Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

“Functional glasses?”This world doesn’t need electromagnetic wave blocking yet… And I’ve never heard of such glasses.I looked at him, feeling even more confused, and he said with an arrogant smile.“Functional glasses that help decipher the stone tablets. Bring them.”At Manellano’s nod, another attendant brought another ancient stone tablet.He put on the gloves that came with it and touched the stone tablet, and his fingertips tingled briefly, as if he was receiving static electricity.… I wondered if it was real, but the white letters engraved on the dark stone tablet seemed to be darker, making it easier to see.Furthermore, when I strained my eyes, the letters strangely began to twinkle like stars.“Oh… oh! This is amazing.”Ivo, pretending not to be curious, cast a few sneaky glances at the gold-rimmed glasses I was wearing.Moments like this remind me that he still has the air of a child.Well, all the main characters are just curious kids at this point… except maybe the crown prince.I pretended not to know, took off my glasses, put them in the box, and asked.“Excuse me, Manel. Where can I get something like this?”Manellano, who had been watching my reaction with great satisfaction, now looked even more satisfied.He asked in a sharp voice.“Why? Thinking of getting another one? You like it that much?”“Yes, I’d really like to have one.”“But that’s too bad, you can’t get it even if you see it. It’s quite expensive to smuggle.”“That price, you mean… more than my annual salary? You did say earlier that prices have gone up tenfold.”After the young master became the heir, my salary was raised dramatically. Not just because I’m his personal attendant, but also in recognition of my efforts in supporting him so far.At this, Manellano’s face darkened, his good mood vanishing in an instant.“Are you boasting about Denkart’s wages in front of me? Let me remind you—I could pay ten, no, twenty times as much without a second thought.”“Wow, that’s impressive. I’m jealous… Anyway, so where can I get the glasses?”He frowned at my lifeless compliment but eventually replied with a prim tone, “I can get you a pair immediately. It’s not an officially imported item yet, but my father secured some extras. It’s something only our family can do.”As he went on boasting about his family—something I didn’t care about in the slightest—he gestured to a servant. The servant produced another glasses case from a bag.…Judging by what I’ve heard, these must be even more expensive than I thought.With such impressive functionality, they were likely worth any price.For letters on a stone tablet to light up and sparkle… I’d never heard of such a thing.“How much… would they cost?”I asked, hoping he’d offer a discount, but his response was as infuriating as ever.“Think about it, Lobel. Do you think something like this can simply be priced in money? Even with money, it’s hard to obtain such a rare item.”Watching me carefully as if gauging my reaction, he finally added nonchalantly, “I won’t charge you. But instead, you’ll need to grant me one favor… What’s with that face?”The word “favor” made me immediately think of the young master, and my expression must have soured because Manellano scowled like he’d been insulted.After glaring at me, he sighed heavily and, as if conceding, explained, “We have an important guest visiting our estate, and I need your expertise for one day. Just come and take a look.”“…A guest?”“Yes. He also uses a wheelchair like your young master.”Well, that explained why he was making such an effort.If someone significant enough to concern Manellano was visiting, they were surely a high-noble.Given my experience caring for a young master with health issues, it made sense for him to ask me to assess the environment.“When would that be?”“Sometime in the next month or two.”It would be early fall by then, so the timing was fine.Judging from how well my body was recovering, I would leave Denkart after that.I readily accepted without further thought.“Okay.” * * * After finishing his day’s work, Evo returned to his room and rubbed his tired eyes.Learning about the job was one thing, but meeting such a nobleman out of nowhere made him feel even more tired today.But then, Lobel quietly approached from behind.“Brother Evo.”In Lobel’s hand was the glasses case he had received earlier from the noble.Evo hesitated to take it, staring suspiciously at the case. Lobel, flashing a cheerful smile, explained,“It’s a gift. I figured you’d need it more than me. If you’re going to be handling more of the guild’s work, you’ll probably come across more stone tablets. It’s like killing two birds with one stone, right?”“…….”“Oh. And when I asked, he said you can replace the lenses with prescription ones without affecting the original functionality. I placed the lens order a few days ago, so they should arrive soon. You can just swap them out when they’re ready.”Does he observe more than I thought?He must have noticed my habit of squinting due to poor eyesight.But I had no spare money to buy glasses. Any extra funds had to go toward feeding my siblings.And this wasn’t just any ordinary pair of glasses—it was an expensive, specialized one. There was no justification for accepting something so extravagant.Searching for the right words to decline, I suddenly found something odd.“How did you order lenses without knowing my eyesight?”“Oh, that? Since I couldn’t check right away, I just ordered lenses for every prescription.”Lobel answered confidently, without the slightest hesitation.If he hadn’t seen the chaos in the capital, he might have mistaken Lobel for some great heir.Evo smiled politely and declined.“I appreciate the thought, but I’ll pass.”“Hey. come on. Along with my gratitude, please accept the glasses too. You’ve helped me a lot. I would’ve been in big trouble if I’d been caught back then…”Ah, something about a debt owed by his parents, wasn’t it?Evo recalled the urgency Lobel had displayed at the time.Still, even considering that, this gift seemed excessive.“And you always give me advice when I ask questions.”“…….”Evo opened his mouth to refuse again but stopped.He had witnessed Lobel’s influence within Denkart during his time here.No matter how kind he seemed, crossing someone with power was never wise—it could lead to unpredictable outcomes.If I refuse, who knows what kind of disadvantage might fall on the kids at the orphanage…Besides… he needed these glasses to properly understand everything in the secret book.It was based on the secret book, but there was a separate part attached to the ancient stone tablet.If you considered all of those things, it was never a situation where you wouldn’t accept it. It was even more so if it was because of pride.Evo, who smiled falsely again out of habit, accepted the glasses case.“In that case, I’ll make good use of them.”“Hehe. Yes. Oh, why don’t you open it now?”He followed his words and obediently opened the glasses case.Inside was a sleek, elegant pair of glasses with thin, polished frames. Unlike Lobel’s, the frames were a deep, rich blue.“…These are beautiful.”The words slipped out sincerely.Even at a glance, it was the finest pair of glasses Evo had ever seen. The smooth design of the frames was particularly striking.It was a gift truly befitting a noble of a prestigious family. It felt strange, though, that such an extravagant gift was being given to a servant.Feeling awkward, Ivo added another subdued “Thank you” as Lobel beamed in satisfaction.“Try them on?”“Alright.”Evo awkwardly put on the glasses.Before he could adjust, Lobel gestured toward a full-length mirror that had somehow appeared nearby.“You have to see for yourself.”He had no choice but to stand in front of it, but he saw himself looking incredibly awkward.Standing in front of the mirror, Evo saw an unfamiliar version of himself: neatly trimmed hair, subtly tense cheeks, and large eyes framed by the elegant glasses.“Wow, Brother. The color suits you perfectly, doesn’t it?”Lobel’s unrestrained praise poured out.Usually, Evo wouldn’t pay attention to such remarks, but this time he had to admit the glasses really did suit him. The feeling was strange.“Are you sure about this? These must have cost a fortune, and I heard even nobles can’t easily get them…”“Doesn’t matter. I already have a pair, don’t I?”This time, Evo was speechless.No one he knew ever settled for just one of anything.His mother cared more about jewelry than her children—if she had one piece, she’d crave another, bigger, or differently shaped.His father had so many children, even before Evo was born, that he couldn’t remember their names, yet he continued having more.But Lobel was satisfied with just one… He was so naive that it was worrisome.Maybe that’s why I impulsively said, without realizing it.“Lobel. Shouldn’t you focus on treating the young master better?”“……?”“I mean, it seems like being a servant really suits you. Especially here at Denkart, where they treat you well. You should do everything you can to make a good impression and stay—maybe even become the butler one day.”What I really thought—‘You’re so naïve you’d be scammed out of your wits if you tried working for a guild or anywhere else.’—I kept to myself.Honestly, Lobel seemed destined to fall for a scam sooner or later. But as long as he remained a servant at Denkart, he’d be safe.Evo offered the advice as a small way to repay Lobel’s generosity.“Thanks for saying that, Brother…”Lobel scratched his cheek awkwardly, then, unexpectedly, said something completely out of left field.“However, I don’t plan on staying here for long.”