Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 197 - Manellano (IF) Side Story Chapter 7

Manellano could hardly understand most things about Lobelia.

At first, he didn’t understand why his eyes and heart kept turning toward her—why she lingered in his thoughts.

And what he understood least of all was the way she lived.

Lobelia refused most of Manellano’s sincerity—especially anything involving money or other kinds of consideration.

Each time, Manellano felt frustrated.

Why not just accept his help, like one would from parents or relatives? Then she could live so much more comfortably.

But Lobelia refused to take anything from him.

[ I don’t want it. ]

Manellano didn’t always feel kindly toward a lover who rejected him like that.

When she even turned down the stationery and fountain pen he had spent months choosing, his mood hit rock bottom.

Still, since it was her decision, he accepted it in the end. So he kept trying to find a middle ground, to give her something she would accept.

But today—he truly couldn’t understand.

On the day the results of the Imperial Civil Service Exam were posted, Manellano, waiting eagerly by the notice board, couldn’t believe his eyes.

Lobelia’s name was listed among the Class 3 passers.

‘What in the world…?’

Something had to be wrong.

He even went so far as to question the officials, ignoring propriety.

But they only looked at him strangely and said there was no mistake.

When he still didn’t believe it, they even showed him Lobelia’s registration slip.

After that, all expression vanished from Manellano’s face.

‘Without a single word to me…’

He felt hollow—but he held it in.

If Lobelia had acted this way, there had to be a reason.

He decided to go and hear it from her directly.

But when he learned she had volunteered to work at an abandoned mine right after passing as a Class 3 official, he lost control.

‘…You’ve got to be kidding me.’

Cursing under his breath, Manellano sprang to his feet and rushed to Lobelia’s residence.

His face was flushed red, but hers was calm and expressionless.

When he asked why she’d chosen Class 3, her voice sounded dry as she answered,

“Don’t you remember? I told you before—I wanted to know what it’s like to be a noble, just once.”

Since most Class 1 and 2 positions were already held by nobles, it was difficult for commoners to receive a title through them.

So her decision to enter as a Class 3 official, where earning merit could lead to a title, made sense.

And that was exactly why Manellano was angry.

He couldn’t understand why she would choose the hard road when the easy path was right there.

“Then… you could just marry me. You’d become a noble! Why do something like this instead?!”

“I don’t want to.”

“…”

“I want to earn it myself.”

“Why are you always like this?”

His bottled-up feelings burst out.

“Lobelia, yeah, I know you’re amazing. But do you really have to go this far? You hate everything I give you! You could accept it, just once, even if it’s just to humor me! Why are you so stubborn?! If you go there, what am I supposed to do without you?!”

Though he sounded exasperated, his voice trembled with longing.

Manellano had long since thrown away his pride for her sake.

He’d never regretted it or felt ashamed.

But Lobelia still wouldn’t yield.

“Is your pride still more important than me?”

“…”

“Don’t go.”

“You know I can’t change it. His Majesty already approved.”

“…”

“I see. Fine.”

Manellano turned away, his face colder than she’d ever seen it.

Once inside the house, Lobelia slowly sank to the floor. Her legs gave out; she couldn’t stand.

She couldn’t bring herself to say, Please wait just one year.

Wiping her reddened eyes, she thought of the pale-faced countess who had looked after them for years.

Could she really not endure just one year? This was her only chance to meet Manellano openly.

With those thoughts, Lobelia stayed firm in her resolve.

Still, before she left, she sent a letter asking Manellano to wait for her.

There was no reply.

But perhaps as a final gesture, a carriage arrived at her door on the day of her departure.

“The young master sent this for you.”

Without a word, Lobelia climbed aboard and thought of Manellano.

By now, he must have already departed on his customary continental journey, as noble heirs did.

That trip would take several months—so by the time she returned, their timing might align.

‘…I just have to work harder.’

But when she arrived, the abandoned mine site was more chaotic than she’d imagined.

There were countless things to fix and inspect. Lobelia worked day and night alongside the miners, exploring every corner.

The hardest part was enduring their disdain. Everyone said she’d pack up and leave within days.

And it wasn’t baseless—many officials and miners before her had fled before lasting even ten days.

But Lobelia endured in silence.

Eventually, no one dared mock her anymore.

Two months later, word spread that a new commander was arriving—

A newly appointed Class 1 official.

“If you were a noble, that position would’ve been yours.”

“If you have time for pointless talk, focus on safety.”

With that, Lobelia quietly inspected the mine she was to enter that day.

…But then, was she seeing things?

Manellano stood ahead of her.

Well, he had appeared in her dreams the night before.

She gave a faint, bitter smile and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Then, through her now-clear vision, she saw that familiar fierce grin.

“Manellano Stell.”

At the appearance of their new superior, the workers and subordinates rushed to greet him.

Lobelia followed after them.

But she wasn’t even sure how she managed to finish her greeting.

Using the excuse of showing him to his tent, she led him away.

Then she burst out,

“What are you doing here?!”

“Funny way to say you missed me.”

She flinched.

Gone was the anger he’d shown the last time they met.

Instead, he seemed calmer than ever.

That threw her off completely—she’d been sure he’d still be furious at her decision.

But Manellano looked as though such things no longer mattered.

He examined her from head to toe, then asked in a quieter, steadier voice,

“Can’t believe it. Did you really think I wouldn’t pass the same exam you did?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Just so you know, I’m not going back.”

“Hey!”

“What’s that? Didn’t we promise not to call each other that?”

Lobelia froze.

Back at the academy, the two had made that promise—

Not to call each other “hey.”

And since they hadn’t broken up, the promise still stood.

“You broke the promise, so now you owe me one wish.”

Using that as an excuse, Manellano finally let his true feelings show.

“I have my pride too. So don’t make me throw it away any further.”

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

Manellano, for the first time in his life, felt powerless.

When he realized that her decision had been made because of him, he couldn’t bear it.

‘…Why is it that, in trying for our happiness, you’re the only one who has to suffer?’

Manellano loathed himself.

But even that self-hatred felt like a waste of time.

Until yesterday, he had let Lobelia carry the burden alone—but not anymore.

From that day on, he ran in every direction to give strength to Lobelia’s choice.

Fortunately, he just barely managed to take the supplementary interview for the Class 1 official exam.

As a top student from the academy, Manellano had automatically passed the first and second stages of the Class 1 civil service test.

Of course, even getting that recognition wasn’t easy—but he did it.

The problem was the earl’s opposition.

Surprisingly, it was his mother who stopped his father from protesting.

[ I don’t know that girl well, but I’ve never seen anyone care for you that deeply. ]

His mother, who had never once washed her own hair in her life, seemed genuinely shocked that such a young woman had gone to a dangerous zone because of her son.

[ Bring her back safely. ]

With those words, his mother arranged the Stell family’s carriage for him.

And that was how Manellano came to the abandoned mining district.

But contrary to what he expected, the chaos there was surprisingly well contained.

Fortunately, most of the minerals the imperial family had been desperately searching for had already been found.

‘…Lobelia must’ve had a hard time.’

Knowing how much she must have struggled, he felt bitterness instead of joy.

Only one mine remained to be inspected.

It had been postponed to the end, as the entrance path was rough and dangerous.

Manellano spoke without hesitation.

“I’ll go myself.”

“There’s no need for you to go, my lord. I know this place well—let me handle it.”

“Are you defying orders?”

Lobelia started to argue again.

But the attendants beside her silently signaled her to stop.

In the end, she stepped back.

“…My apologies.”

“Good. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Tap, tap—Manellano’s hand, resting on her shoulder in a gesture of encouragement, carried hidden emotion.

But when he saw her expression turn sharp, he quickly turned his head away.

The sky was heavy with clouds, ready to pour rain at any moment.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

That night, Lobelia had a dreadful dream.

In it, she saw Manellano buried in dirt—so vividly it chilled her.

Even the rain in the dream poured down in sheets.

The next day, she tried desperately to stop him from going, but he was already gone from the camp.

Could it have been a premonition?

Holding an umbrella, she waited nervously near the mine entrance—then suddenly, the mouth of the tunnel collapsed with a thunderous roar.

“Manellano!”

Everyone nearby turned to look at her in shock.

But she was too panicked to care.

She ran into the downpour, her face streaked with despair.

As she frantically tried to dig through the rubble, someone grabbed her shoulder. When she tried to shake free, the grip tightened.

Just as she was about to yell, a quiet voice spoke.

“Now you understand how I felt?”

“…!”

When she turned her head, she saw Manellano holding an umbrella over her.

He looked both apologetic and amused.

“I went in early this morning and came back. The weather was gloomy, and I had a bad feeling—like someone was praying for my death.”

“…”

“I can’t die and leave you behind. I couldn’t stand to see you with another man.”

With that confession, Manellano took something out of his pocket.

Lobelia’s eyes widened.

It was the ring she had once admired—a platinum band with a large sapphire.

Astonishingly, it was identical to the one the countess had worn.

The very fact that his mother had told him to “bring her back” had been as good as permission, so Manellano had been able to take the ring.

“I love you, my baroness. Let’s have just two kids—one to inherit each family.”

“…”

But when Lobelia didn’t look pleased, Manellano quickly added,

“If you don’t like that, then just one heir for your family. I’ll handle the raising.”

“…You really can talk, can’t you?”

“My dear baroness must’ve suffered so much while I was gone—her eyesight’s gotten worse. Can’t she see I’m more than just talk?”

Instead of answering his teasing, Lobelia kissed him.

After that, Lobelia was recognized for her service and granted the barony of Husband.

Baroness Lobelia Husband, upon receiving her title, immediately sent a marriage proposal to the Stell family.

And on their long-awaited date in the capital—

“Oh, Baroness Husband. You’re wearing the ring again today? It suits you perfectly.”

Manellano grinned as he took her hand.

Compared to past countesses, Lobelia’s fingers were sturdier, so the ring didn’t fit her ring finger well.

Resizing it too much would ruin its shape, so she wore it on her pinky instead.

Even so, Manellano beamed with delight.

Feeling embarrassed, Lobelia frowned slightly.

“What are you smiling about?”

“Well, last night I dreamt of you with some blond guy. You were wearing a strange ring on your ring finger.”

Lobelia sighed in disbelief.

It was just a dream—how could he react like that?

“Even your dreams have gotten too realistic.”

Hearing that, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re getting married next month—shouldn’t you have better things to worry about?”

Manellano looked genuinely impressed.

She was right, of course.

Well, truthfully, the dream had also featured a blue-haired man standing next to the blond one, which had made him feel twice as annoyed—but from now on, only good things awaited him.

Because Manellano’s dream had come true.

At the academy graduation, on the paper where students wrote their life goals, he had written “Lobelia’s husband.”

He had never thrown it away—he planned to keep it as a family heirloom.

Hiding that childish secret, Manellano offered his hand smoothly.

“Anyway, shall I have the honor of escorting you to the wedding hall, my lady?”

Lobelia gladly took Manellano’s hand.

Then, as she did, she secretly slipped a ring—one she’d bought long ago with her own savings during her academy days—onto his ring finger.

And that day,

On the carriage ride home from their date, Manellano let out such an ear-splitting scream that the coachman—who had driven safely for fifty years—was so startled he slammed the brakes, nearly causing an accident.