Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

I blinked in confusion while looking out of the carriage.‘That’s strange. Why are there so many carriages today?’It was hard to even get close to the main gate.There were tons of carriages waiting to be checked at the gates of the imperial palace. It looked like the hunting festivals from the past.‘No, there are even more carriages than back then.’Most of them were noble families’ carriages, showing off their flashy crests.Because the carriages ahead were packed tightly, ours couldn’t enter the palace for a while.‘But today isn’t even a special day for the Empire…’I was about to ask Brother Rimson, who was riding with me in the carriage.But that wasn’t possible. He had already fallen asleep.It was so different from how he’d packed like a soldier going to war at dawn and got on the carriage with a serious face.I thought about waking him up but decided to leave him be. He probably hadn’t had a chance to rest properly all this time.I sighed, covering him with my blanket as he mumbled in his sleep.This was driving me crazy.‘The young master is coming back tomorrow, and here I am stuck like this…’Even if I couldn’t get back today, I promised myself I’d return to the mansion by dawn tomorrow at the latest.But maybe because the long-awaited reunion was so close, thoughts of the young master kept filling my head.‘I wonder how much he’s grown.’From childhood to adulthood, he must’ve changed a lot inside and out, and I couldn’t imagine it.Well, even if he’d trained in martial arts and swordsmanship, he was a mage, so his looks probably hadn’t changed much.Just like in the novels, I pictured him as a delicate-looking, sharp-tempered, slim, handsome young man.And since he was naturally kind and upright, I was sure he had grown up well inside too.No matter how he had changed, he would still be the young master I cherished.‘I hope tomorrow comes quickly.’As I tried to calm my excitement, the carriage finally arrived.I shook Brother Rimson, who was drooling in his sleep, and got off the carriage.But once we entered the palace, I noticed something even stranger.‘…What? Why are those banners already up?’For some reason, banners representing the royal family and Denkart were hanging side by side everywhere.It was odd.Sure, the young master’s achievements had brought prosperity to Denkart and raised the royal family’s prestige, but this was too much.If it were the day of the welcome ceremony, maybe—but having this atmosphere already felt suspicious.That strange feeling only grew stronger as we walked through the palace halls. The number of nobles passing by and their outfits were clearly unusual.Especially the young ladies—they weren’t wearing their usual dresses but ones decorated like they were attending a grand ball.The pink flower petals scattered on the floor were also a symbol of welcoming a hero who conquered battlefields or a loyal subject who achieved great merit.By this point… I couldn’t help but be sure.I poked Brother Rimson in the side as he followed a royal servant.“!”He flinched at even that small gesture.Like someone who’d done something wrong to me.That confirmed my suspicion.Holding back my rising anger, I whispered quietly so only Brother Rimson could hear.“Tell me the truth now. What’s going on here?”“Well… sigh, I’m sorry, Lobel.”Even as he apologized, he couldn’t meet my eyes.I was dumbfounded.Seriously, if you’re going to hide something, hide it properly. Why would you hide the young master’s welcome ceremony?!‘Do other people know about this? What on earth is going on…!!’I had so many things I wanted to yell at him, but I bit my lip to hold back.From the moment we stepped out of the Denkart carriage, many eyes had been watching us.If I caused a scene, it might hurt the young master’s reputation.That thought helped me regain some composure, and I asked Brother Rimson calmly.“So, did the young master’s return get moved up, and he’s coming straight here?”“Uh… probably?”Probably? Is that even an answer??I couldn’t help but sigh at his careless response.If we skipped an official event like this and insulted the Emperor, it would be a disaster.Knowing how much the Emperor cared about appearances, he would definitely retaliate against the young master later.But thinking more calmly, there’s no way the Duke wouldn’t know about this.It definitely wasn’t something Brother Rimson messed up on his own. After all, the Duke had prepared the antidote from the start.‘The Duke must have some hidden reason for this.’I didn’t know why he’d take such a reckless risk… but he wasn’t the type to make mistakes.Trusting that, I pushed down my anxiety and kept walking until we arrived at the grand banquet hall.The hall was dazzlingly decorated, fitting for the reunion of the main figures after so many years.It looked like they had gathered all the most luxurious and precious things in the world.Of course, that didn’t make me feel even a little grateful to the Emperor.I just felt more resentment toward him for not letting the young master rest properly after all his hardships.The only small relief was that the Emperor and the Crown Prince had completely different personalities.‘If things go like the original story, he’ll step down from the throne soon… Hurry up and step down already.’Clinging to that certain future for comfort, I quietly stood by the wall. Even with things like this, I still had to do my job properly.I took out my glasses and began scanning the nobles one by one.I needed to carefully watch for anyone suspicious or anyone who might be a threat to the young master.With eleven years of experience as a servant in a great noble house, I was starting to recognize some familiar faces. There were nobles I’d seen before and many of Denkart’s retainers too.But there were some unexpected faces.Manellano and Evo.‘…Those two are here too?’Even though they were surrounded by nobles, their tall height and good looks made them stand out the most.Both of them were the type to be incredibly busy.Especially Evo.He had taken over as the head of the Hornet Trading Company much earlier than in the original story and was insanely busy processing the resources sent by Denkart and the young master.‘Even in the middle of all that, Evo has been helping me out because of our past connection…’At that moment, maybe feeling my gaze, Evo turned his head toward me. As soon as he saw me, a bright smile of recognition appeared on his face.But it only lasted for a moment.Evo, who had quickly composed himself as if he’d never been shaken, smoothly resumed his conversation with the surrounding nobles. He really was impressive.When the banquet hall was nearly full, the Emperor and the Crown Prince entered the hall. It seemed like all the important figures had arrived. No suspicious people either.I had just about finished scanning the room when my vision blurred.‘Ah… my eyes really hurt.’I took off my glasses for a moment and rubbed my eyes.Since I had been working underground for so long, being out in the daylight made my eyes blur and ache.But suddenly, the once noisy banquet hall became as silent as a grave.Even the musicians, who had been playing non-stop, seemed to have dropped their instruments—no sound at all.Feeling something was off, I lifted my head.Everyone except me was staring in the same direction.I followed their gaze, and there was a man walking in with his back to the entrance.I found myself gaping.“Ah…”It was the young master.And at the same time, soft sighs of admiration spread among the young ladies nearby. But their sighs were different from mine, which were out of relief and joy.There had been all sorts of nasty rumors circulating among the nobles, despite the young master’s achievements.Some said he had delayed his return because of severe injuries that would make people frown just looking at him, or that his skin was rotting from exposure to contaminated soil.But today, the young master himself proved all those rumors wrong.Even from afar, his skin glowed brightly, and his cheeks seemed to have a soft rosy tint.The eyebrows beneath his slightly brushed-back golden hair were elegantly refined, and his green eyes were as vivid as the height of summer.Even among the heavily adorned nobles, no one stood out more than him, fresh from the battlefield.“L-Lord Edric Denkart has arrived.”Every step he took drew the eyes of the crowd.That kind of attention would make most people uncomfortable, but a relaxed smile played on the young master’s lips.I stared at him in a daze and couldn’t help but whisper my frustration to Brother Rimson beside me.“Why… why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you say anything? Look at our young master… he grew up so well…”But Brother Rimson had gone pale and kept muttering how strange and scary this was, like he was talking in his sleep.But honestly, the important thing was the young master, so I ignored him.The young master soon knelt on one knee at the foot of the high steps where the Emperor sat.An audience with the Emperor…Even if he had found clues to break the curse, it hadn’t been solved yet, so this moment had to be tense.“May the goddess’s blessing be with you. Edric Denkart. I have returned after fulfilling Terua’s noble command.”But even though he knew that, the young master showed no tension. He calmly placed one hand on his shoulder and bowed with perfect etiquette.It was flawless enough to make the nobles, who had whispered that he must’ve forgotten basic manners after swinging a sword among barbarians, blush with embarrassment.The only person who didn’t look impressed or in awe of the scene was the Crown Prince, who was just as much the focus of this gathering as the young master.He gave a bright smile and whispered something to the Emperor.Then the Emperor, who had been staring at the young master with wide eyes, finally spoke.“Lord Denkart, you have finally returned. I am glad to see you back safely. Over the years, I have worried more for you than even the Crown Prince.”The Emperor threw out some hollow words and compliments about the young master’s achievements, then wrapped up his speech by telling him to enjoy the banquet.After that, he whispered something else to the Crown Prince. Judging by their expressions, it didn’t seem like bad news.Plus, whether in the original story or now, the Crown Prince wasn’t the type to act viciously. He also didn’t seem to know anything about the curse.I hoped the Crown Prince was telling the Emperor to stop bothering our young master.Soon, the young master stood up, and Brother Rimson and I made our way toward him.I never expected we’d reunite a whole day earlier without any warning… but the overwhelming sense of relief washed away all the frustration I’d felt earlier.I was so happy my chest felt tight. I wanted to greet him right away. I wanted to see him up close.But that wish didn’t come true. The Crown Prince stepped in front of the young master just before we could reach him.It seemed the young master didn’t notice us behind him because he was only looking at the Crown Prince.And the Crown Prince did the same.“It’s been a while, my lord.”