Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

“Young Master, Young Master. The doctor who just came in was suspicious, right?”

You’re the most suspicious—.

Edrick muttered inwardly at Rovel who was staring at the closed barracks door with a serious expression.

He was well aware of the fact that this servant of his had some strange habits, but today he had taken it to another level. Edrick stared at the other side of the barracks with perplexed eyes. The bedding and other items that had been prepared in advance by the knights and other servants were neatly set aside.

All of that was done by this strange servant. 

After that, Rovel took new beddings into the barracks.

‘Why are you doing such useless things?—’

When he glanced over at Rovel and told him he was doing unnecessary things, he just replied that he had carefully picked and brought a well-dried blanket for him. He was astounded by such a ridiculous lie.

Still, the reason he endured was because of the knight commander he had met in front of the carriage before.

[If there is a problem, I will return immediately.] 

Even though he grew up as a commoner, he was still a citizen of the Empire. So he was well aware of the reputation of the Black Chain Knights. 

His mother had always used to say that he would become an outstanding man like them when he gets better.

In fact, Blivan was as terrifying as his reputation. He was a head taller than a normal person, had an overwhelming physique, a harsh expressionless face with stern eyes. 

Edrick instinctively knew that If he made a fuss, that man would take him back straight to the mansion without a second thought—. 

“It’s very uncomfortable. Now, please take this.” 

Rovel rummaged through his pocket and he took out a medicine bottle.

When Edrick just stared at him in surprise, he furrowed his brows slightly as if he had just remembered something important.

“Ah. The testing.”

After muttering these strange words, Rovel checked the medicine bottle. Then he once again confidently urged him to take it.

“I didn’t touch it with my mouth, so please take it.”

Despite his resistance, the medicine bottle was eventually forced into his hands. The medicine bottles were usually cool to the touch, but this bottle felt warmer than usual. Who knew how long it had been kept in his pocket.

Rovel prompted him again as he looked at the sloshing liquid in the brown bottle. 

“Please take it.”

“….”

“If you don’t take it, you’ll be in agonizing pain tonight.” 

He said with a smile, but there was no laughter in his voice. 

The situation suddenly took a turn. 

What do you know about my disease? How do you know if I’ll be in pain or not? You’ve never been sick like me—.

With a resentful heart, he tightened his grip on the bottle. Rovel immediately recognized the signal. 

Rovel quickly took the medicine bottle back from Edrick, who was preparing to hurl it, with a calm and firm touch. 

“Then I’ll be waiting outside. If you need anything, please call me.”

For some reason, Rovel then went out without looking back. Of course, Edrick was not so stupid as to believe in such words. 

‘There’s no way he’s going to stay outside all night. I’m sure he’ll slip away after some time.’

He watched Rovel’s shadow from inside the barracks. If that servant made even a little movement, he would scold him immediately. 

But he guessed wrong.

Rovel’s shadow was motionless the entire time. 

Occasionally someone would pass by but Rovel remained in the same position without a rustle.

Unconsciously, his eyes fell on his pile blankets. Everything that Rovel brought was here. 

Then— that servant would be standing outside only with those thin clothes. 

‘Humph—It has nothing to do with me.’

He squeezed his eyes shut, recalling that annoying mouth of the servant. 

But he still didn’t move even when he’s asleep. 

This road, which runs from the southeast to the west, was not kind to the travelers. 

The bonfire kept the barracks warm, but the unusually strong wind blowing through the tents was chilling the bones.

The situation outside would not be any better. Rovel would definitely catch a cold if he went on like this. 

He’ll also be feeling nervous with those strong knights on guard duty outside—.

Since Edrick was more familiar with the feeling than anyone else, he could easily guess how Rovel felt outside. When he came to that conclusion, somehow these luxurious bedding felt more and more uncomfortable. Edrick tossed and turned under the blankets feeling annoyed. 

‘—I’ll be the only one to lose if he freezes to death while keeping at it like that.’ 

Edrick recalled the Knight Captain’s warm eyes when he glanced at Rovel earlier. The Captain might ask him to return straight away if he was freezing to death.

‘That’s not right.’

He got up halfway, thinking that it would be better to ask him to bring a blanket. And just as he was about to call out to Rovel, he burst out coughing. Edrick reflexively covered his mouth with his hand and felt the warm liquid on his palm. There was a familiar rusty smell on his tongue. So, he instantly knew what it was without having to see it. 

—Blood. 

The silence at the entrance to the barracks was broken. At the same time, a servant suddenly came in. 

The servant was covered from head to toe with a blanket. It was three or four times thicker than Edrick’s. 

He saw the servant’s face turn pale as he came in with large strides as the blanket slid to the floor. Hair like a bird’s nest, a shiny face and obvious drool at the corner of the mouth were all visible. He must have gotten a lot of sleep.

In addition, maybe because of the oily sheen, his complexion looked even better than during the day.

—Edrick somehow felt that it was unfair. 

*****

It was unbelievable.

The graceful Duchess didn’t plan an extreme assassination. 

Instead, she tried to reveal Edrick’s weakness to the knights so that they could see it with their own eyes. 

All his medicine, including the painkillers, were replaced with something that caused major side effects. It was also the same for bedding and clothes that could come in contact with the body.

I put a lot of effort into it, but it was a waste. I swapped them with everything I brought. 

‘Well, I didn’t expect them to be useful in this way but—’

In front of the barracks, buried in the blanket like a cocoon, I yawned.

When the knights on guard duty saw me, they didn’t pay me any attention, seeing I was just a servant.

It was not unusual for a servant to wait in front of the master’s room. So, I just smiled widely at them.

However, I could not relax. 

‘I don’t know when the Young Master will have a seizure. Above all, I have to monitor whether or not a suspicious blonde knight is coming here.’

I have to be extra careful so that there is no contact between the two—.

‘Cold—’

—and I dozed off while trying to think of ways to prevent that. 

I think I’ve been overdoing it since dawn. No wonder my body is aching all over. 

When I came to my senses, I noticed the blanket had slid off a little.

I was in the middle of yawning and adjusting the blanket when I heard the sound of coughing from inside the barracks. It was so faint I could barely hear it above the sound of the wind. 

But somehow I got an ominous feeling. 

I got up calmly and entered the barracks casually and tried not to alarm the knights. 

But I probably failed. 

When I was inside, I saw Edrick was shivering and vomiting blood. I immediately took action.

I walked up to the Young Master and took out the medicine I had prepared in advance from my pocket.

Then I grabbed the back of his neck and tilted his head. 

“Ugh!”

Edrick reflexively swallowed the medicine. As soon as he finished, he slapped my hand away. 

Slap!  

It was a hard slap. Because my palms were numb from the cold, they hurt quite a bit. But I didn’t feel wronged at all. 

Rather—.

‘—Why do I feel so great?’

It seemed that the harder the touch, the more the effect was amplified. 

I held a cup of water and waited silently until he stopped coughing. 

Of course, in the meantime, fifty thousand different scenarios were running through my mind. 

—If I’m hit in the face a hundred times, will I be healed completely?’ 

If that’s the case, should I try my best to anger him? Or, as I grew closer to the Young Master, I wondered if I might play a slap on the cheek. But then, the coughing stopped.

It was time to be serious again. 

I acted as my parents did for me.

I wiped his mouth, gave him water, and picked up the fallen blankets, bringing them back and carefully rearranged them.

Edrick, who was probably exhausted, slowly laid down and he stared at me.

His face was so pale that it would not be a surprise if he passed out completely, but his eyes were fierce.

He was obviously trying to pretend to be strong. Because he didn’t want to appear to be weak. 

“You have a good stomach. Aren’t you afraid of being dirty?” 

Has he ever whined to anyone in his life that he was sick? 

I thought bitterly but I replied calmly without showing it. 

“It’s dirty. But isn’t everyone dirty? Even the elegant ladies. Just look at the heels of their shoes. There will be at least a piece of dirt on them.” 

“—They and I are different. Do you think dust and witch’s blood are the same?”

“Did the Young Master still believe in the existence of Santa Claus?”

Edrick always disliked my answers, this time was no different. 

He looked at me like he was going to kill me and tried to argue back. But soon, his eyelids drooped. The medicine seemed to be taking effect.

‘As expected. It was a good idea to mix various things in advance as a sedative to the medicine that was left in the bed.’ 

I was gloomy in my heart, but the Young Master said something. 

“—You must have also been cursed after you touched my blood with your bare hands. You….you’re going to die soon. Your legs will rot like me.” 

Unfortunately, it was a threat that would not work for those who had already died twice. 

I looked at him, who was quite cute, and answered patiently. 

“If I’ve already been cursed, well, there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t want to think too deeply about what I can’t do. It’s too much for me to just take care of the Young Master right now.”

“….”

“So can you stop staring at me and sleep? I’m so sleepy. Aren’t you sleepy?” 

“—I hate you so much.” 

He appeared deeply annoyed with the blanket wrapped around him. 

However, there was no order to leave the barracks until dawn.