Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

I never realized my personality was this complicated.Even after living through multiple lifetimes, people always worried that I was too simple-minded.If I sat still, I felt like I’d sink further into my thoughts.So I kept moving.Walking in circles around this unnecessarily large room was part of that effort.My assigned priest, however, hated it.“I told you yesterday—you shouldn’t be overexerting yourself right now.”“I was trying to rest, but sitting still just makes me feel stiffer…”His sharp gaze turned even sharper.To change the subject, I asked, “By the way, how’s the hunting festival going?”“It has already concluded.”“Oh… It’s over already?”That explained why Princess Delilah hadn’t visited today.By tradition, all members of the imperial family had to attend the closing ceremony.But what about Young Master?Until now, I had assumed he was too busy with family matters to visit me.But surely, he wouldn’t have skipped the festival, would he?“Did the Denkart heir attend as well?”“Of course.”“..…?”“He was this year’s winner. He received the Moon Dagger.”So… Young Master really did catch the silver deer?!He had left, and barely any time later, Andrea had fallen ill.How had he managed to capture the silver deer in such a short time? It didn’t seem possible.But the priest, ever stoic, showed no hint of humor.“If you have no other questions, I will take my leave.”“O-Oh, yes. Thank you.”“Then I shall go.”With his usual dry tone, the priest exited the room.Through the open door, I caught a glimpse of Sir Blivan.He was here again today. Watching me.Or rather, guarding me.“Um, Sir Blivan.”I had exchanged brief greetings with him each morning, but this was the first time I initiated conversation.He turned his head slightly, waiting for me to speak.“When will I… be able to see Young Master?”“The closing ceremony has just ended.”The temple was silent, but Blivan spoke as if he could sense something.“Then… can I wait for him by the entrance?”“……”“I’ll stay out of sight.”My plan had only ever been to stay until the hunting festival ended.I needed to confirm the situation before deciding my next move.Young Master had arranged for me to stay in the temple, but I didn’t know for how long.If he returned home first, I planned to slip away and return to my hometown.A carriage fare wouldn’t cost more than a button or two.Blivan hesitated for a moment before nodding.As I wandered toward the corridor leading from the temple to the capital, I took in my surroundings.I hadn’t expected to end up in the temple.Honestly, I disliked temples.The first time I lived, I didn’t think much of them.But in every life after, my parents had been swindled by fraudulent priests, losing vast sums of money.Especially my mother.Because of my rare illness, she practically lived in the temple, praying at dawn, offering donations.All of it had been useless.I had shouted at her so many times, but even on the day I died, she had gone to the temple for morning prayer.Suppressing the bitterness, I continued scanning my surroundings—And then, I saw someone.A figure in a robe, their platinum-blond hair catching the light.…Wait.At first, I thought I was mistaken.Platinum blond was the hallmark of the Terua imperial bloodline.And all imperial family members had to attend the closing ceremony.So then… who was that?Even from a distance, the person was tall and well-built.But compared to the Grand Duke, they were noticeably leaner.I wasn’t the only one who noticed.Blivan, who had been following me, suddenly stopped walking.His eyes widened.Then, the figure spoke.“Enough.”Shockingly, Blivan—who followed only Denkart’s orders—froze in place, his attempt to show respect halting mid-motion.I glanced between Blivan and the robed figure, my mind racing through possibilities.There was only one bloodline in Terua that held more authority than Denkart.The emperor was still presiding over the festival’s conclusion.The Grand Duke had long since returned to his territory.…That left only one person.One of the main characters of this world.Crown Prince Louis Terua.“I don’t believe we’ve met before.”The moment he spoke, I felt it—The unchanging law of the original story.Just as written, his voice was smooth yet unwavering.Firm, yet composed.The same could be said for his gaze.Beneath the hood of his robe, his eyes were as clear as a lake—calm, yet deeply knowing.As if assessing me, he slowly ran a hand along the curve of his jaw.That was when I snapped out of my daze.I quickly moved to present myself properly.For Young Master’s future, it was crucial to leave the best possible impression on his future partner, the Crown Prince.“May the goddess’s blessing be upon you. I am Lobel, attendant to the Denkart heir.”“I assumed you were connected to him.”…How did he know?He must have read my expression because he shrugged.“Blivan despises this place, yet here he is, keeping watch.”“You dislike the temple?” I turned to Blivan.“….”He didn’t answer.But his raised brow told me it wasn’t a topic he was particularly fond of.The Crown Prince chuckled.Unlike Manellano’s mocking smirk or Young Master’s cold, wary smile—His was neither.Would there be anyone in the world who felt bad after seeing that smile?Probably not.More than that… I never thought I’d live to see the day when I met the future emperor.I stared at him in awe before blurting out, “Your Highness! I deeply respect you!”Even in my excitement, I kept my voice as low as possible.But my sincerity was obvious, even to my own ears.Louis tilted his head slightly.“…You do? Why?”“Because you’re called the Guardian of Terua! You strengthened the borders while still choosing peace over war—”This wasn’t just something I had learned from Count Clant’s lessons.I had known it long before then.As I rattled off everything I knew, his eyes gleamed with interest.And when I finished, he smiled again.It was the kind of smile that felt illuminating.“A bold and intelligent servant, just like your master.”I was taken aback.He spoke as if he knew Young Master personally.…But that didn’t make sense.The two of them had never met before.Had they?I shifted uncomfortably, but Louis simply glanced toward the doorway.“I had hoped to greet the Denkart heir in person, but I’ll have to pass on that for now. I only stopped by for holy water—I need to return to the Holy Empire soon.”“O-Oh, I see. I’m sure Young Master would be disappointed to miss you.”“…I doubt that.”His tone was oddly firm, as if the idea was ridiculous.His expression, too, seemed almost… offended.“Lobel, was it? No need for formalities with me. This much is already excessive… any more, and I’ll grow bored.”“…….”“Take care of yourself. May the same miracle that follows your master be with you as well.”With one last smile, Crown Prince Louis turned and left.I watched his retreating figure, dazed.It felt like I had just met a beautiful ghost.Or rather…Had he and Young Master met before without my knowledge?I couldn’t bring myself to move. *****  A few days ago.When Lobelia’s letter arrived, Rober finally let out a sigh of relief.“Ah, thank the gods…”“Gods, thank you. Truly, truly, thank you. I will never forget this grace, even after death.”His parents, who had never been religious before Lobelia disappeared, called upon the gods multiple times.His mother, who had recently been attending dawn prayers every day, began going even more diligently.Even just seeing the red eagle emblem of the capital’s postal service on the envelope sent the entire trade caravan into a frenzy.“See? I told you! My eyes weren’t playing tricks on me! That day, I definitely saw Lobelia with my own two eyes!”“Is that really what’s important right now?”“Come on, everyone, calm down. Lobelia will come back. Whatever happened, we’ll hear everything when she does.”Relieved, his parents slowly returned to their usual business affairs.Among them, they paid particular attention to the black obsidian auction.Since it was a newly discovered resource that could be used alongside existing ones, its value was immense.“Who do you think I am? I’ve already signed all the contracts. Now we just have to win the bid.”“Rober, well done.”“I managed to move slightly faster than the Hornet Trading Company.”“That’s truly impressive, Rober. Thanks to you, we don’t have to worry anymore.”His parents’ praise made Rober’s chest swell with pride.He hadn’t expected it, but if this deal went well, he might end up competing with Lobelia for the position of heir.Still, once she returned, they would join forces to expand the caravan even further.Until even the Hornet Trading Company felt threatened.Lost in that sweet dream, he strolled lightly through the trade hall’s corridors—until he ran into a group of unfamiliar men.…Who are they?Rober wasn’t as sharp as Lobel, but he was still perceptive.The four men were a mixed bunch.A knight with a solid build, a neatly dressed merchant, and two scholar-types who looked like they had spent their whole lives buried in books.They were anything but ordinary.Even their presence felt different.Since the guards had let them in, they could be mercenaries hired by his father to investigate Robel’s disappearance.But that didn’t seem right either.There were too many odd things about them.“Why are they looking at me like that?”Their eyes were filled with shock—as if they had seen something impossible.Maybe they were like those other opportunists who had come sniffing around for a reward, hoping to profit off the rumors of his missing sister.They’re all the same. Just a bunch of scavengers.As acting caravan master for several months, Rober had never heard of such visitors being scheduled.Now that he had received Lobel’s letter, there was no need to entertain these kinds of people anymore.He cleared his throat, ready to send them away—But the scholar-looking man spoke first.“We’re from the Elkatan Trading Company. We’d like to speak with the caravan master.”