Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 196 - Manellano (IF) Side Story Chapter 6

“Manel, congratulations on graduating from the academy.”

Unlike his excited mother, Manellano felt no particular emotion.

He looked at her blandly across the table.

Their appearances couldn’t have been more different—his sharp features contrasted with her soft, elegant face—but their brazen personalities were nearly identical.

How can she drone on about a graduation ceremony she didn’t even attend…

Because of her busy social schedule early in the year, his mother hadn’t shown up at all for the ceremony, and she didn’t look the least bit sorry about it.

Still, Manellano figured he’d done his part as a dutiful son.

He’d maintained top grades throughout the academy, and even if he wasn’t valedictorian, graduating second in class was more than respectable.

Just sitting here, politely listening to her chatter, was part of that same “duty.”

Though he had no intention of listening any longer.

He was about to rise when his mother stopped him, finally getting to the real point.

“Since you’ve graduated, it’s time you follow our family’s tradition and embark on your journey to the Holy Empire. And as for your gift, just tell us what you’d like and—”

At that, the half-distracted Manellano suddenly perked up.

“Really?”

His mother faltered, surprised by the quick response.

Of course, everyone likes gifts—but her son, who’d grown up with no lack of anything, rarely showed much interest.

He usually accepted whatever they offered without much reaction.
But now, his eyes were shining with childlike excitement.
A bad sign, she thought.

Just then, the Count, sitting beside them and sipping tea contentedly, spoke up.

“Of course, Manellano. I’ll get you whatever you want as a graduation present. What is it you desire?”

“There’s no need to go out of your way, Father. I’ll just take something from here, if that’s all right?”

“Haha, my boy, you’ve finally grown up.”

Unlike the uneasy countess, the count looked very pleased.

In the past, his son would have asked for something outrageous—a royal sword, perhaps—and done so without much enthusiasm.

But now, there was even a trace of earnestness in his gaze.

Proud of his son’s supposed maturity, the count smiled warmly.

“Everything in this house is yours anyway. Take whatever you wish.”

As his father, Count Stell, beamed with satisfaction, Manellano turned his eyes toward his mother—whose uneasy smile had completely frozen.

“Then, I’ll take it.”

He reached out his hand, staring directly at her left hand, which was holding a teacup.

“Please take off that ring, Mother.”

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

After leaving through the front gate, Manellano turned and glared back at the mansion.

It was hard to believe that only minutes ago, the place had been in utter chaos.

Now, it was completely silent—except for his own fuming.

Running a hand roughly through his ash-gray hair, he muttered bitterly,

“They said I could take whatever I wanted.”

So he’d asked for the mistress’s ring of House Stell.
It would belong to Lobelia anyway, once they were married.

His mother had received the same ring before her own wedding.

But the moment he said it, his father had drawn the decorative sword from the wall, and his mother had clutched her neck and nearly fainted.

It had been absolute pandemonium.

If the butler hadn’t silently pointed him toward a back exit, Manellano might’ve ended up with bruises on his precious face.

“They always told me to live as I pleased, to take whatever I wanted. Now that I finally want something real, I’m the bad guy?”

Even after climbing into the carriage, he couldn’t relax his expression.

But truly—this was no small problem.

His face grew serious.

He had been so sure of his promises to Lobelia.

He’d boasted that his parents would allow their marriage as soon as he came of age.
That they would respect her completely and support her in every way.

Whenever he said so, Lobelia would quietly listen—neither doubting nor believing him.

But knowing her, the fact that she never contradicted him probably meant… she was secretly hopeful.

The thought made Manellano sigh deeply.

…If she finds out what happened at home, she’ll probably cry, won’t she?

Lobelia seemed straightforward, but she wasn’t, not really.

She could say anything bluntly—except when she was hurt.
When she was upset, she hid it behind a calm face, only her eyes turning red.

He’d learned that the hard way, after discovering how other nobles mocked her—saying she was just aiming for a concubine’s spot in House Stell.

She’d said nothing, not even to him, but he’d seen her eyes afterward.

Manellano groaned, rubbing his forehead.

…Should I tell her everything? Or keep quiet?

After a long internal battle, he finally sighed.

“…She’d probably hate it more if I lied.”

Besides, hiding it from her was impossible.

She was a prodigy—top of the academy in both entrance and graduation—and could read people’s emotions like a book.

There was no way she wouldn’t find out.

While he turned these thoughts over, the Stell carriage stopped in front of the capital’s Grand Library.

He looked out the window—and there she was, stepping outside.

He quickly got out, walking briskly toward her.

Lobelia, as usual, handed him her book bag without a word.

Taking the heavy bag onto his shoulder, Manellano forced a bright smile to hide his mixed emotions.

“Finished studying for the day?”

“Yeah.”

Lobelia nodded calmly.

Her face looked tired—clearly, it hadn’t been an easy day.

Well, becoming a royal official isn’t simple, especially for a commoner.

And she wasn’t aiming for just any position—she wanted to be a first-class civil officer.

She couldn’t afford to get even a single question wrong on the exams.

And then there’s the interview process…

As he carried her things, he watched her face carefully.

He had decided to tell her the truth—but seeing her weary expression made him hesitate again.

He didn’t want to add more stress to her already full mind.

…Sometimes, saying nothing really is safer.

But then, Lobelia spoke.

“I’m glad you’re not hurt.”

Her voice was calm, but there was worry in her eyes.

…So she already knew.

Feeling guilty, Manellano tried to sound casual.

“If only my grandfather were still alive, he’d have sided with me and ended this mess.”

“You never know. He might have opposed us even more.”

Her tone was indifferent—as though she’d expected this outcome all along.

Manellano’s pride took a hit.

So… she never trusted me at all?

Sure, she was good at ignoring nonsense from others—but that shouldn’t include him.

Determined to recover some dignity, Manellano puffed up his chest.

“Lobelia, you know how capable I am, right? Don’t worry. I’ll fix everything myself.”

They say no parent can win against their child.

Surely his parents would be no different.

He was their only heir, after all, and he’d postponed his engagement long enough.
In the end, they’d have to give in.

“I’ll set up a time soon. Be ready—I’ll bring you to meet them.”

But Lobelia quickly poured cold water on his confidence.

“What?”

“I said, I’ll visit your parents.”

“Wait—why!!”

Manellano’s outburst made her blink. Realizing how it sounded, he quickly added,

“Don’t get me wrong! I’m not mad—I just, uh, cleared my throat a bit.”

…Lobelia despised aggressive, loud men more than anything.

Feeling cornered, Manellano rushed to fix it.

“Sorry if I startled you. But really, Lobelia, think about it. Why not skip the visit, huh? You won’t hear anything nice from them anyway!”

“I know. I’m not going there to hear nice things.”

“But still, basic manners are important.”

“That’s strange. Why can’t my fiancé do a simple calculation? If they don’t show you basic decency, why should you? That’s not manners, that’s stupidity.”

Manellano boldly proclaimed his case for righteous rebellion.

No wonder people said raising children was pointless.

Lobelia was momentarily speechless at his shamelessness before saying quietly,

“Even so…”

He was ready to argue again, but she cut him off with a sigh.

“They’re the parents who raised you. And you’d really rather spend your life hiding behind them out of fear of a few harsh words?”

“I turned out well??????????”

The seriousness of the moment vanished as Manellano’s eyes lit up.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never outwit Lobelia.

He adored her brilliance—but secretly, it also frustrated him.

Now, for once, he felt triumphant.

“Why didn’t you say something that important sooner?”

“Do you really want to do this right now?”

“Not really. But I’ll die if I don’t. So come here.”

Lobelia dodged as Manellano leaned in, clearly up to no good.

She looked utterly exasperated—until their dodging turned clumsy and his lips brushed her forehead, then her cheek, her nose… and finally, her lips.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

“Haa…”

When Lobelia returned home, she sank to the floor as if collapsing.

Even though she’d spoken firmly to Manellano, her heart was in turmoil.

“A noble…”

And not just any noble—one from among the most powerful and influential houses in the empire.

For the heir of such a family to associate with a commoner was no simple matter.

Pressing her tired eyes with her fingertips, Lobelia lifted her gaze.

Around her, glittering artworks and expensive ornaments filled the small, shabby room.

They didn’t belong there.

They were all Manellano’s gifts—even the slippers on her feet.

At first, he’d tried to give her money, but when she refused, he’d insisted on buying her “only the things she really needed,” his eyes burning with determination.

When she still declined, he’d started leaving things under the excuse that he’d “grown tired of them” after using them a few times.

If she had allowed it, he probably would have replaced the floors and even the dirt in her garden.

Thinking of that time, Lobelia let out a faint, helpless laugh.

“…What a fool.”

No wonder people called him an idiot who worshiped commoners.

And yet, whenever anyone insulted her, Manellano would rather challenge them to a duel than blame her.

Still, his devotion didn’t mean a happy future was guaranteed.

Lobelia rested her forehead on her knees, which she had wrapped tightly in her arms.

“…The Countess must be furious.”

In fact, it was surprising she had turned a blind eye for so long.

Of course, she had sent professors and servants to investigate—Lobelia’s relationship with Manellano wasn’t exactly subtle—but even then, her attitude toward Lobelia had been… polite.

The Countess’s later invitation was the same.

“…Cold tea.”

Lobelia stared at her teacup and quietly exhaled in relief.

The slightly cooled tea was well steeped.

She had half-expected the woman to deliberately serve it scalding hot and throw it at her face—but no, she hadn’t.

“…Thank you for accepting my invitation,” the Countess said.

Her tone was soft, her expression gentle.

Though her smile was a little stiff, there was no trace of mockery or malice in her eyes.

Lobelia, who had endured countless sneers during her academy years, could recognize the absence of hostility better than anyone.

“He was my pride, you know,” the Countess began, her voice trembling slightly before she straightened her shoulders.

But even that effort couldn’t hide her frailty.

Manellano hadn’t told Lobelia much about his family, but she already knew.

He was the first and only child, born after great difficulty.

The Countess, frail by nature, had risked her life to give birth to him.

“I know my son’s temperament better than anyone. If I oppose him now… he’ll only grow more reckless.”

In other words, she was saying she would tolerate the relationship—for now.

Her words were calm, but the warning underneath was clear: Don’t overstep your bounds later.

Lobelia met the Countess’s delicate yet steely gaze without flinching.

“Yes, madam. I understand.”

The Countess blinked, slightly taken aback.

She hadn’t expected the famously proud commoner from the academy—the one who never backed down to nobles—to agree so readily.

She had anticipated at least a verbal sparring match.

As she hid her surprise and sipped her tea, Lobelia spoke again.

“But, madam, I plan to become a third-class civil officer and earn a noble title.”

“…”

“The timing happens to be perfect. If I can personally resolve the mining collapse issue, I’ll be recognized for my achievements.”

The Countess understood immediately.

That mining issue had drawn the attention of many nobles—but none had managed to solve it.

And now, Lobelia was bringing it up here, of all places.

…Could it be?

At that moment, the Countess realized something that had been bothering her.

Everyone had said Lobelia could easily qualify as a first-class officer.

Yet, when she had investigated, she’d found Lobelia preparing for the third-class exam instead.

She had assumed it was because Lobelia wanted the position of Lady of House Stell.

But that wasn’t it.

Perhaps even Manellano had misunderstood.

“When the time comes, I’ll come to greet you again,” Lobelia said politely.

The Countess found herself unable to respond.

That place… it’s dangerous now.

The nobles were keeping quiet about it, but word had reached her ears.

Rumor had it that the collapsed mines concealed a rare mineral once hidden there by Emperor Terua himself.

Many officials had already died trying to uncover it.

If the Countess knew this, then surely Lobelia—who was directly involved—knew as well.

And yet, she had no intention of backing down.

For some reason, the Countess’s heart began to pound with an ominous sense of dread.