The Young Master I Carefully Raised Became Obsessive

After what happened, Serina seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

Inside Ardion’s office, the sound of the door closing echoed, leaving both me and Ardion alone.

I mostly spent my time organizing documents or running errands in Ardion’s office, but I was not as busy as I thought.

I occasionally found it useful to glean information about events occurring in the palace.

[Meeting for the Hunting Tournament]

The hunting tournament was approaching. It only took a brief glance to discover the budget issues in their discussions and the various nobles who participated.

“Laila.”

“Yes?”

Startled by the sudden call, I looked up to find Ardion staring at me.

“I heard you’ve been looking into Serina lately.”

I was surprised that Ardion knew about it.

How did he find out?

While processing this, I felt Ardion's intense gaze. He seemed to be waiting for my response. I quickly gathered my thoughts and replied, “It was surprising she recovered in just one day, yet she disappeared right after.”

“…”

“Do you know where she might be?”

“Is Serina that important to you?”

“I’m just curious, Your Highness.”

Although Ardion showed no outward emotion, his gaze told me otherwise. “Have you been exchanging letters with her while she was on the frontier while ignoring my letters?”

“No! Not at all. I didn’t even receive any letters. At that time, Duke Orchid’s mansion had just burnt down. I intended to send you a letter, but they said it wouldn’t reach you in the border regions.”

“So, you wanted to send me a letter?” Ardion said tentatively, his enchanting brows furrowed slightly. “You must have been thinking of me since then.”

I hesitated for a moment. I had indeed thought about Ardion. After all, it would have been strange to forget him after parting ways like that. 

“… Yes.” As I reluctantly admitted it, I noticed Ardion's expression softened.

“Laila, do you still have that letter you intended to send?”

“Um, I’m not sure where it might be. I think I have thrown it…”

Ardion’s face hardened.  

“Should I go home and look for it? If I find it…”

“Forget it.” Ardion returned his focus to the documents.

The room felt awkward, and I hesitated before resuming my tasks. Sometimes, it felt strange to be with Ardion.

Right now was one of those times.

I cautiously glanced at Ardion again. His striking features were the first thing that caught my eye. His good looks had only become more pronounced with his age.

His long fingers grasped documents, noticeably different from just a few years ago.

I recalled how Ardion used to concentrate as a child. Whenever I watched him, his ears would turn adorably red.

Back then, he was quite shy about receiving affection. I had assumed he was just shy, never really considering the emotions behind it.

As I glanced at his flushed ears, our eyes met.

“Laila, if you keep staring at me like that, I can’t concentrate, just like when we were younger.”

“But back then…”

“I was only pretending to concentrate. I never really understood what I was reading.”

Ardion was oddly calm. I had never thought of him in any way beyond how I had initially perceived him. I merely sought to survive and gain mana from him.

In a way, what I did was… terrible, but Ardion was aware of it too. It was a good thing that both of us were in agreement about this.

Yet I hadn’t expected him to harbor romantic feelings for me all this time.

Moreover, since I currently felt nothing for him, I thought it best to be honest. “Your Highness, I felt the same back then as I do now. I’ve never thought of you in the way you do for me.”

Ardion studied me quietly before smiling. “I am aware.”

“…”

“But do you know what’s fortunate?”

“What?”

“That you might need my mana someday.”

“But right now…”

“You never know what will happen in the future. Just because you have enough mana now doesn’t mean you won’t run out and need my help later.”

“I don’t want to rely on you anymore, Your Highness.”

Ardion chuckled softly. “I have never and will never see it that way, Laila.”

The closer I tried to pull away, the more he seemed to draw near. I lowered my head, feeling both unsettled by the sudden absence of Serina and Ardion’s unabashed approach.

My thoughts were muddled by the two protagonists from the original story.

❋ ❋ ❋

When I returned to my room after finishing work, I collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion.

Derol scampered over to me. “Master, are you unwell?”

His small face looked around anxiously.

“No, I’m just beat.”

That was partly true. Being around Ardion often made me feel a tension I didn’t know I had, leaving me physically drained.

Derol climbed under my hand, and I slowly stroked him.

“Master, although I enjoyed playing in that room, it feels nice spending time with you too.”

“Are you getting bored of that place?”

Derol nodded slowly. It seemed being in the same location for too long had grown dull for him. He peeked at me and rested his head on my fingers. “Honestly, it can be lonely when I’m by myself.”

“Really?”

“Sometimes, those thoughts cross my mind, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

Although Derol shook his head while saying this, I couldn't dismiss his feelings. Looking back, Derol and I had spent almost no time apart since we left Duke Orchid's mansion.

Back then, although life was tough and harsh, it somehow felt better. Even though we lived somewhat lavishly now, I kept thinking about complicated thoughts. 

“Derol, was it better before we came here?”

Derol nodded silently. Perhaps stepping into this place was a mistake.

No, maybe I was to blame for treating him kindly in order for me to survive without caring for his feelings.

This thought struck me belatedly, but the past had already passed. Dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything now.

So, for now… I had to find Serina. I needed to check if she was safe, and if she was, should I tell her about Ardion?

After much deliberation, I turned to Derol. “Derol.”

“Yes, Master.”

“If you unexpectedly entered a story and found yourself interrupting the love between the protagonists, would it be right to reunite them when they weren’t together?”

“Yes, but shouldn’t we also listen to their stories?”

“Their stories?”

Derol nodded. “If they were truly meant to be together, then even with interruptions, they would still end up together. If they don’t, it might indicate their destiny within that story was meant to unfold differently.”

“Derol…” I half-sat up and looked at him again.

Derol tilted his head.

“Did you read the books in this place without me knowing?”

“Actually, my previous room was a library. I’ve read almost all the books there, so I got a bit bored…”

Why didn’t I notice that sooner?’

Derol flinched and looked at me.

“You inherited my mana!”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re smart like me because of that?”

“Master…” Derol squeaked, and I felt a slight pinch on my fingers. He had nipped me to snap me out of my thoughts. I lay back down.

“Still, I’m not stupid. I know a fair bit about acting and even have a childcare certification. And I’ve learned a lot about mana from Duke Orchid’s library.”

As I spoke, I gradually drifted off to sleep. It felt as though all the worries in my head had dissipated like smoke.

❋ ❋ ❋

[Third-Person POV]

Meanwhile, in Ardion’s office, the lights were still brightly lit. He was deep in thought, reviewing the documents he had just signed.

I don’t want to rely on you anymore, Your Highness.

Laila's words echoed in his mind. Rely? She must have been overthinking. No, was she setting boundaries?

Knock, knock. 

The calm knock interrupted his thoughts.

Ardion responded, “Come in.”

The door opened, and Delzion entered. He bowed his head to Ardion. “Your Highness, you called for me?”

“What’s the status of what I asked you to investigate?”

“There happens to be a craftsman nearby who makes mana-conducting necklaces. But he loves money and has a loose tongue. Is that alright with you?”

“Is there no one else?”

“He’s the only one, Your Highness. But at least his skill in crafting mana-conducting pieces is exceptional.”

“Alright. Get ready. We’ll go right now.”

“But it’s the middle of the night…”

“You said he loves money, so it doesn’t matter when I come because he’ll welcome me.”

“I… will guide you, Your Highness.”

Delzion led Ardion through the streets, arriving at an accessory shop. Like other shops on the street, this one was dark and closed.

Ardion gestured.

Delzion knocked on the door. “We’ve come to place an order.”

However, the door remained shut. Delzion knocked louder and repeated himself, “We’ve come to place an order!”

After several loud knocks, the startled barking of a dog sounded inside.

An elderly man with graying hair opened the door. “What’s the matter so late?!”

The elderly man, appearing irritated from being woken up, froze upon recognizing Ardion. “Y-Your Highness! What brings you here?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I’d like to commission a necklace.”

Ardion gestured to Delzion. He lifted a large sack that looked particularly heavy, sagging at the bottom in a way that suggested it contained something substantial.

The elderly man immediately recognized it as a sack of gold coins. He quickly stepped aside and said, “Please, come in.”

Although the workshop wasn’t tidy, the elderly man cleared the scraps scattered around the place for Ardion and Delzion.