Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

“…Ha.”Edric couldn’t deny that he had been overconfident.For the first time since coming here, he fell seriously ill.Even when he was exposed to a deadly poison that could kill a bull in three minutes, or when his shoulder was struck by an axe from a barbarian chief, he hadn’t felt like this.Now, he was trembling from extreme thirst that burned his throat and a fever that felt like it would split his head open.He had never heard of such a sickness.The symptoms were so bad he even took medicine. The doctor rubbed his eyes in disbelief when he saw Edric come in.But even after taking the medicine, nothing got better.In fact, the longer it went on, the more anxious he became.‘Lobel… Did you really trick your parents to make money… because of marriage?’Lobel’s hometown was a trade city, full of foreign exchanges. She had started working in trade early on, so falling in love wasn’t impossible.And… if it was Lobel, who rejected Manellano Stell’s great offer and even risked her life for her master, it wasn’t strange to think she went back to meet someone from ten years ago.He could even guess why she hadn’t used the money the duchess gave her.Because it wasn’t money earned honestly… A righteous person like Lobel definitely wouldn’t have accepted it.Of course, there were still things that didn’t add up.But from what he had found out, it was clear Lobel really wanted to become a citizen. And she didn’t seem to want Edric to know.Lobel, who used to report every little thing that happened in the mansion, had left with a strange excuse. And seeing that she stayed silent until he left, it was obvious.It even seemed like Lobel planned to cut ties with him forever.‘…Are you really leaving me?’For Edric, the idea that Lobel would still be there when he returned was as certain as the sun rising tomorrow.But that absolute belief shattered in an instant.It felt like something deep inside him, something that had kept him strong for so long, was crumbling. Edric didn’t even realize such a thing was there.A week passed, feeling longer than ten years—a hellish week.Then, around that time, Rimson arrived in Denkart with news.[ Received the message sent earlier. But don’t worry! ]

Edric started feeling uneasy from the first line.Knowing their track record, Rimson and Tracy were equally clueless idiots.And sadly, his bad feeling was spot on.[ Lobel is just trying to play hard to get… ]No matter how much Rimson tried to sugarcoat it, the fact that Lobel was leaving didn’t change.Edric bit his lip nervously as he read, and by the time he finished, the letter was crumpled beyond recognition.By now, even his subordinates watching from the side couldn’t hide their worry.Especially Tracy, who first delivered the telegram, felt a strange mix of guilt and fear as his master grew more haggard day by day.But Tracy, clueless as he was, was surprisingly quick to act.Picking up the crumpled letter from the floor, Tracy quietly asked,“Shall I call Sir Zion?”He claimed he knew women’s hearts better than anyone in Terua.In fact, there was always a pile of letters in front of his tent. Almost half the letters that came regularly were for him.And every letter was so heavily scented with perfume that it gave off a horrible mixed-flower smell.Edric, with his sharp sense of smell, always found it annoying.But he never pointed it out, knowing how tough it was for most knights to survive here.Still, looking at it objectively, Zion was nothing but a pathetic flirt. It was strange that so many noble ladies were desperately waiting for someone like him.However, Edric, whose judgment had been shaken by continuous shocks, wavered today because of that pathetic guy.If Zion had won over so many women’s hearts… maybe he could offer some clue about Lobel.“You idiot. With so many men around, why call another guy? When it comes to men’s business, who knows better than us—”“Bring him.”Edric had never treated Zion like a proper person before, and he never thought he’d call for him now.But Edric was desperate enough that none of that mattered anymore.“So… that rumor was true…?”“See? There’s no way our master would play the woman’s role.”Edric ignored all the ridiculous gossip from the knights. That wasn’t important right now.When Zion finally arrived, he had a pretty face for a man.But even his good looks and knightly build didn’t compare to Edric.Since childhood, Edric had never seen anyone prettier than Lobel, and that didn’t change as he grew older.Plus, his body, hardened from real battles, wasn’t just healthy—it was strong. He had inherited the duke’s blood, making him the tallest here.Even Zion, who had always been proud of his looks, flinched when he felt this. His shoulders slumped in complete defeat.But those drooped shoulders quickly straightened like a proud peacock when Edric asked his question.“They say you know women’s hearts well.”Zion smiled inside like a winner. So, the rumors were true.Yeah, the world isn’t just about rank and looks.Since his master had been on the battlefield since childhood, he clearly needed Zion’s advice on relationships. It was all about real adult experience.Zion spoke smoothly, as if he had never felt intimidated.“That’s right. If a woman catches my eye, all I need is to meet her gaze, and once we talk, we kiss, and if I hold her hand, that very day we’ll— Eek!”Thud!Suddenly, a blue sword struck the ground. The blade sank halfway into the earth, and the subordinates gasped in shock.…How could a sword pierce this deep into a mithril ground?This wasn’t sand or dirt—it was a special mithril material used to make armor.Even with sword energy, it was nearly impossible to stab this deep.Meanwhile, Zion, who had the terrifying experience of a sword landing right in front of his boots, fell back onto the ground.It looked funny, but no one laughed. Zion was shameless enough to handle that much, but anyone else might’ve wet themselves.Edric, who sat back down like he never even drew his sword, crossed his long legs and ordered coldly,“Stop talking nonsense and tell me what to do.”And so began Zion’s life-risking lecture.Until Edric checked the duke’s letter and headed to the imperial city.  ****  During that time, Brother Rimson told me things I didn’t know.He said the young master had been poisoned several times in the North, and the toxins were still in his body.I couldn’t help but worry.[ So… even incense that’s totally fine for normal people could cause serious side effects for the young master… ]Brother Rimson looked really worried too.He couldn’t even meet my eyes and just mumbled while staring at the ground.His voice sounded like it was dragging across the floor, and I couldn’t hide my concern either.[ At this rate, he shouldn’t be going to the capital but resting at the mansion. Brother, this isn’t the time for this. I’ll just report it to the Duke myself. ]Honestly, we needed to skip the grand welcome ceremony or whatever and focus on his recovery at the mansion.If the Emperor heard about the young master’s condition, he’d probably understand.If things were as bad as Brother Rimson said, it would be obvious to others too, and the Emperor, who wanted to be seen as a kind ruler, would pretend to be generous and cancel the event.But when I firmly suggested that, Brother Rimson suddenly waved his hands, looking super flustered.[ Hey, what do you mean report? I’m telling you, the young master’s mostly fine! Oh, right. The Duke was worried too, so he asked to prepare by applying antidote to the walls and built-in furniture. ][ Apply antidote? ][ Yeah, he got some special stuff. They said it only works if it’s applied in advance. ]He also said he already made an excuse to the royal family, saying he needed to check the welcome areas.It made sense, considering not just the royal family but many nobles were targeting the young master.With all the fame he had earned, he also gained the jealousy of the nobles. Just like in the North, there were plenty of dangers here too.‘But why would he give such an important job to Brother Rimson?’I was confused, but I understood after hearing what he said next.Turns out, he was also affected by the poison, just like the young master.So, he said he needed to go himself to check things properly.[ But… you know I’m not exactly careful, right? ]I nodded hard before he even finished.I’d been sharing the servant’s room with him for a long time—I knew him well.Brother Rimson always left his stuff lying around, lost things often, and wasn’t good at cleaning.[ If you come help me, it’ll be more thorough. Can you… do that? ]I wanted to help the young master in any way I could.So, of course, I agreed to Brother Rimson’s request, and that’s how I ended up coming all the way to the capital with him.Of course, I felt uneasy leaving the mansion right before the young master returned, but I figured I’d fix things while I was there.But once we arrived at the capital, a problem came up.