Surviving as an obsessive servant

Chapter 86

I wondered if the accumulation of fatigue had caused me to see things that weren't there.

Or perhaps, in my longing for the young master, I could no longer distinguish between illusion and reality.

But no matter how much I looked, the sight didn't disappear; instead, it became even clearer.

"Why is that carriage... here?"

Then, the carriage door opened. Inside, the young master was looking out at me.

First, I quickly checked my appearance. Thankfully, my thick coat concealed my silhouette, and I was wearing a shirt and trousers underneath.

Unlike me, who was frozen in shock as if I had seen a ghost, the young master was calm.

"Hello, Lobel. It's been a while. I came here for business related to expanding our trading company... and just happened to run into you here."

"........"

"Come in."

Worried about running into someone I knew, I hurriedly climbed into the carriage.

But... once inside, it was difficult to make eye contact with the young master.

'...What do I do?'

It hadn't been this difficult to interact with the young master on the first day.

I worried he might have been shocked by my sudden departure. Perhaps he intended to question me.

Anxiously, I clenched the hands resting on my thighs. The young master's voice filled the confined space of the carriage.

"During correspondence with the family, I heard you had quit."

As expected, the young master knew everything.

That meant the lie I told the butler about having already spoken with the young master was also exposed.

I was braced for interrogation or criticism, but the young master broached a different subject.

"What brings you here?"

His reaction was surprisingly mild, given what he knew. But... recalling the young master's demeanor made it somewhat understandable.

Being his first servant and having maintained a close relationship, it seemed he was enveloping me in his broad magnanimity.

He didn't press me on why I quit.

His expression suggested he wasn't overly curious, seemingly only wanting to ask about my wellbeing briefly.

Seeing his demeanor was a relief, but it also left me feeling complex.

However, I responded without showing my inner turmoil.

"I came because of a distant relative. One of my far-off relatives lived here, and I've been curious for a while. Since I received a significant amount of money, I thought I'd stop by, make some purchases, and then head back home."

The young master listened to my story to the end.

Once I finished speaking, he then shared his own.

"I've heard there are many problems in this city. That relative must be running a trading company; is everything alright?"

I nodded solemnly, and he remarked that it was fortunate.

Silence then filled the air.

After a while lost in thought, the young master spoke to me.

"Lobel. I might be away for quite a while."

This was news to me.

Perhaps, during my absence, the young master, who had been expanding the trading company, had business that required travel abroad.