The Young Master I Carefully Raised Became Obsessive

"But Derol…"

A knight next to Ardion approached me and opened the door of a small iron cage.

Ardion said casually, "There's a place nearby where he can play. You can leave him there.” 

Derol was unwilling to go, evident from how he tightly held my finger.

"I'm not going to kill Derol. I’m simply bothered by a rat’s noise because I’ve had enough of them on the battlefield.” He stood up and looked me directly in the eyes. "Or should I just throw him in prison? You are aware of what he did yesterday, are you not?"

Thinking about locking Derol away made me uneasy, so I whispered, "Derol, we have to be apart for a bit."

He nodded helplessly.

I carefully guided Derol into the cage, and as he entered, he glanced back at me sadly. My heart sank at the sight as I watched the knight close the cage door and leave the room.

Ardion's voice echoed in the silence. "Isn't it about time for a rat like Derol to die?"

"Your Highness!"

"It’s strange he’s still alive.” Ardion gazed at Derol before turning his attention back to me. "Thanks to me, Derol is alive now.”

I recalled the moment he gave me his mana to save me.

He closely examined me and stepped closer. "Speaking of which, aren’t you running low on mana?"

He slowly took my hand and examined it to confirm something. I tried to pull away, but he pressed his thumb gently against my palm. 

"Your hands trembled when you had no mana." 

I was shocked to discover he still remembered it even after all the time that had passed.

As I stood there in surprise, he said softly, "I saved mana even on the battlefield."

Ardion smiled, raised my hand, and pressed his lips against the back of it as I stared in silence. Our eyes met, and his lips curled into a smirk, his green eyes shimmering in a way that was hard to ignore.

He whispered, "This is for you."

Ardion’s intense gaze pierced through me, and it was hard to pretend that his bare chest wasn’t right in front of me. I could still recall how he was so shy about such things.

But now, I found it hard to accept his treatment of Derol.

Despite him not having a great relationship with Derol back then, I had thought they somewhat shared a kind of friendship. But that seemed to be only my selfish perspective.

Ardion continued to gaze at me, his smile relaxed.

I found myself speaking without thinking. "You’ve changed so much, Your Highness. You weren’t this direct before. And your treatment of Derol…”

I couldn't finish my sentence and bowed my head as thoughts of Derol clouded my mind.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I was a coward back then. I didn’t want to run away, but I had no choice."

Hearing Ardion’s words made me uneasy. Back then, he had been utterly powerless. The mood sank further as I sensed Ardion’s gaze on me.

"Do you remember, Laila?" He tilted his head slightly, his eyes fixed on me. "I was forced by Rowell, so I had no other choice."

That’s right. Ardion had been a victim too.

"Yes, it couldn’t be helped. But Your Highness, you’re fine now."

He chuckled softly, “Due to near death experiences, I figured out my mana was entirely different from others.”

I looked at him in puzzlement.

His green eyes reflected my face completely, and I knew that despite his smile, there was a hint of danger that danced within.

"Do you know how I killed those monsters?"

Ardion waited for my response. But I had momentarily forgotten that he had been in a place teeming with monsters.

As I stood there speechless, he grasped my shoulders. I flinched slightly.

He said in a soothing tone, "There were annoying things at times, but they fell easily with just a swing of my hand. If that didn't work, I’d stomp on them. And if that still didn’t kill them…"

When I heard his words, I could barely handle it. Finally, I managed to speak. "Your Highness."

Ardion smiled. "That’s why I don’t have to fear Rowell now. I have an abundance of mana, and I can now use it."

"Your Highness, you don’t have to go that far for me."

"You’re wrong, Laila. If it weren’t for you, I would have never survived a day in that place.”

"Your Highness, you would have survived without me. You have plenty of mana and remarkable abilities."

"Oh, really? Then how do you explain this?"

Ardion placed my hand against his chest. I gasped and instinctively tried to pull away, but he held my hand firmly, forcing it to remain.

His skin was warm, and I could feel his heartbeat through my palm. When I looked up at him, his eyes held volumes of affection for me, and the heat from his hand made my face flush.

"Laila, you need me too."

He understood that I longed for his mana. In fact, he had known this even before going to war. He had said something similar when he kissed me.

As soon as that memory surfaced in my mind, I hurriedly stepped back from him. However, he simply gave a light chuckle, released my hand, and tossed a shirt over my hand. Although I was still surprised, I managed to catch the shirt.

Then I heard him command, "You need to get to work now."

"What work are you referring to…?"

"You’re going to be my personal maid."

I blinked, at a loss for words.

“As you can see, these wounds make me incapable of dressing myself. I need your help.”

So he wanted me to help him put on his shirt. I hesitated for a moment, but I heard him speak once more.

"Laila, don’t you want to see Derol soon?"

I instantly became weary when he used the pretext of Derol to trap me under his mercy. There was no way to argue against him, so I helplessly obeyed him.

He casually smiled and extended his arms. I tried not to look at him while slipping my arm under his. His bare skin brushed against my hand, and Ardion, who used to blush at such contact, was now staring at me with an unyielding, intense gaze.

His gaze held me captive, making it impossible to meet his eyes. Because of that, I couldn’t help but notice his bare body. His once fair skin had been tanned under the sun, and countless small scars marred it.

No matter how well someone was raised, war clearly changed people.

Feeling conflicted, I stepped back. Although his shirt was still unbuttoned, I thought he could manage at least the buttons by himself.

But to my surprise, he questioned, "What about the buttons?"

"Your Highness, can’t you manage the buttons yourself?"

"I can’t. You do it." His tone was quite firm.

I sighed as I stepped closer to him. Why is he so tall?

With both hands raised, I started buttoning Ardion’s shirt. With every button I fastened, his gaze remained fixed on my hands.

Finally finished, I stepped back. "Is this good enough, Your Highness?"

"Thank you, Laila." Ardion smiled and draped a crimson cloak over his shoulders. He had just mentioned difficulty dressing due to his wounds, yet he moved his arms effortlessly and elegantly secured his cloak.

He could have buttoned it himself. I felt deceived by Ardion. I stared at him in disbelief as he slowly left the room.

When I didn’t move, he turned back. "Laila, as my personal maid, you need to attend to me by my side."

Reluctantly, I followed behind him. If it weren’t for Derol, I would have left this place without a second thought. It felt like things had gone terribly wrong.

As we entered the hallway, Ardion said, "From now on, whenever I go, you have to follow. You need to be where I am."

Ardion, who had been walking steadily, suddenly stopped. I looked up at him.

He asked in a soft tone, “Your answer?”

His eyes bore into mine. I knew he wouldn’t budge until I replied.

"… Yes." I had no choice but to give this answer. After all, I had agreed to be his maid, and I had to comply with his words since Derol was in his hands.

When I gave the answer he wanted, he gleefully continued.

He’d better pay me well…

After all, I’d be following him all day. Although it sounded ridiculous that I thought about money in this troubling situation, I couldn’t help it.

At least with this job, I could ensure Derol had meals on time, and I could live independently. Well, that part seemed unsettled for now.

I fleetingly realized that the room mentioned by Delzion earlier was next to Ardion’s. It was spacious and cozy, just like Ardion’s. Even the ceiling was adorned with beautiful paintings, making it clear this room wasn’t meant for someone like me.

Ardion was overly accommodating to me.

It felt burdensome yet also comforting to know he cared so much about me…

However, it seemed there was more than gratitude in Ardion's feelings towards me. Regardless, the situation didn’t appear too bad.

Still, I was shrouded with concern with the appearance of the female protagonist.

As I was lost in thought while observing his broad shoulders, Ardion’s pace slowed. Ahead, a group of people had gathered, and the murmurs suggested something unusual was happening.