when my father visited Denkart, he had been delighted, saying my face had grown plump and radiant like the moon.

My mother had said I might need new dresses and offered to send fine fabrics.

Even my brother, Lobel, had teased me about it.

‘And yet… he says I’ve lost weight?’

It didn’t feel like some backhanded insult disguised as a compliment.

The former Duke wasn’t the type to sugarcoat his words—if he wanted to criticize me, he would do so openly.

‘…Maybe I just lost some water weight?’

Still, remaining silent for too long would be rude, so I carefully responded.

“Thank you.”

“That’s not something you should be thanking me for.”

Then what was I supposed to say…?

I was caught off guard but covered it up with a smile.

From the very beginning, I had known that conversations with him wouldn’t flow easily.

But today, the former Duke seemed determined to throw me off.

“I received a reply from the Emperor. The debutante ball will be held in the grandest hall, so prepare to attend. Coincidentally, it falls on the Empress’s birthday, so you should be the first to attend the audience and establish a connection.”

As I listened, it took me a long time to fully process his words, like a rusted machine struggling to turn.

The Emperor… That would be Crown Prince Louis, who had ascended the throne shortly after our wedding.

And the Empress—his wife, Uriel…

‘Wait, how did he even know I was planning to debut in high society?’

They say the darkest place is under the lamp. The traitor was hiding in plain sight.

When I glanced around in shock, I spotted Michelle beaming with pride.

The moment our eyes met, she looked at me expectantly, as if she wanted to be praised.

And before I could recover, the former Duke dropped another bombshell.

“If Edric Denkart is absent, then I will attend as your partner—by tradition.”

His tone was as if he were bestowing me with great honor.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I could almost hear the arrogance in his voice: You wouldn’t dare refuse my offer, would you?

Regardless of his attitude, he was showing consideration for me, so I carefully chose my words.

“…He should be back around that time.”

“I see.”

The former Duke responded without the slightest disappointment, sipping his wine as if it was of no consequence.

…He truly seemed unbothered.

Silence settled over the table once more.

With the grace of a refined noble, he drank his wine without making the slightest noise.

Yet strangely, I didn’t feel uneasy.

In fact, I was starting to feel comfortable—which was almost more surprising.

After a brief hesitation, I spoke.

“Thank you, Father.”

“Compared to the menial tasks you do, this is nothing.”

His indifferent tone was laced with biting sarcasm, and I felt an instinctive urge to push back.

Did he have to call it menial?

“It’s not menial. It’s an essential role in Denkart. As its mistress, it brings me both joy and fulfillment.”

I debated whether I should hold back but chose to be honest.

Family should understand each other, after all.

I braced myself for a reprimand but didn’t avert my gaze.

Instead, the former Duke let out a short chuckle.

“I know. You’ve been handling those ‘menial tasks’ quite well.”

“…Was that a compliment?”

“I don’t give compliments.”

Ah. Now I understood.

Edric used to get so irritated by this exact behavior when he was younger.

The former Duke was enjoying this.

‘Right… He was also the one who convinced the vassals to accept our marriage, despite their fierce opposition.’

The two ceremonies had gone smoothly because of him.

Whatever his intentions, the fact that he had accepted me as family made me feel a little warm inside.

Feeling more at ease, I grumbled playfully.

“Well, you can make an exception for me. And for your future grandchildren, even more so.”

“Don’t try to shove troublesome matters onto me.”

“Oh, please. You’ll love it, so stop pretending otherwise.”

He looked at me like I had just said something utterly ridiculous.

“Are you giving me an order?”

Holding back a laugh, I replied,

“You’re going to do it anyway.”

He looked vaguely displeased but finished his meal without further comment.

Once I had also finished eating, he stood up, still holding his wine glass.

“Follow me.”

This time, he walked at a more relaxed pace.

As I trailed behind him, I quietly speculated about his intentions until we arrived at his private study.

Even though Edric had inherited the dukedom, we hadn’t changed the layout of the rooms or made any major adjustments.

So, the grandest study in Denkart still belonged to the former Duke.

And none of us had any complaints about that.

“Open it.”

For a moment, I thought he was about to give me a jewelry box.

…But it wasn’t that.

What he placed on the desk was a small, old chest.

Its exterior was marred by black stains, as if it had once been tightly bound with something.

Feeling a sense of unease, I lifted the lid.

Inside, there lay broken black chains, severed in various places.

‘…Ah.’

I could see the faint traces of power they still held.

The overwhelming magic made my head throb.

Even shattered, they had once been a magical seal.