Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

“The young master… sulking?”Evo’s expression was one of sheer disbelief.He looked at me as if I were the biggest fool in the world, but then his expression suddenly changed as if he had just thought of something.His voice became unnaturally cheerful.“That’s… actually a great idea? Then we just have to pretend we’re casually looking around and naturally head back.”Well, I had already accomplished my goal, so I was planning to return soon anyway.Evo flashed me a bright smile, seemingly determined to keep up a lively atmosphere until the very end.“Smile for me.”As if smiling was some difficult task.I met his gaze and cheerfully grinned back.But at that moment, a scream erupted from all around us.Was the sea getting rough? The surroundings seemed to shake slightly.Before I could even process what was happening, Evo had instinctively pulled me into his arms, shielding me. He must have reacted on instinct to keep me from losing my balance.I wasn’t used to such protective treatment, and it felt a bit embarrassing. I smiled and tried to step back, but then another commotion broke out.This time, the sound of something heavy crashing echoed from multiple directions.The situation became clear through the escalating panic in the voices of those around us.“The ship! The ship is tilting!!”“Oh my god! Did we hit a reef? Everyone, evacuate!”The once composed and dignified crowd now had terror written all over their faces as the ship swayed violently.Even amidst the chaos, Evo remained calm, befitting his status as the head of a major merchant group.Still holding me protectively, he whispered,“Let’s head out through the back door. There are lifeboats outside.”“No, there’s no need to leave.”“…No need?”Surprised, he looked down at me, and I simply smiled back with confidence.The young master had already fully awakened to the power of Dif.If he had the strength to purify an entire massive, corrupted forest, then calming this stormy sea would be nothing more than a minor task for him.There was no reason to fight through the panicked crowd scrambling to escape.In fact, I took it a step further and turned my gaze elsewhere.The merchant who had looked down on me earlier was now frantically stuffing gold pouches into his bag.Beside him, the glass display case full of herbs seemed to be practically calling out to me, urging me to come and take them.“Looks like those are about to go on clearance.

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Edric’s first awakening as a Dif happened during the hunting festival.He had rushed into a burning cave to save Lobel from danger, and at that moment, he gained the ability to control fire.After obtaining the power of fire, he gradually gained control over wind, water, and earth as well.His power had amplified the most at the three key strongholds in the North.In those perilous places where he couldn’t afford to let his guard down for even a moment, he had unlocked an explosive level of strength.But in all that time, this was the first time he had ever been so helpless in controlling his own power.‘…….’Hiding behind a pillar, Edric clenched his teeth.The moment he saw what Evo had done to Lobel, his vision went completely blue, and the ship shook violently.By the time he came to his senses, towering waves had formed, striking fear into the nobles on board. It had happened unconsciously.Although he quickly calmed the waves, it had been an undeniable mistake.If something had fallen on Lobel and hurt her—or even just startled her—it would have been his fault.Even now, when the sea was completely calm again, the nobles were still panicking and scrambling to escape.Peeking out anxiously, he spotted Lobel in the distance.‘…Thankfully, she doesn’t seem hurt.’And, true to her courageous nature, she didn’t even look the slightest bit afraid.Seeing her smiling eased some of the tightness in his chest.With most of the nobles having fled into the corridors, only the merchants remained, making it easier to see the two of them.Despite the chaos, where everyone had been pushing and shoving to escape, those two were the only ones standing there so composed.In fact, Lobel was standing quite close to Evo Martin, engaged in a seemingly deep conversation.Edric swallowed dryly.‘…What are they talking about?’How could they be having such an intimate discussion in the middle of this disaster? He couldn’t understand it at all.At that moment, he completely forgot that Lobel had come here for his sake.His mind was fixated on one single thought.‘Lobel… Even in all this chaos, you trust that guy that much?’Edric felt a creeping sense of unease.What had Evo done to earn such unwavering trust from Lobel, to the point that she remained so calm by his side, even in this mess?Simply becoming the head of a merchant group shouldn’t have been enough to change her attitude so easily. After all, she had never hesitated to stand her ground, even against a duke.There had to be a reason. And most likely, it happened when he wasn’t around…Edric found himself wondering about all the conversations and moments Evo and Lobel had shared over the past seven years.He couldn’t picture everything, but one thing stood out in his mind—Lobel smiling at Evo.That alone was enough to reignite the uncontrollable fury rising within him.“…My lord.”Beneath Edric’s hand, which was pressed against the wall, fine dust crumbled and fell.Behind him, one of his subordinates spoke in a pale, shaken voice.“At this rate… the ship will sink.”

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“Take it all! Just take everything!!”The terrified merchant hastily offered to sell me all the herbs I had wanted for just 100 million gold.When he looked out the window at the lifeboats below, it was clear that there wasn’t even enough space for people, let alone glass storage cases or herbs. He must have decided that carrying anything extra would be impossible.So, when I casually waved my 100-million-gold promissory note, he quickly nodded. It was obvious what kind of calculations had just run through his head in that split second.The way he stared at me blankly almost seemed to say, “You really think you’ll be able to carry that onto the lifeboat? Not a chance!”The transaction was swift and efficient.I had managed to purchase a large quantity of herbs at an unbelievably low price, and internally, I was humming with joy.And there was even a bonus.Since I knew the waves would calm down soon, I hadn’t planned on buying the glass storage case, but the merchant, in his panic, insisted that I take it too.For a moment, I was almost surprised. Was he always this generous? Have I misjudged him?Of course, the reality was that he simply didn’t have time to carefully pack the herbs for me, so he was just dumping everything on me in a rush.It was an impressively half-hearted gesture.However, contrary to the merchant’s expectations, the situation soon calmed down.The Black Market staff, who had been running around in a cold sweat, soon announced that the ship had hit a massive reef but had now passed safely. By some stroke of luck, no one was injured.The waves and wind had completely died down.Even the ship itself appeared perfectly intact, at least from the perspective of the passengers who had fled onto the lifeboats. Through the window, I could even see some of them climbing back up using ropes.Before long, the atmosphere inside had mostly returned to normal.As expected, our young master was the best!Feeling proud, I instinctively wanted to turn and look at him, but I held myself back.Meanwhile, the merchant, who had just sold his entire stock of herbs at a bargain price, was left staring blankly at my retreating figure.Of course, I pretended not to notice. Out of some lingering conscience, I only took half the herbs from the glass storage case.As I cheerfully whistled, Evo, who had been silently observing me, spoke up.“That’s going to be a hassle to carry around. Let me take care of it.”Honestly, both the herbs and the case were heavy.I was about to refuse, but Evo didn’t mean that he would carry it himself.One of his merchant group’s attendants approached and took the glass case from me.“I’ll return it to you when we leave. No matter how reluctant you are to accept help, you can at least allow this much, right?”“Thanks.”“If you’re really grateful, then quit Denkart already. Do you even realize how many years you’ve been saying you’ll leave?”“Uh… Are there any other interesting things to see here? I think we still have some floors we haven’t explored.”Evo raised an eyebrow at my blatant attempt to change the subject but still answered my question.“There’s a stone tablet exhibit upstairs.”That was music to my ears.I had always liked ancient stone tablets, but lately, I had even more reason to study them closely.As I waited for him to elaborate, Evo continued in a slightly more subdued tone.“I’ve checked for the tablet you asked about every time I’ve come here, but I haven’t found it yet. I haven’t checked today, though.”This was something we had briefly discussed in the carriage earlier.The truth was, I had been asking Evo for help with this matter for years.Judging by the recent influx of carriages into the Denkart estate, it seemed like most of the materials needed to break the curse had finally been gathered. That was no longer a major concern.However, what still troubled me were the lingering uncertainties in my research.Each of the tablets contained hints about the extinction of the Dif race, but unlike Denkart’s curse, the information wasn’t straightforward or clear.That had always left me uneasy.More than anything, since I had uncovered Denkart’s curse early—something that hadn’t even been revealed in the original novel—I figured I might as well dig deeper into this too. Of course, I hadn’t told the duke about any of it.That was why I had asked Evo years ago to find more tablets of the same kind.He must have found my excuses suspicious, but he never pried for details and had quietly procured a few tablets for me.He also refused to accept payment, claiming it was compensation for past debts. Because of that, I was always careful not to rely on him too much.Still, if there were stone tablets here, they might be something special. And since Evo hadn’t checked yet, it gave me a little more hope.Just then, as if reading my mind, Evo asked,“They’re just upstairs. Want to take a quick look before we leave?”