Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 181 - Evo (IF) Side Story Chapter 1

“Care to have a drink?”

As Evo was about to leave after the wedding banquet, Manellano grabbed his arm.

Truthfully, Evo didn’t like the idea.

He’d known Manellano since they were fairly young, but he’d never once had any fondness for the man.

An only child raised with all the love and privilege of a prestigious noble house, Manellano was openly self-centered.

Exactly the kind of person Evo disliked most.

They had dealt with each other strictly for business—thanks only to Manellano’s wealth and the resources of the northern snowfields—but Evo had no desire to engage in any more conversation. And once he found out Manellano had feelings for Lobelia, he became even more irritated.

Then and now, the man was just… in the way.

‘I’ll just make an excuse and get out like always.’

But Evo couldn’t leave as easily as he’d planned.

He couldn’t bring himself to speak. Manellano’s expression, despite the smile on his lips, was unusually dark. He even looked… subdued, in a way that was out of character.

Besides, Evo wasn’t in the best mood either.

…

He pictured the snow-white carriage, now long gone from sight.

It looked like something out of a fairytale—radiant and beautiful, the kind that only appears when the protagonists overcome trials and live happily ever after.

Traditionally, Edric should have ridden the black carriage that symbolized Denkart, but the guests all knew he’d prepared a bright carriage just for his bride.

And it wasn’t just the carriage—the expressions of the couple climbing into it were as perfect as any storybook ending.

During the ceremony, Evo had sincerely celebrated with them. He’d clapped along with the cheers and wished them happiness.

But now that they were gone, his chest felt heavy, like something was stuck.

He had predicted Edric and Lobel’s marriage. He had told himself he’d given up.

But it hadn’t gone the way he expected.

‘…It’s not that easy.’

It had been his first and only cherished feeling for a long time. Letting it go wasn’t so simple.

What now?

The thought was brief.

Somehow, tonight, the idea of breaking from routine—like Manellano suggested—didn’t seem so bad.

Evo gave a subtle nod to the attendant who had been waiting nearby, and only then responded to Manellano.

“I accept your invitation. Thank you.”

“You were going anyway. Why make a show of it?”

Again, Evo thought, We really don’t get along.

Manellano had a knack for making every word sound annoying.

Still, that night, Evo Martin drank at House Stell for the first time.

Because it wasn’t a business occasion, Evo didn’t try to make conversation or cater to Manellano’s mood.

Manellano, for his part, didn’t seem to expect much either and just kept drinking.

“…”

“…”

No words passed between them.

Manellano was a noble who enjoyed his wine, and Evo, as a trade leader, was no stranger to drinking either—so the amount and variety of alcohol they went through was considerable.

It wasn’t difficult.

What came afterward was the real problem.

That one drink turned into two, then three, then four…

Even Manellano himself probably hadn’t expected it would go on for years.

“…Lobel. Why did you only ever hate me from the start?”

Evo stared down at Manellano lying face-down on the couch, sniffling like a child.

It wasn’t a pleasant sight—especially the whining.

Even after draining a glass full of amber liquid, Manellano kept sniffling, and Evo’s patience wore thin.

He picked up the jacket tossed on the couch and threw it over Manellano’s head.

Of course, this wasn’t the first time.

‘…He’s using me for cleanup duty again.’

Evo had never drunk to the point of losing his senses and had no particular habits when drinking.

Manellano, on the other hand, could hold his liquor—but when he overdid it, he’d always revert to a weepy child.

Maybe he acted this way because he knew Evo would never gossip.

And that was exactly why Evo wasn’t in the mood.

This is the last time, he told himself.

He set down the empty glass and turned to leave, but Manellano’s voice stopped him.

“…I wish I’d met you first.”

The words mumbled under the jacket made Evo pause.

Even if either of them had met Lobel first, nothing would’ve changed.

Lobel, perhaps out of guilt for keeping Evo’s secret—that she was a woman—had confided a few things.

[ I’ve actually been sick for a very long time. ]

[ … ]

[ It’s related to Dif’s power. That’s why I approached Edric—to survive. ]

Even if Evo Martin had met her first, he wouldn’t have been able to save her.

…Maybe now, but not then.

As he recalled that foolish time, Evo Martin gave a bitter laugh.

The Book of Vibon once mentioned that in the Forest of Dif, there stood a tree that granted wishes.

And that if you touched it at sunrise and made a wish, it would come true.

A story even a child wouldn’t believe.

In truth, people said the World Tree showed illusions rather than granting wishes. No one knew for sure.

Yet for some reason, Evo had clung to that uncertainty.

Standing before that massive tree, its mysterious leaves hanging low, he had placed a hand on its trunk and made a wish.

Looking back now, it was ridiculous. Something he wouldn’t have done even at age eight.

‘…How foolish.’

Evo had always hated meaningless actions.

Making use of time to gain something—that was a fundamental virtue for a merchant. Evo had always detested those who ignored the basics.

But he’d become what he hated. That was before Edric and Lobel’s wedding.

‘…I really have to let go now.’

Evo Martin straightened his messy hair and stepped out of the room.

The torches in the corridor flickered wildly.

It was an unusually dark night, the stars hidden behind thick clouds. Through the window came the howl of the wind; the cold air stung his cheeks.

Still, Evo’s heart felt warm.

He was grateful that the climate in the Denkart region was mild year-round. Lobel, now pregnant, would be able to stay healthy without even catching a cold.

Evo had never placed much meaning on his surroundings. Some would grumble over snow or rain, but he hadn’t cared.

Which made it all the more surprising—how much he had changed.

“Wouldn’t it be better to stay the night, sir? The Count will likely ask for you.”

Just as he was about to climb into the carriage, the butler gave him a regretful look and suggested staying.

Evo politely declined with a gentle smile. As he stepped into the carriage, his head throbbed.

…

He had likely overdone the liquor tonight. The headache didn’t go away, even as the carriage rolled out of the capital.

Eventually, the pain became too much to bear.

Evo rapped the window twice with a clenched fist, and the carriage came to a stop.

Wanting to clear his head, he stepped outside.

But the moment he did, everything darkened.

“…”

Holding onto the doorframe, he pressed a gloved hand to his eyes. His body felt dull, so much that he couldn’t even feel the softness of the glove.

Breathing slowly, he tried to mentally review his schedule.

The meeting with the trade partner in the morning couldn’t be canceled. The afternoon one might be postponed, if needed.

Just make it through the morning…

Then the ground suddenly swayed beneath him—and he collapsed.

It was far too severe to be just a moment of dizziness.

Through his blurry vision, he saw a single leaf on the ground.

…A World Tree leaf?

Why would something shaped like that be here?

With that lingering question, Evo Martin closed his heavy eyes.

And then, dreams—or something too strange to tell from reality—began to unfold before him.

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

Evo looked at the group surrounding him with an annoyed gaze.

“Evo, you filthy bastard. So this is where you were hiding?”

The brown-haired boys wore the ugliest smirks.

He hadn’t forgotten.

The first through fifth sons of the Hornet Trading House—his older brothers.

They were half-brothers, but brothers nonetheless. Evo wasn’t so foolish as to not recognize the ones he shared blood with.

He laughed.

It had been a while since he’d had a dream like this.

Dreams where a young Evo was bullied by them—he was used to those.

They were the ones who’d made him fear the sunrise every morning and the reason he had the scars he carried.

He’d had countless nightmares because of the dread he felt before bed.

Of course, the gloomy sky heavy with rain, the sticky weather, even the pain like he’d just been beaten—it wasn’t as vivid as it had been back then.

‘What an absolutely vile nightmare.’

But then, the expressions of the brothers froze.

“This little punk’s laughing?”

One of them grabbed Evo by the collar.

Evo’s laugh vanished in an instant.

No matter how much of a nightmare this was, he had no intention of suffering through it again.

In fact… was this really even a nightmare?

Maybe it was a chance to let off some of the weight inside him. A little revenge for the past.

Evo caught the brother’s fist mid-swing—aimed right at his cheek.

Then, with a single twist, he snapped the arm.

The brutal sound of bone twisting came with a scream.

“Aaagh!”

Evo didn’t even glance down at the brother who collapsed, clutching his hand. Instead, with eyes turned cold, he stared at the remaining four.

The boys, unnerved by the glare far too calm for a child, faltered. Maybe their pride was hurt, because they suddenly charged at him, teeth gritted.

But Evo took them down with ease.

Ever since he’d been framed by the servants at Denkart, he’d trained his body relentlessly.

He couldn’t bear the shame of being dragged off, helpless.

Back when he was constantly tormented by his brothers, he hadn’t cared. He’d always thought of himself as pitiful and worthless anyway.

But after living with Lobel—after seeing the light in her eyes—he wanted to be a better person.

He wanted her to always look at him with that same gaze. That’s why he’d asked Arif, the knight, to teach him self-defense.

Arif Breuer, gentle in both face and spirit, had willingly taught him the basics first.

Later, he taught him how to read hostility, how to evade, and how to respond to threats.

Evo hadn’t let a single lesson go to waste.

Before long, the once-boastful brothers were sprawled on the ground, crying and shouting.

‘…Pathetic.’

Even if it was just a dream, not a second was worth wasting on them.

They were nothing—worms he’d already crushed in real life.

Evo ignored the approaching servants and guards and entered the mansion.

Inside, he saw many familiar faces. People who had long since died by the time he became the head of the house were among them. The dead.

But Evo didn’t grow sentimental.

It was just a dream.

No matter how vivid it felt, it wasn’t real.

Still, he had no intention of getting tangled up in something exhausting before waking.

Evo entered the quietest room in the mansion.

A room you could only access if you deciphered the final code in the Book of Vibon.

Even his father hadn’t known this place existed.

Evo leaned against the wall beside the golden chair and closed his eyes.

But when he opened them—and still hadn’t woken up—he realized something was very, very wrong.