Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

“That rat! How dare he recklessly forge his identity and crawl into Denkart!!”Bang!Count Clant slammed the table, his face twisted in anger.The retainers gathered at the Denkart meeting—held without the Duke to discuss less critical matters—held their breaths.It wouldn’t have been surprising if Clant had stormed out immediately to handle the issue himself.“Let’s observe a little longer.”At that moment, a noble seated across from Count Clant spoke up.He was just as elderly as Clant and known for his exceptional wisdom.Though Clant typically respected his opinion, this time he was furious.“Are you suggesting we sit idly by while that wretch mocks Denkart?!”“The Duke himself is watching and hasn’t taken action. We should not intervene.”“……!”“You know better than anyone: the Duke is no fool.”The retainers nodded in agreement.Though Alexis might be indifferent toward his children, there was no way he would overlook a background check on a personal attendant.For all they knew, the Duke might have already investigated deeper than they ever could—and he was certainly capable of doing so.The elder noble stroked his white beard and murmured thoughtfully,

“It’s even possible… he’s watching this as a test. Perhaps as preparation for a future role, like an aide.”There was logic to his words, and even as Clant’s face remained taut with anger, he couldn’t argue further.The retainers were well aware that the boy’s literacy was impressive, but it wasn’t just that—he was remarkably clever, perhaps even more so than Edric himself.“Let’s move on to the next matter. The fact that the Duke entrusts us with such critical discussions is proof of his boundless trust in us, is it not?”“Hmph. A valid point. Very well, let us proceed.”The retainers gradually resumed their deliberations.The next topic was importance: the engagement of Edric Denkart***** Edric couldn’t forget Lobel’s birthday.More precisely, it was the wish Lobel made that lingered in his mind.Wishing for a world where no one suffers was something only someone who had truly endured pain could say.Though Lobel had said it with a playful smile, the sorrow in his eyes had been unmistakable.‘If that’s the case, where was Lobel hurt? Could there be some secret behind the wounds he’s still hiding under those bandages?’Lobel didn’t know it, but Edric had been silently worrying about those bandages for a while.The fact that Lobel still wore them seemed off, constantly nagging at his thoughts.“Young master.”Arif’s voice broke Edric’s reverie, and he lifted his head.The shadows on Edric’s face remained, prompting Arif to look at him with concern.Edric had been in this state ever since Lobel’s birthday.The once-restless young master, who used to act like he couldn’t go a single day without wielding a sword, had changed.Arif, observing him with a mix of worry and curiosity, lowered his practice sword.“Let’s call it a day for now.”“No.”Edric firmly refused and raised his sword toward Arif.“Let’s continue.”The heir of Denkart was becoming sharper and more relentless in his swordsmanship.Edric continued to press forward, his blade aiming precisely for Arif’s heart and neck.Yet, his mind was still in turmoil.“Is this about Lobel?”The tip of Edric’s sword faltered for just a moment, a clear sign that Arif had struck a nerve.Though Edric scowled as if to dismiss the question, he didn’t deny it. Slowly, his sword lowered.There was an honesty in his expression that, for a brief moment, made him seem like the child he truly was.Unintentionally, Arif added, “You can always get him a better birthday gift next year.”He recalled Lobel’s birthday vividly.Despite being the first to wish him well at dawn, Lobel hadn’t looked happy. Instead, he’d seemed melancholic.Perhaps, even if Edric had matured beyond his years, Lobel might have found his reaction a little underwhelming.But Edric bit his lip.“…That’s not the problem. I already gave him a birthday present.”In fact, Edric had secretly placed a nearly heirloom-level fountain pen, passed down through generations of Denkart, into Lobel’s drawer.Edric had noticed that, of all his belongings, Lobel seemed entranced whenever he caught sight of the pen. It was a safe bet that he’d love it.As expected, Lobel had been ecstatic when he discovered the pen in his drawer. He had looked like he could die of happiness, though he hesitated to accept it, knowing its worth.“I-I’ll just use it this once…” he had stammered, practically salivating as he tested the pen.Later, Edric had gone as far as using Count Clant to concoct a lie that “Denkart heirs don’t use pens that others have touched. It must be discarded.”Thus, the pen had finally found its way into Lobel’s possession.“Lobel was pleased,” Edric concluded, looking deeply satisfied with himself.Arif tilted his head in confusion. If that was the case, then what exactly was the problem?Edric, as if faced with an insurmountable issue, hesitated for a moment before asking quietly,“Arif. Lobel often… asks you for advice, doesn’t he?”It was true. Lobel shared many of the same lessons as Edric, albeit from the sidelines.From heir training to etiquette and academics, Lobel had absorbed a great deal. Lately, he had even been learning self-defense from Arif.While most of Lobel’s questions were about how to apply what he’d learned, Arif nodded in affirmation.Edric furrowed his brow, seemingly weighing something carefully, before asking,“Has Lobel ever…?”Edric trailed off, unable to finish the question about Lobel’s hidden injuries.‘…This isn’t right.’It wasn’t polite to pry into something the person clearly wanted to keep secret.Moreover, it would be foolish to ask Arif, someone loyal to the Duchess.‘…I’ll wait until Lobel tells me himself.’Having made up his mind, Edric raised his sword once more.“Let’s continue.”  ***** It was a peaceful afternoon.The young master had gone to Arif to learn swordsmanship, while I was resting in his room.He said I could freely read books even outside of study hours.So, as I was rereading a history book, Rimson suddenly spoke, leaning his arm on the sofa.“Lobel. Don’t be surprised and listen.”His voice was serious, and his face looked unusually grave.I quickly lowered the hand that was pulling up a blanket and pointed at his forehead.“My wrinkles aren’t the issue right now.”“Tilly isn’t really your type, is she?”Then Rimson pressed his fingers against the wrinkles on his forehead, as if trying to smooth them out.The way he did it—so swift and desperate—made me feel sorry for him.Although he had used my name a few times to get closer to Tilly, no real progress had been made.Still, it seemed he hadn’t given up.After repeating this a few times, he asked if he looked better now.There were still faint wrinkles like cracks on his forehead, but out of loyalty to him, I told him he looked fine.“So, what did you want me to hear?”At my question, Rimson gave me a pitying look.“They’ve decided on an engagement candidate… Her Highness the Princess.”“……?”“For the young master, I mean.”“Ahhh—so that’s it.”I nodded, having already heard the news from the aides.Rimson looked at me as if my calm reaction was odd.But honestly, I wasn’t just expecting the young master’s engagement—I was anticipating much more dramatic events to unfold.“…You already knew?”“It’s not strange for the heir of a noble family to get engaged. If anything, the young master is a bit late. It’s not uncommon for arranged marriages to be discussed even before birth.”Trying to move on casually, I suddenly felt thirsty.Right after finishing my sentence, I gulped down a glass of cold water.Rimson then looked visibly deflated, like a dejected bear.“In front of me… you don’t have to pretend to be okay.”“How did you know? I’ve been feeling like I might catch a cold lately.”I lightly asked as I put down the empty cup.“So, when is Her Highness the Princess coming?”“How would I know?”Rimson told me not to worry about the engagement, but it seemed like he was more preoccupied with it than I was.As I tried to turn my attention back to the book, I let out a small laugh.‘The imperial palace must be in chaos by now.’ ***** At the same time, in the Imperial Palace.“I don’t want Prince Denkart! I’m going to marry my brother Louis!”The treasured imperial princess of Terua, Delilah, had tears welling up in her eyes.The nanny and maids standing by her side couldn’t hide their troubled expressions.Rumors about the engagement between Prince Denkart and Princess Delilah had already spread far and wide.It was a union that satisfied both sides. If the marriage were to happen, the power of the imperial family and the Denkart family would become even more solidified.People believed that the emperor, who doted on his daughter, wanted to wait until the princess, who was only seven, grew older, and so no progress had been made yet.The emperor, knowing this, had not said a word on the matter. This silence was taken as implicit approval of the arrangement.However, the person directly involved, Princess Delilah, could not accept it.“Your Highness, please calm down. Prince Denkart is just as gallant and dashing as His Highness Prince Louis. His recovery from his injury was so complete that he recited poetry beautifully at the reading gathering—what an extraordinary man he is.”“On top of that, he’s as angelically handsome as he is noble. Could there possibly be a better match for Your Highness than such a fine gentleman?”“They say he looks just like Duke Denkart! And the duke is scary!”Since they were father and son, it was only natural they resembled each other.Perhaps, being so young, she found the duke’s cold and imposing beauty intimidating.The maids looked at her awkwardly but still tried to reason with her.“The duke is a man who conquered the battlefield, so it’s natural for him to have an air of authority.”“That’s right, that’s right.”“Moreover, he cherishes Your Highness deeply and has always followed your wishes, hasn’t he?”“No! The Duke… always ignores us!!”