Why Are you Obsessed Even Though you're Dead ?

Chapter 12

For some unknown reason, Laches was always gracious to me from the first time we met. Just by observing the attitudes of other servants who feared him, I could tell that his lukewarm care was reserved for me alone. However, it wasn’t love. The numerous considerations and attentions were nothing more than brief curiosity.

It was just that he was curious about the winds that had newly blown in from the northern capital.

I always reminded myself not to forget.

“…Really, doing the garden work all alone.”

As everyone finished their work and returned to their bedrooms in the early morning, a strangely profound sense of betrayal lingered. I absentmindedly changed my clothes, and suddenly realized that the bedroom was warm, like the Nirel mansion.

“When did the fire get lit?”

A warm fire blazed in the fireplace. I had never lit the fireplace before, and certainly not like this, blazing as if the room would catch fire.

The maids had a limited supply of firewood, so keeping warm was their only concern. It seemed impossible to make the fire hot enough.

Who could have entered the room? Let’s examine the small room. On the makeshift table, there was wine and a small note.

Well done!

The note was written in a neatly balanced and evenly spaced handwriting. There was no name written, but the sender was clear. Wiping the clean writing with a thumb, the person looked at the wine.

The initial thought was not a pleasant memory.

The memory of drinking poisoned wine and dying.

“… Laches did look for demaroxin, though.”

Was it possible that this wine also contained poison?

I uncorked the wine and poured it into the glass, wrapping it in a cloth. The provocative red liquid filled the glass deeply, and unlike what I had tasted before, a sweet aroma immediately pierced through my nose.

After savoring the deep flavor, I swirled the wine glass around.

‘What should I do with this…’

Knock, knock.

In the midst of my contemplation, someone knocked on the bedroom door. For some reason, I speculated that it was someone beyond the door.

I approached the door, holding the glass.

“Hello.”

My expectations were not wrong. There stood Laches, leaning against the doorframe.

Laches glanced at the wine glass in my hand and burst into a knowing smile.

“I suggested we drink together,  Did you already finish it alone?”

In Laches’ hands, there was also a wine glass, just like mine.

“I haven’t drunk it yet.”

“Really?”

Laches lowered his head abruptly, bringing his face close when I attempted to step back in surprise. He held my hand that was holding the wine glass when I was about to spill it.

“Don’t waste the precious wine.”

He closed his eyes tightly and lowered his head towards my lips.

His long, jet-black eyelashes were charming. His face, seen up close, was beautiful enough to make the title of the guardian protecting the North from the demons seem inappropriate.

The lengthy eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly. The calm iris, seen up close, faintly gleamed.

“Ugh.”

It felt like my face was about to explode, so instinctively, I averted my gaze.

The sensation was something I had never experienced while living in Reprentia Nirello.

“Really didn’t drink? The fragrance hasn’t even come out yet.”

“…I said I didn’t drink.”

“With your skill in lying, it’s hard to believe.”

I didn’t want to show a blushing face to someone who had just contemplated killing me, so I turned my head away.

With a wry smile, laches lifted his head, passed by me, and entered the small bedroom without permission.

“I didn’t say you could come in.”

“I know.”

Without permission, laches confidently stepped into the bedroom. He approached the wine as if showcasing it. Then, as if emphasizing my vigilance, he lifted the wine bottle and filled his own glass.

As if trying to break down my defenses.

“You opened the door, so I just pushed my way in. I’m good at that. Going in as I please.”

I had no way to chase away Raches, who had pushed his way in. Afraid that someone might see, I closed the bedroom door and approached him.

Even though only one person had entered the small room that was originally used as a warehouse, an oddly intense heat filled the air.

“There’s a guest,  Is it okay for you to be here like this? You must have a lot to prepare suddenly coming in.”

“Yeah, It’s okay. I had nothing to do.”

Dettore and Delia weren’t originally planning to visit this place; they said they came because their carriage broke down, right?

“Come to think of it, the chef mentioned being busy all day even in the morning. And a dinner had been prepared flawlessly for the two of them.’’

“Did you know the guests were coming?” I had no explanation other than knowing in advance.

Instead of answering, Laches gently tapped the glass he had been swirling.

“A toast.”

With a sound crisp and pleasant, he clinked the glass.

“Cheers.”

After clinking the glass as if to seal my mouth, he took a sip of wine first, looking at me.

Only after confirming the thick liquid moving down his throat did I follow suit, swallowing a sip of wine.

A profoundly sweet taste lingered on the tip of my tongue.

The wine I used to drink before was bitter and too strong for me to enjoy, but now it was different.

“Tasty, isn’t it?”

Laches, who read the subtly changed expression on my face, grinned.

“It’s wine made for the first time this year.”

“Made in the northern region?”

“Yeah, It’s made at the brewery where you were going to work. The first wine of the year is dedicated to me and not for sale.”

“Do you drink it alone then?”

Drinking something this delicious alone?

As I sipped the wine, Laches filled my glass again and drank with me.

“No, I don’t drink it; I keep it.”

“Then do I need to keep this too? It’s the first wine made this year, you said.”

I set down the cup in surprise, While I might not have known when I was Nirel, as a servant now, it seemed like something I shouldn’t drink.

“This year, it’s a gift.”

But Laches handed the cup I had set down back into my hands.

“If you drink it, your body will warm up, and you’ll sleep well. It’s the fair reward for the labor of cleaning up the garden.”

“Isn’t it expensive?”

“It is.”

Laches leaned in slowly, his voice barely audible. The distance between us was becoming more familiar.

I found it amusing that I wasn’t surprised by his casual actions.

Perhaps because of a few sips, the sweet scent wafted from Laches as he approached closely.

It was an intensely addictive fragrance.

“Now you’re not surprised.”

Laches, who had lowered his head close to my ear, laughed with a warm breath.

The hot breath touching my ear sent shivers through my body.

“I’ve gotten used to it too.”

“Is that so?”

Acting nonchalant.

After returning to Dettor and Delia, I had effortlessly portrayed an indifferent facade.

Why was it so difficult now?

Maybe because of the overtly noticeable sweet gaze from the side.Perhaps it was the warmth intensified by the alcohol. Or it could be due to the narrow bedroom making the full sensation of that body temperature more pronounced.

“Well, shall we see where… you’re not surprised?”

The lips, moist with water, brushed against my earlobe as if by mistake,  It was a fleeting moment. In the instant when I tried to catch his ear, hot like a flame, he whispered.

“What… What did you just say?”

Startled by his whisper, my eyes widened. Checking my expression, Laches stepped back and chuckled quietly.

“You don’t seem surprised.”

“I can’t help but be surprised! How much… How much is this bottle of wine?!”

Laches, lowering his head, whispered into my ear about the price of this wine.

It was expensive, Really expensive. Incredibly expensive.

I wondered why they went through such trouble to produce the wine, but hearing the price made it all make sense.

“But why would you give such an important thing to me as a gift?”

“Don’t like it?”

“I… Do you give it to other maids too?”

“If I did, I’d go bankrupt.”

“Then I feel awkward about it too.”

“Receiving it would be good.”

“But I have the right to refuse.”

“Even if it’s my consideration?”

Laches ran his fingers along my neck, There was no need for a second persuasion. He lightly nodded.

“Okay, If it’s awkward for you, don’t take it. Then I’ll charge you for the vase broken this morning, the cost of the wine we drank today, and even the firewood that heated up this small bedroom.”

It was too much to assert my pride; I realized I owed much more than I thought.

“How should I repay you?”

“Please exclude the cost of the wine from my monthly salary.”

Since I wasn’t working to earn money or receive a salary anyway, it didn’t matter to me.

“The rest, I won’t repay willingly because it’s not my intention.”

“You’re quite stubborn,  Cut me some slack, will you?”

Laches smirked, claiming his defeat. Then, mischievously, he clinked his glass against mine.

“We’ve already opened the wine, so we can’t just waste it, right? Think of it as doing a favor for the pitiful me. I won’t burden you with such considerations next time.”

Laches took a sip, and I couldn’t refuse after all he had said. Instead of rejecting his consideration outright, I reluctantly drank along with the wine.

The small bedroom was warm enough to forget about the chilly north. Despite the thick curtain of darkness outside the window, the light in the room refused to go out.

“Tomorrow, you’ll probably suffer from a hangover, so just stay in the bedroom and rest.”

Normally, I would have disagreed, but tomorrow, I might run into Dettore and Delia if I ventured outside for no reason.

“…Alright.”

“Your polite response feels strange.”

“If receiving the Duke’s consideration is good for you.”

“Look at you, speaking so well.”

“No matter how much I change my eye color, there’s no way those two would recognize my face… ‘Huh, the medicine!'” I exclaimed, startled, as I looked out the window. It was a dark night, making it difficult to gauge the time.

What time is it? Has it already passed the time to take the medicine? What color are my eyes now?

I always took the medicine before going to bed, so maybe the time has already passed.

Even with various things happening, it’s like that. Even if I’m inebriated, it’s the same.

To forget the medicine.

I lowered my gaze to check the drawer where I kept the medicine. The distance wasn’t far, but moving suddenly to take the medicine would naturally raise suspicions.

“Why is that?”

Laches quickly sensed that I was thinking differently. His casual question seemed to imply that he knew exactly what I was thinking.

“Now, now, I’m getting sleepy.”

I lowered my gaze, pretending to be engrossed in my clumsy steps. Since my eye color might have changed, it seemed better not to meet anyone’s eyes.

“Is that so?”

Laches placed the wine glass he had been sipping, following my lead, on the table.

As long as he leaves safely, that’s all that matters.

If I take the medicine, the color of my pupils will return to normal.

However, Laches’ steps were not towards the bedroom door but towards me.

“Good, I was getting sleepy too.”

He reached out, and as the wind caused my hair to fall, Laches gently swept it back.

“Well, shall we sleep together?”

His hand, which had just moved my hair back, softly grasped the tip of my chin as he tilted my head down.

“And off we go without hesitation.”

As if he would allow any of the things I was hiding.

His rough demeanor, like a ruffian, was juxtaposed with a polite touch and an arrogant gaze, embodying nobility itself.

“…!”

Gaze met mine directly at close range.

The intense flames burning in the fireplace seeped into his black pupils.

‘’Facing me head-on, Laches, with a sly smile, uttered, ”