Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 198 - Evo (IF) Side Story Chapter 6

“The Flor Merchant Guild Master’s letter has arrived.”

Evo, who had just taken off his coat, accepted the letter from his aide.

The vivid violet seal pressed neatly in the center of the envelope stood out immediately.

Seeing it, a smile naturally formed on Evo’s lips.

It was a trace of his beloved wife.

Just last year, Lobel had become the master of the Flor Merchant Guild.

That was something Evo had planned for a very long time.

In his previous life, he had always regretted that Lobel’s gift for trade had gone to waste.

‘…It always felt like such a waste.’

The Flor Guild, objectively speaking, had immense potential for growth.

Had its former masters been more daring in expanding, its name would’ve been known not just in Velican, but throughout all of Terua.

However, there had always been one chronic flaw — the guild masters consistently avoided risky trades. That lack of bold investment set a ceiling on their success.

He could understand it, though.

Stable maintenance without losses was safer than high-risk, high-reward ventures. Even Robert’s past mistakes had proven that.

But then and now alike, Lobel had limitless potential to expand the guild. More than anything, she truly cared for it.

So Evo wanted Lobel, at least in this world, to be able to unleash her full ability.

That was why he made arrangements to help her do so.

Since their first meeting, Evo had accompanied Lobel under the pretext of cooperating with the Flor Guild.

From nearby Velican to the capital and various trade cities, he went everywhere with her.

As expected, things went according to plan.

[ …Brother Evo. Don’t you think we shouldn’t miss this chance? ]

Lobel had always had excellent instincts, but under the stage Evo had set for her, she shone brighter than anyone.

Her keen eye missed nothing that could turn a profit.

Though Evo didn’t show it, he couldn’t help but be impressed time and again.

Sometimes, he even wondered if she somehow possessed knowledge of market trends from another world.

Had it not been for the way she showed no reaction at all when meeting Edric Denkart, he might’ve been convinced of it.

After that, Lobel earned steady profits with every venture she touched as a merchant of the guild.

In time, her parents and the other Flor merchants began to see her as the next guild master.

If Lobel wished, she could have taken that position at any time.

[ I can’t do that. ]

Evo had been caught off guard when the time came and Lobel herself shook her head.

[ My parents are still healthy, and there’s Brother Robert… I don’t know if it’s right for me to step forward already. ]

The talk of her parents was almost an excuse.

It was customary among merchant guilds to appoint a successor once the children were near adulthood.

It seemed she was simply concerned about Robert, her only sibling.

Evo recalled Robert—needlessly kind, incompetent, yet always hardworking.

It was frustrating.

If only the man were a reckless fool, Evo could’ve found a reason to push him aside.

When Lobel hesitantly shared her thoughts, Evo hid his disappointment and nodded in agreement.

[ You’re right. I understand. ]

It was a lie.

Despite his words, Evo couldn’t relate to her at all.

He thought that aside from being born into merchant families, he and Lobel were completely different—down to the bone.

If it were him—or his own brothers—they would never yield a position. They’d fight to take it.

As he watched Lobel look both pleased and troubled at the guild’s growing recognition, Evo quickly changed his approach.

‘If I can’t convince Lobel, then… I’ll convince Robert instead.’

It wasn’t hard.

Having worked closely with the Flor Guild for some time, Evo had built a friendly relationship with Robert as well.

That allowed him to approach Robert under the guise of seeking advice.

[ Brother Robert. Could you help me think of a good idea? ]

[ Sure! Just tell me what’s going on. ]

Robert, full of enthusiasm, wanted to be helpful.

He had long respected Evo, who had often lent him quiet support.

Meeting his earnest gaze, Evo spoke with a deliberately troubled tone.

[ You’ve probably heard, but Elcatan’s been bringing in goods from the three northern trade points… The western guilds’ cooperation is needed, but it’s hard to break their stubbornness. They’re even raising the toll fees. Haah… ]

[ Oh, oh… That’s really… troublesome. ]

[ It’s a big loss for our guild… It’s such a shame. ]

[ Then—I’ll try to find a solution somehow! ]

As expected, things went exactly as Evo had planned.

Feigning hesitation, he added,

[ Really? I shouldn’t trouble you though… No, no, I can’t impose on you, Brother. ]

[ Impose? After all the help you’ve given us? Just wait and see. ]

Robert wasn’t the type to lie.

After that, he gathered the most reliable merchants he could find to think of a plan.

And when even that failed, he turned to his sister for advice—and found the answer.

[ We don’t need to act alone. Let’s make a formal request to Crown Prince Luis. He’ll see that toll collection is natural—and he might even open a new route. ]

Surrounded by merchants calling her reckless, Lobel had spoken boldly.

[ The goods from the three northern trade points have a massive impact on national interests. The Crown Prince should get involved. ]

That had been exactly what Evo thought, too.

From long ago, Evo had known Luis, the Crown Prince, as a man who deeply loved the empire—more than any emperor before him.

As expected, the prince granted their request, and both Elcatan and Flor remembered the two siblings’ names with gratitude.

Then, in front of high-ranking officials, Evo had publicly thanked Lobel as if she’d given him great assistance.

From that point on, Flor’s influence grew beyond Velican, becoming one of the most prominent guilds in the region.

Seeing Lobel’s boldness and potential, Robert fully gave up his claim to succession.

He himself persuaded Lobel, and after so many voices urged her, she finally nodded.

Everyone rejoiced at her appointment as Flor’s new guild master.

Of course, the happiest of all was Evo. Just remembering it made him smile, even now.

But the present—Lobel as guild master—was not entirely without complications.

‘…Hmm.’

As if he’d never smiled at all, Evo furrowed his brows and unfolded the letter carefully.

I’m sorry. I love you.
I’ll be home soon.

A faint, bitter smile tugged at Evo’s lips.

‘…Again, today.’

He’d expected it, but still felt a pang of disappointment.

At her inauguration, Lobel had declared her goal of becoming the most influential merchant master in all of Terua.

She had also vowed to become the representative of the Guild Union.

With dreams like that, it was only natural that she grew busier and busier.

Now, even though they were only in their second year of marriage—still newlyweds—they could barely meet once on weekends.

And even that was rare; sometimes, they only managed two days together in an entire month.

It was because the two guilds were quite far apart.

Though Evo had always supported Lobel’s success more than anyone, he couldn’t help but feel a little lonely.

‘Still… it’s been her long-time dream. I’ll have to endure it.’

For a merchant, expression was everything.

Evo quickly composed himself and smiled out of habit — a calm, trustworthy smile that made anyone feel at ease.

Noticing that, the guild’s deputy — who had been hesitant to speak since before giving him the letter — finally chimed in.

“Master Lobel of the Flor Guild must be busier now that she’s secured a new deal with Ness. But you must be very proud of her, sir.”

Evo nodded slightly and headed toward the warehouse.

The deputy followed close behind.

Then, as Evo walked forward, he faintly caught the sound of rustling fabric — the deputy, perhaps, checking his pocket watch.

Even from that small sound, Evo could tell the man’s behavior was a bit different today.

Right — it was around this time of year that the deputy’s wife’s birthday usually fell.

Without showing it, Evo glanced briefly around the warehouse upon arrival and then told the man he could leave.

The deputy must’ve really been in a hurry.

“May I? Thank you, sir.”

Normally, he would’ve refused once or twice out of courtesy, but today, he left immediately.

Even the echo of his footsteps down the corridor sounded unusually quick.

Evo blinked, watching the now-empty hallway in mild surprise, then turned back toward the warehouse.

He continued inspecting the place for a moment when—

‘…’

The corners of his mouth twitched upward slightly — just before someone suddenly rushed up from behind and hugged him tightly without warning.

“Ta-da! It’s me! …Eh? What, why aren’t you even a little surprised?”

When he turned around, Lobel’s face came into view — full of exaggerated indignation.

He had tried his best to look startled, but apparently, she’d seen right through it.

The moment their eyes met, Evo hurriedly spoke.

“I was plenty surprised.”

“…Do you think I’m that easy to fool?”

Lobel pouted, frowning slightly.

She seemed to be analyzing what went wrong, tightening her arms around his waist as she asked,

“You heard my footsteps, didn’t you?”

“No. I didn’t even hear you breathe.”

“Then did Lian tell you I was coming? No, that can’t be — he’s the most tight-lipped person I know…”

“I said I was surprised. And… thanks for coming.”

Smiling, Evo gently brushed a hand through Lobel’s short hair.

A familiar warmth spread through him.

Every time he saw her, he was reminded of how much the short style suited her.

In truth, Lobel had cut it not for looks, but for convenience — trimmed just below her ears to save time in the mornings.

When he kept looking, she laughed awkwardly.

“My mom still nags that it’s way too short… Do you think it looks weird too? Should I grow it out again?”

“Don’t. It’s perfect as it is.”

“Oh, come on. You sound just like a smooth-talking swindler.”

…Why do people keep calling me that, anyway?

Evo couldn’t help feeling slightly wronged.

Still, he was happy about this surprise reunion.

It seemed Lobel had prepared this visit as a small surprise — likely to make up for being late so often.

If that was the case, he wanted to head home early and enjoy some quiet time together.

Trying to keep his voice calm despite his excitement, Evo asked,

“Wasn’t that too much of a rush, though?”

But instead of her usual confident smile, Lobel looked a little sheepish.

Sure enough, after a brief pause, she spoke apologetically.

“Well, actually… I did push myself to come early, but… I brought a bit of work with me. Do you mind if I finish it here before we go home?”

“Sure.”

With that, Evo led the awkwardly smiling Lobel out of the warehouse.

As they walked through the corridor arm in arm, Lobel began recounting everything that had happened lately.

She seemed especially moved when she spoke about meeting the Crown Prince again — this time to personally commend her.

“Everyone in Velican looks at me differently now, you know?”

Naturally, Evo thought of the Crown Prince too.

Here, they had little interaction. But in the other world, the prince often sought him out.

Since ten years here equaled only a year there, Evo would always clear his schedule in this world when expecting one of those visits.

Their dealings weren’t bad — it was even useful sometimes to hear the prince’s thoughts on certain issues.

But unlike the prince, there was one man Evo despised even encountering.

He had done everything possible to avoid running into him.

And yet today, that man had been standing right outside his office.

Evo had instinctively stopped in his tracks, holding his breath.

As if sensing their presence, the man’s small, gaunt face turned toward them.

Their eyes met — dark green and brooding.

It was Edric Denkart.