Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

When Young Master returned to the mansion, I wanted him to rest in comfort.I wanted to repay him with my own strength.That’s why I devoted ten whole years to this underground chamber, filled with dust and the heavy scent of lamp oil.And in the end, it wasn’t in vain.Unlike in the original story, Young Master’s curse had been lifted much earlier.Thinking about that, the weight that had burdened me for so long felt just a little lighter.This was enough.Really, this should be enough.“You’ve worked hard.”A long-bearded old man approached, patting my shoulder as I stood, lost in thought.He was the most renowned archaeologist in Terua—and the same man who had endlessly nagged me to become his apprentice.He was also the one who gave me the hardest time… Ugh. I had planned to ditch him the moment this was over.But strangely, the warmth of his hand on my shoulder was comforting.I must’ve grown attached without realizing it.In response, I lightly tapped the back of his rough hand.“You worked hard too.”“Come now, let’s head up. You should join the celebration.”Even in that short conversation, the noise around us was deafening.Someone let out an unintelligible cheer and kicked open the door leading to the underground passage.Judging by the rich aroma of food wafting in, it seemed like a feast had already been prepared.The smell alone made my mouth water.After surviving on nothing but meager meals, hunger hit me fast.The others must have felt the same because they urged me to go up with them.But instead of immediately joining the crowd, I looked for a chance to slip away quietly.Noticing this, the sharp-eyed old man scowled.“On this historic day, the one who changed Denkart’s history can’t just disappear.”I let out a small, bitter laugh.None of the scholars knew the truth.They thought we had simply decoded the formulas for the ancient artifacts secretly stored in Denkart.No one had even imagined the curse—if they had, they never would’ve set foot here in the first place.Under normal circumstances, I would have joined in.But today, I only offered an apologetic smile.Sensing something, the old man stroked his long beard and asked gently:“Are you going to see your family?”“I will, but not yet. There’s still one last, most important thing left to do.”“Something important? What else is there? We’ve already identified all the materials needed to craft the artifact.”“That’s right, Lobel. The only thing left now is to eat and sleep as much as you want.”Before I knew it, people had gathered around me, chiming in one by one to convince me.It was clear—I wasn’t getting out of this easily.So, I pulled out my ace—an excuse I had prepared in advance.I had mentioned it a few times before, but everyone had been too busy to pay attention.But now, when I said it again, they all stared at me in shock.“So… that wasn’t a joke? You were serious?”“You’re telling us that’s the real reason you stayed here all these years?”“Yes.”At my firm reply, silence hung in the air.Then, as they continued to stare at me, one by one, they began nodding.“Hmmm… Logically, it doesn’t make sense, but… after watching Lobel spend ten years locked underground, deciphering stone tablets with sheer obsession… I suppose it does.”“Yes, if it were anyone else, I wouldn’t believe it. But if it’s Lobel, with that level of skill and determination… I can see it.”“I’ve lived nearly fifty years, but I’ve never seen someone this tenacious. Didn’t even stop for bathroom breaks—literally pissed themself to reach their goal!”“I DID NOT! That was a water bottle!”Still, I let the conversation wrap up with laughter.Completely unaware of the chaos this would later cause…  ****  It had been so long since I last wore my old servant’s uniform that my reflection in the mirror felt like someone else’s.‘It… looks so awkward.’I couldn’t even remember the last time I had stood in front of a mirror like this.I awkwardly touched my hair, which now fell just past my nape, then turned side to side to inspect the fit of the uniform.Since I had ordered it to be slightly oversized to avoid drawing attention to my physique, it wasn’t particularly flattering.Even Wayne, who rarely commented on things anymore, hesitantly suggested tailoring it to fit better.‘But there’s no other choice.’There was only so much I could do with bandages, and this was the best option.Besides, it wasn’t like I’d be wearing it for long.After polishing my shoes until they gleamed, I went to meet Wayne.Now a house steward, he had become increasingly tense as Young Master’s return grew closer.Since the duke had ordered that no grand banquet be held for Young Master’s homecoming, Wayne and I had been putting extra effort into decorating the mansion instead.“Wayne, use flowers from Young Master’s hometown.”Wayne didn’t seem thrilled about bringing nameless wildflowers into the distinguished Denkart estate.But the flowers Young Master would love most were the simple field blossoms his mother had cherished.After my persuasion, he finally nodded.Still, once we finished discussing preparations, he gave me a wary look and asked,“Are you really not going to change your mind?”“I’m not.”Wayne sighed, looking even more exhausted, but I ignored him and left the room.As I walked up to the floor where Young Master’s room was, I recalled how things played out in the original story.‘By now… Young Master should have returned to the capital because of the duchess’s schemes. He would be meeting the Crown Prince again, and their relationship would start progressing.’Maybe it was the power of the original plot, but events seemed to be unfolding almost exactly the same way.Regardless of his status, Young Master’s achievements made it inevitable for him and the Crown Prince to meet frequently and grow closer.Even with my interference, the main storyline remained largely unchanged.‘I guess… even if there are small differences, the ending is still the same.’After all, Young Master had inevitably crossed paths with Manelano, Ivo, and the Crown Prince, just like in the original.Which meant… what about the final rival love interest?Young Master was more than capable of handling things himself, but I couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy.“Lobel!”I had just reached for the doorknob when I turned to see two familiar faces approaching me with bright smiles.They were new servant trainees, both much taller and more broad-shouldered than me.They always seemed cheerful, grinning every time I saw them.This time was no different—they quickly closed the distance, beaming with excitement.“Lobel, guess what we did today? We reviewed Young Master’s official schedule and—”The moment they stood before me, they launched into an enthusiastic report of their daily tasks.It almost felt like they were giving me a formal briefing.Honestly, it was a little tiring to listen to.But it was still a lot better than how they used to be.Not too long ago, Wayne had arranged for a casual gathering between us.Back then, these two had been so stiff and nervous around me that I worried they wouldn’t last long.Turns out, they had mistaken me for some special priest of Denkart because I always wore a robe.And after witnessing me boldly argue with the duke, they assumed I held a high-ranking position and had been terrified of me.I had been speechless, but at least I no longer had to worry about them quitting out of fear.Now, I was actually quite pleased with them.Wayne had carefully handpicked them, and despite their clumsy appearance, they were quick learners and worked efficiently.‘They’ll be perfect to assist Rimson in serving Young Master when he returns.’I was lost in thought, looking around Young Master’s familiar room, when the two suddenly shut the door behind us.I blinked at them in confusion.They hesitated for a moment before leaning in as if sharing a top-secret piece of information.“Hey, Lobel.”Their voices dropped to a whisper.“You said you’ve served Young Master since before he came here, right? What’s he really like?”“We’ve heard a lot, but we figured you would know best.”Their eyes were filled with pure curiosity, the kind only young people had.Ah, so it was about Young Master.They probably hadn’t been able to ask me before because Wayne or other higher-ranked servants had always been around.“Well, of course. I was the closest one to him.”One of them hesitated before saying,“We heard that, back in the old mansion… he used to throw things every day…”“Oh. Yeah, that’s true.”I chuckled, my gaze drifting to the neatly arranged pillows and blankets on the bed.I could vividly remember the young boy pouting and throwing pillows in frustration.‘He was adorable back then.’I wondered if he was still just as cute now.If the original story was any indication, he probably still had some of that feisty, cat-like personality left.But while I was lost in nostalgic amusement, the two froze in horror.“W-Wait… Really? He threw things at you, too?”“Yeah. Back then, no one was an exception.”At my calm response, their faces turned even paler.Such scaredy-cats.I waved a hand dismissively.“Don’t worry about it. He stopped after a while. You know how people get when they’re sick and in pain, right? He was young and unwell, so of course he was irritable.”“Still… so those rumors were true…”“I told you—there was a reason for it.”I sighed, realizing they might misunderstand further if I didn’t explain properly.So I started listing things out on my fingers.“Young Master’s personality has changed a lot since then. He’s kind, fair, and just.”But they still looked unconvinced, so I continued,“You’ve heard about how he’s funding orphanages, right? And how he always makes sure the servants get proper medicine and actually listens to their concerns—”I stopped mid-sentence.A thought I had never seriously considered before suddenly hit me.‘Wait… now that I think about it…’I had sent countless letters over the years.But Young Master had never once sent a reply.Which meant…For ten whole years, he had completely ignored every single letter I sent.At the time, I never questioned it.I knew the harsh northern lands left no room for luxuries like letter-writing.But… that wasn’t the case anymore.‘So why…?’I suddenly felt flustered.It wasn’t like he couldn’t send a reply—he occasionally exchanged letters with the duke’s aide.Which meant… he had deliberately ignored my letters.…Right?‘No way. That can’t be it.’I shook my head firmly.It was ridiculous to doubt Young Master over something so trivial.He was the one who had confided in me about his identity, something even the Crown Prince never knew.There was no reason for me to feel hurt over a few ignored letters.Smiling again, I reassured them,“Anyway, he was always a good person. He wouldn’t have changed much.”Most importantly—I was certain of one thing:Young Master would never grow up to be a cold, heartless man like the duke.