Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

Edric had learned in Lord Azerton’s lessons that true love was as important as life itself.At the time, he’d brushed it off without much thought, but now, the idea deeply resonated with him.Because of Lobel.[ I would die without you, Young Master. ]

[ I mean it. If you breathe, I can breathe. You’re my only hope and lifeline, young master Edric. ]

Edric found himself confused.‘If I’m more precious to Lobel than life itself… does that mean Lobel loves me?’He thought about the Duchess’s bribe and Manellano’s gift. Lobel had been indifferent, almost cold, in response to such things.Yes, anyone would’ve been tempted by such lavish gifts, but Lobel had been consistently resolute.‘So… is that why he called me his lifeline and hope?’At some point, Edric realized he was assigning meaning to every little thing and discovering something new within himself.Before he knew it, the paper he was reading had been completely covered with a single word:LobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobelLobel… The word was engraved like a tattoo on the border between the back of his hand and his palm, where he had been holding the pen.Edric didn’t erase it. Instead, he stared at it quietly, lost in thought.‘……’Even to himself, it was clear that he was overly conscious of and constantly thinking about Lobel.Not even when he’d waited in a half-collapsed shack for his mother, who was out somewhere picking wildflowers, had he felt this way.It was becoming easier to understand why the retainers wanted to get rid of Lobel.After all, Edric was the one who had summoned the knights to the mansion before the retainers could make a move against Lobel.If they had tried to harm Lobel, or even shown the slightest intent to do so, Edric would’ve ensured they all stopped breathing right then and there.From the beginning, he had fully intended to abuse his authority as heir. If things didn’t go his way, he would’ve killed them all and disguised it as an accident.Even if it meant losing his position as heir, it didn’t matter. Nothing was more important than Lobel.For the first time, Edric found himself thinking that he and his father were similar—not in appearance, but in their ruthless and unfeeling nature.He was overcome with a strange sense of understanding.‘……’It was the first time he admitted to himself that sometimes, his father’s coldness and cruelty were necessary.Perhaps his father’s methods were rational. To protect what you wanted most…At that moment, his aide, Denian, entered with an update.“A royal invitation has arrived. It’s for the Terua Hunting Festival.”His tone lacked any sense of anticipation.Denian had witnessed Edric’s swordsmanship and archery skills firsthand, so he knew those weren’t the issue. The problem was Edric’s personality.Judging by his expression, Denian was certain Edric wouldn’t attend.Besides, Edric was already swamped with work for the trading company, and there was a mountain of tasks still waiting for him.Just as expected, Edric was about to refuse the invitation when Denian’s next words completely changed his mind.“This year, the winner of the hunting festival will be awarded the royal treasure: the Moon Dagger.” *****  “Ah… such joyful news for Edric…!”The Duchess of Denkart, moved to tears over Edric’s news as if it were her own, dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.“It’s a relief. Sending him to the capital was truly the right decision. It was the best thing we could have done.”The old butler, equally touched by her reaction, teared up as well.For someone who wasn’t even her own child, she cared for him this deeply…She even wrote to him daily, but refrained from sending the letters, worried it might burden him.Yes, our lady is such a good person, and yet rumors about her wanting to harm her own son in the capital? Utter nonsense.The butler enthusiastically shared Edric’s updates.His successful recital, the establishment of a trading company that satisfied the retainers, and even his recent decision to attend the hunting festival—a bold change.The Duchess, listening intently, couldn’t hide her worry.“A hunting festival… His body hasn’t fully healed yet…”“Madam, please don’t worry. Riding a horse for a short while should be fine. The physicians and even Sir Blivan have approved it.”“Still… No, this won’t do. I’ll send Andrea to him.”Andrea was a prized black stallion, carefully bred by the Duchess’s family before her marriage, and among the finest horses.The Duchess cherished the horse so much that even Denkart’s trainers handled it with extreme care.The butler hesitated to agree, but the Duchess commanded firmly in a stern voice.“Send Andrea without delay.”Unable to oppose her decision, the butler nodded.He thought it might be a brilliant idea—not only as a gesture of their close bond but also to silence those absurd rumors.After the deeply moved butler left, the Duchess’s expression turned cold.Rising from her seat, she threw her tear-stained handkerchief into the fireplace.“Yes, Edric. You’ve done well. Truly fitting for the heir of Denkart. Whatever you want, you shall have.”As the flames consumed the handkerchief, she whispered darkly:“But you, too, will have to lose something—just like I did.”  *****  Perhaps persuaded by the Grand Duke, the young master had decided to attend the hunting festival today.It didn’t seem like something he would enjoy, which made it surprising, but it was a wise decision in many ways.Not only could he showcase his rapid recovery since the recital, but it was also an excellent opportunity to connect with a variety of nobles gathered there.And for me, this would be my final task.Once the hunting festival concluded, I planned to slip away from the returning carriage and head home.Honestly, if I told the truth, the retainers’ spies might tail me, so this was the best course of action.‘…In the end, I won’t even get to properly say goodbye to anyone.’I thought I’d feel light and free of worry once my legs, which had nearly killed me twice, fully healed… but I didn’t feel happy at all.I didn’t even want to enjoy the moment.Instead, I felt as if a heavy stone had been placed on my chest, leaving me restless and uneasy.But I couldn’t dwell on these emotions forever. This was the path I’d chosen, and my family was waiting for me.So, I decided to do my best for the young master during the hunting festival since it would be my last chance. That seemed like the right thing to do.But…“You’re not joining me for this event, Lobel.”“……!”Traditionally, even royals could only have one attendant accompany them to the hunting grounds.And in this case, it was decided that Rimson would be by the young master’s side.Even though I could also ride and handle a horse, the young master was firm in excluding me.‘I never imagined I’d leave without being able to do anything for him… not even at the end.’The sudden, unannounced farewell left me feeling powerless.Even the carriage arrangement was different today. Instead of riding together as usual, I was assigned a separate one—probably to avoid the retainers’ watchful eyes and ears.Suppressing my disappointment, I busied myself inspecting the carriage multiple times to ensure everything was perfect.I also checked on Andrea, the horse sent by the Duchess. Fortunately, everything seemed fine, and there didn’t appear to be any major issues.That wasn’t all.A large number of knights had gathered for protection, appropriate for the hunting festival held in the vast eastern forest of the royal capital.Of course, tradition only allowed escort knights to accompany participants to the entrance, as the royal guards were stationed throughout the forest.Although I couldn’t personally attend to the young master, the presence of so much security offered me some comfort.‘…There he is.’I spotted the young master in the distance.Seated in a different carriage, he leaned his head against the window, eyes closed.His neat, handsome face showed signs of fatigue.It wasn’t surprising—messengers and letters had been coming and going even at dawn, leaving him little time to rest.By his side, I could see Rimson and Arif chatting with him.Although I couldn’t make out their conversation, their worried expressions were enough to guess that they were concerned about him—just like me.Arif was even holding herbs and leaves commonly used as energy restoratives.‘Yes… the young master doesn’t need me anymore.’This was the sight I had hoped for.And yet, I watched from afar with a strange mix of emotions.The young master, who once didn’t know how to walk or write, now had people by his side who were far more capable than me.I felt oddly bittersweet about it.I steadied myself and entered my carriage quietly… but something about it felt hollow.So, during a break on the way to the royal capital, I slipped into the young master’s carriage.I wanted to speak to him alone. By some coincidence—or perhaps fate—Rimson and Arif weren’t there.With a heavy heart, I mustered the courage to speak.“This is it… our last little moment together.”Hearing my voice, the young master opened his eyes and looked at me, as if I had just said something completely unexpected.I took a small sip of the prepared medicine, just enough to leave the bottle mostly full, and handed it to him.He stared at the bottle with a peculiar expression before turning his gaze to me. His eyes seemed to question why I had brought something he no longer needed.Smiling brightly to mask the sting in my chest, I explained:“Young master, let’s make a toast. This is our last dose of medicine together.”Though I tried to sound casual, my nose tingled as if tears might fall.To hold them back, I smiled even wider and added:“I drank some too, so take a little sip as a toast. You saw me drink it—it’s not poisoned.”“Have you been… taking care of yourself?”The young master, after staring at me intently, asked in a slow and cautious tone.It almost sounded hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure how to ask.I couldn’t understand at first—there were no medicines I needed to take regularly.“What medicine?”“…The one meant for the servants.”Ah, he must’ve been referring to that.Not long ago, the young master had arranged for the servants to receive herbal tonics and ointments to improve their health.Even though Denkart already provided generous benefits and rest periods for its servants, the young master had gone out of his way to add this.His kindness had deeply moved many of the servants, who initially thought of him as cold and aloof.But I hadn’t taken any of it.I already felt it was too much to have received the medicine and treatment he’d given me before.I couldn’t bring myself to accept it. Even if it was just liquid, the guilt would’ve made it hard to stomach.Especially after what happened that night with the retainers… it had weighed on my mind even more.