Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

“Sorry… I’m truly sorry for dragging you into this mess because of me, Lobel.”Evo awkwardly offered an apology, hoping to ease Lobel’s anger just a little.Half of it was genuine.Thanks to Lobel, the orphans who had always been starving now had better food and living conditions. Yet, here he was, causing all this trouble.Anyone would be angry. If it were him, he wouldn’t stay quiet either.But Lobel just silently looked at him. Unlike usual, he didn’t say a word. He didn’t smile.As expected… he was really upset this time.‘Ah… What should I do now…?’Just imagining the possibility of the sponsorship for his siblings being cut off made his vision go dark.He debated whether he should resort to flattery he didn’t mean, but then he heard a sigh-laden voice.“Hah… This time, you’re in the wrong, brother.”The once-admiring eyes that had always looked up to him seemed to change, now looking at him as though he were pathetic.In that moment, his cheeks burned, overcome by an emotion he couldn’t quite name—humiliation, perhaps.Whether or not the misunderstanding was resolved no longer mattered. He wanted to stomp out of here immediately, return to the filthy sewers of the city, anything but stay here.But with the children tied to this situation… that wasn’t an option. Evo understood the weight of reality that followed his actions.So instead, he was about to kneel when Lobel approached and stopped him with a hand.“This time, I’ll teach you the correct answer. Listen carefully. An apology is made by the person who’s actually in the wrong.”Then, instead of Evo, Lobel knelt on one knee in front of him, stretching out his arm.His long fingers gently cupped Evo’s flushed cheek, barely brushing it.It was a light touch, but the firmness behind it was clear.“Bowing your head, kneeling—that’s what someone in the wrong should do.”Guided by Lobel’s hand, Evo’s lowered head slowly lifted.“If you didn’t do anything wrong, how can you bow your head and apologize like this? Don’t be so foolish.”This wasn’t the kind of situation that would normally shake Evo.He’d been through countless incidents—rooms ransacked, accusations thrown, harassment endured.Even when momentarily caught off guard, he’d always brushed it off. It wasn’t like someone was threatening to cut off his hand, nor had he been beaten to the point of bleeding or bruising.It was truly nothing.He opened his mouth to say he was fine, but only shaky breaths escaped between his lips.He didn’t even feel relief that Lobel wasn’t angry anymore.It was like a burning-hot iron rod was being driven somewhere deep inside him. The voice of concern for him felt like it was piercing his ears. Even his perfectly fine eyes stung.…At this rate, he was going to become a fool crying over something this trivial.Evo stubbornly blinked against his prickling vision. In his reddened eyes, Lobel’s face appeared again, wearing a playful smile.“This time, Brother needs to properly accept the apology. Got it?”“……”Seeing him stay silent, Lobel pulled out the glasses awkwardly tucked into Evo’s pocket.They’d fallen to the floor earlier when he tripped, and he hadn’t had a chance to put them on again.Lobel placed them on Evo’s face and smiled sheepishly.“Sorry for getting angry. You were startled earlier, weren’t you? I just felt like this was something I had to do. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”For the first time in his life, someone had stepped up and told him they’d resolve his unfair situation.It was something to be grateful for.Evo knew he should express his gratitude, given his circumstances.But no words would come out.Because at that moment, his chest felt tight and hot, the heat rising all the way to his throat, choking off his voice.“Oh, look, they’re coming now.”Lobel stood up slowly, giving Evo’s slumped shoulder one last pat.“I’ll make sure they apologize properly. You just get ready to accept it.”With a wink, he moved to stand protectively in front of Evo.“Watch closely.”Soon, the servants who had been shouting angrily earlier returned.Now, they hesitated, stealing glances at one another as though unsure how to proceed. None of them dared to speak first.Lobel fixed them with a steady gaze, then suddenly crossed his arms, stroking his chin.“This is tricky. What should I do?”He spoke slowly, as if deliberately heightening their anxiety.“Should I report this disgraceful incident—where you trashed the personal room of the young master’s exclusive attendant without any evidence—directly to the young master? Or maybe… hand it over to the Capital Guard?”“!!!!”The anxious servants’ faces turned pale in an instant. Perhaps imagining harsh punishment, some were already trembling.The head servant rubbed his forehead, clearly troubled. But even he couldn’t intervene—Lobel was the one who had been insulted, after all.All the power now lay in Lobel’s hands. Whether he punished them, expelled them, or delivered an even harsher sentence was entirely his decision.Lobel understood this better than anyone, and so did the servants.At that moment, Lobel turned to Evo.“Brother Evo, what should we do? Who do you think we should report this to first? The young master? The butler? Or maybe the knights’ order?”Evo gritted his teeth.As much as he wanted revenge… he’d have to keep facing these servants’ relatives or colleagues as long as he stayed here.And if things escalated, they might even withdraw their manpower from the Denkart trading company.The best option was to quietly let it go.Reason over rage.After gathering his thoughts, Evo spoke in a calm tone.“I’m fine. That’s enough, Lobel.”“See, I told you brother was too kind… Alright, fine. If that’s what you want, I’ll go along with it. It’s late anyway, so everyone should just head back and rest now.”The servants, who had been as pale as ghosts, suddenly looked relieved.But before they could truly relax, Lobel added, “However.”As he deliberately paused, the sound of someone swallowing dryly echoed through the hallway.Lobel didn’t speak right away, instead drawing out the tension, almost as if he were enjoying it.“…However,” he repeated.He then scanned each servant’s face, as if committing them all to memory.“You must properly apologize to brother Evo and clean up this room before you leave.”For those who had lived their entire lives as proud members of the Denkart household, apologizing to a mere drifter orphan was no easy task.When they hesitated, Lobel rubbed his forehead dramatically, as if in deep thought, and muttered, “Hmm. I think I saw a gift from the young master lying on the floor in that room earlier…”“I-I’m so sorry, Evo! I’ve been terribly rude!”“Please, please! Spare us just this once! We’ll sincerely apologize!”Suddenly, the servants began apologizing to Evo as desperately as if they were clinging to the edge of a cliff.Overwhelmed by the barrage of apologies, Evo could only nod dumbly.And throughout the cleanup, Lobel stayed by their side, nitpicking relentlessly.“Properly. Do it properly. Are you not cleaning that spot? Oh, look, something’s fallen over here too.”He even demanded generous compensation for the damaged items.Some of it was for Evo as well.“……”Holding a pouch of silver coins in both hands, Evo stared at the now-spotless room, which looked even cleaner than it had in the morning.But the most surprising thing was Lobel himself.Evo had always wondered why Lobel was the Denkart family’s exclusive attendant. Today, that mystery was finally solved.Handling those large men without flinching, calmly sorting out the situation…When Evo looked at Lobel in amazement, the latter stretched lazily.“It’s been a long day. Go rest now.”To Lobel, it seemed as if shooing away the chaos that had invaded the room was no big deal.Even Rimson, who had followed Evo back into the room, patted him on the back comfortingly before leaving.Once alone, Lobel hummed a cheerful tune, acting like his usual self.Evo, who had been hesitating and moving his lips as if to speak, finally asked in a subdued voice,“You… knew I was a thief?”“I overheard it once while passing by,” Lobel replied easily.But Evo couldn’t take it so lightly.“So… you’ve known all along that I’m a thief.”His cheeks burned bright red, whether from shame or something else.But that wasn’t the most important thing right now.Rubbing his flushed cheek with the back of his hand, Evo asked,“…Then why did you help me?”“Why did you help me in the capital, brother?”Back then… it had been to get a button, that’s all.But he couldn’t admit that to someone who had helped him.This was the first time in his life someone had stood up for him. The first time someone had solved a problem for him.“I have my own hidden motives. Just… if I ever need your help in the future, don’t ignore me.”Evo knew he could brush this off as an empty promise or simply forget it later.But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to say that.Looking into Lobel’s calm eyes for a long time, Evo slowly nodded.“…I promise.”For the first time in his life, he made a promise without calculating its cost.That night, Evo hugged the warm blanket tightly, replaying one particular scene in his mind.The small shoulders that had stood firm, protecting him… No matter how tightly he closed his eyes, the image remained vivid.Somehow, he had a feeling he’d remember that moment for a very long time.