Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

For a moment, the atmosphere turned icy.A servant asking their master whether they were beautiful—especially when the master was far more stunning than any lady—was a bold question.However, Lobel continued speaking nonchalantly.“By the way, do you know? You’re much prettier than me… Being so close to you, I feel so nervous I can hardly breathe. Can we take a break and start again?”

When Lobel was whined, Rimson, who was watching half -sleeping around the wall all the time, covered his mouth.

Ugh…

His gesture, as if about to vomit, was anything but refined. Mrs. Sylviet immediately dismissed him from the room.But Edric, unlike anyone else, gazed at Lobel with warm, tender eyes.Everyone in the room could predict what he would say next, even if he didn’t voice it.‘Did the young master always have this kind of expression?’It was the kind of face that seemed willing to grant any wish.Mrs. Sylviet was somewhat surprised.Even the crown prince, known for his unwavering affection for his only sister, the princess, had never worn such an expression.“Alright, let’s do that,” Edric said, readily picking up a glass of water from the prepared snacks and offering it to Lobel himself.Though it was an unusual gesture of kindness for a servant, Mrs. Sylviet quietly observed without comment.In noble society, it wasn’t unheard of for people to personally offer drinks to each other as a gesture of camaraderie.“Here, you should drink too, young lord.”The next scene left Mrs. Sylviet doubting her own eyes.‘Lobel… Why are you giving young master the water you drank from?’

Even after that, it was even more amazing.

Edric, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, drank the remaining half of the water.As Sylviet hesitated between pointing it out or pretending not to notice, Edric, now visibly more relaxed, invited Lobel to dance again.The rest seemed to have done them good; the dance improved compared to before.Holding Lobel’s hand with one and placing the other on his waist, Edric spun gracefully.Whenever Lobel’s foot slipped, Edric, with astonishing speed and reflexes befitting the heir of Denkart, caught and steadied him.Yet Mrs. Sylviet couldn’t shake off a peculiar sense of unease as she continued to watch them.‘Why… are they so comfortable with this?’Even in a master-servant relationship, such close physical proximity between two men should feel awkward. Yet, their gazes toward one another held no such discomfort.Unable to rid herself of the strange feeling, Sylviet decided to bring the session to an end.“That will be all. Excellent work. You did wonderfully.”“Yes. Lobel is good at everything.”Edric seemed unusually cheerful, prompting Sylviet to quickly echo his sentiment.“Indeed. Very fitting for a servant of Denkart.”But unexpectedly, Edric’s response

was unexpectedly long.

“

Of course. My servant, through and through. He’s better at writing and interpreting ancient texts than I am. Did you see earlier? When I almost stepped on his foot, he shifted his shoe to cover my mistake.”‘…The young lord isn’t usually this talkative, is he?’Though puzzled, Mrs. Sylviet listened quietly as Edric, like someone who had been holding back,

continued to boast Lobel.

The voice is getting higher and the two cheeks are more beautiful.

The emotions were revealed.

It was the most innocent and childlike expression Mrs. Sylviet had ever seen among the noble youth of society.“Lobel truly can’t be beaten at anything.”

Edric said in a great voice.

It was completely different from Denkart’s

grand halls or noble dignity.At some point, Edric fell silent and directed his gaze toward the door.There stood Lobel, having changed back into his usual attire, scratching his head awkwardly.“I’m back. My hair looks… strange, doesn’t it?”Rather than the compliments he had received, Lobel seemed more concerned about his hat-flattened hair.But Edric looked at the messy hair with warm, affectionate eyes.Mrs. Sylviet once again felt that peculiar discomfort… but recalling the close bond between the crown prince and his younger sister, she found herself accepting it.‘Since he brought along a peer from his hometown, it’s natural they’d share a sibling-like closeness.’In any case, Mrs. Sylviet had also achieved her objective, so it had been a satisfying day.Leaving the two engrossed in conversation, Mrs. Sylviet quietly exited the room.The young master’s smiling face was still visible even as the door closed completely.But perhaps it all started from that day.The young master, who had always stuck to his bangs, began sweeping his hair back from his forehead. *****  Though it was a short time, the two aides who had been evaluating Evo recognized his potential.They proposed raising him under the guidance of the Denkart Merchant Guild’s deputy leader.Initially, there were concerns that this might negatively impact his future, but those worries were unfounded. Evo was someone who could thrive on his own strength.‘Well, in the original story, Evo was practically a touch personified. Aside from his love for the young master, he never had a single failed deal.’Even that couldn’t truly be called a failure. In the story, he voluntarily withdrew from the competition for the young master.Evo’s calculative nature, evident in the original, led him to stop midway through the rivalry for the young master. He had judged that the risks outweighed the benefits.It was a logical calculation befitting a merchant guild leader—antagonizing the crown prince and the empire’s leading nobles would be disastrous.Regardless, the aides, impressed by the efforts of Evo—whom they had initially dismissed as a mere common boy—praised the young master’s keen insight in selecting him.Meanwhile, I was extremely busy. I persistently engaged Ivo in conversation.At the same time, even though I had failed to align myself directly with the merchant guild leader’s inner circle, I aimed to enjoy some of the benefits that trickled down.Thanks to my efforts, I eventually became close to Evo.

“Brother Evo,

what do you think about trading glass crafts with the Venes Empire?”It was a languid noon. The young master had gone off to train with Arif and Rimson.I, meanwhile, had been reading a book while Evo, seated nearby, sorted through parchment assigned by the aides. I casually posed the question.It was a category our merchant guild had shown interest in. Evo readily responded.“Though it’s practically barren land, if well-developed, it has potential. The Venes nobles’ wealth is greater than commonly known, and they also value craftsmanship highly, paying premium prices for it… I heard about this in the capital.”At the last remark, Evo’s expression turned visibly uncomfortable.That he “heard it in the capital” was undoubtedly a lie. His insight was likely based on predictions derived from the contents of his ledger.As someone who lies daily about being male, I deeply empathized with that discomfort.Pretending not to notice, I nodded vigorously. “I see.”At my reaction, Evo gave a faint, ambiguous smile and continued.“However, with high profits comes high risks. Scammers targeting pioneers in the market are common…”“Well-informed, aren’t you?”A familiar, mocking voice interrupted. Turning my head, I saw

Manellano

leaning against the doorframe.After a brief hiatus during the academy’s exam period, it seemed he was back.‘He’s relentless.’But today, his interest didn’t seem to lie with the young master; it was on Evo.With sharp eyes,

Manellano

scanned Evo from head to toe.His expression seemed to question, ‘Who is this unfamiliar face? Which family could he be from?’It made sense. Being alone with the heir’s personal servant in a guest room didn’t make it easy to guess someone’s identity.Besides, Evo’s face exuded a noble elegance befitting a story’s protagonist. Lately, with proper meals and rest, his complexion had improved, and he appeared even more radiant.Guessing his identity right away wasn’t easy. He wasn’t dressed as a workers, either.The two of them observed each other with smiles… But perhaps instinctively sensing their future rivalry, the atmosphere wasn’t pleasant.‘A meeting between two secondary male leads… It’s quite the fateful moment. Should I have them formally introduced?’In the original story,

Manellano’s

Count Stell family had connections with Evo’s merchant guild.After some thought, I gestured toward Ivo with both hands and introduced him.“I’m Evo.”

“A commoner?”

There was arrogance in the tone, enough to make me feel sorry for Evo.

But Evo seemed entirely unaffected.And

Manellano

didn’t seem to care anymore, either. He completely ignored Evo, as if he didn’t exist. Perfect indifference.What a personality…Honestly, I wanted to remind him that he wasn’t the main lead either, just another secondary character like Evo.“Bring it,”

Manellano

commanded. His servant, waiting outside the door, entered promptly.The servant respectfully handed me a velvet-lined metal box with both hands.“Open it.”

Manellano

gestured at the box with a smug grin. Even the velvet case looked like a luxury item one might never get to touch in a lifetime.As usual,

Manellano

was personally delivering items he had previously sent as bribes.He prided himself on the “courtesy” of bringing them himself, citing that I never visited his estate.

It was a pocket watch with a tight diamond or a luxurious glove.

At first, I tried refusing, but his demeanor made it clear that rejecting him would only make things worse. I had no choice but to accept.Trying to stay optimistic, I wondered what it might be this time as I opened the box.Inside was a pair of glasses.…Glasses? I don’t even wear them.‘Is this some kind of elaborate way to mock me into needing glasses?’As I stared at them in bewilderment.

Looking at it, Manellano frowned.

“What are you misunderstanding? These don’t have prescription lenses. The frames themselves have built-in functions.”