The Young Master I Carefully Raised Became Obsessive

I was relieved to see that Ardion was growing up well so far without any significant issues.

A satisfied smile spread across my face. With each passing day, as he continued to grow, I felt my escape from this mansion was drawing nearer. I focused on my meal, oblivious to Ardion’s watchful eyes.

❋ ❋ ❋

Time seemed to fly by. Ardion had become so tall that I had to look up at him when I needed to speak or meet his gaze.

The quality of the duke's food was excellent. Coupled with his rigorous swordsmanship training, Ardion now exuded a mature aura.

His once unruly black hair was now neatly trimmed, and his features, which had been somewhat delicate, were now taking on a distinctly masculine edge. His eyes, which once sparkled with a gentle light, now had a sharpness and a depth to them.

His once small nose now stood straight and proud, and there were times when I couldn't help but marvel at how well he had grown.

Yet there was something unusual about him. Whenever our eyes met, he would often appear lost in thought, then quickly avert his gaze. This behavior had become increasingly frequent.

Lately, he had been burning himself in books, his expression serious, punctuated by occasional deep sighs.

"Young Master, is something troubling you?"

He merely shook his head in response.

Despite his progress in swordsmanship training and the impressive skill of his teacher, the seemingly shabby but surprisingly competent Zikard, Ardion still seemed to be grappling with something. He had perfected hiding his mana, evading any suspicion from Duke Orchid, so what could be bothering him?

Perhaps he’s bored with his studies?

Ardion had scarcely ventured beyond the mansion, and I had been unusually busy lately. The day of our departure was quickly approaching.

Now that I thought about it, the town festival was next week…

"Young Master, do you find studying a bit tedious lately?"

Ardion looked up at me and blinked a few times before frowning and returning to his book. "No."

Even as he said that, his expression remained troubled. I felt a change of scenery would ease his troubles slightly.

"You’ve been working hard, so it might be good to take a break. The town festival is next week. Would you like to go?"

At the mention of the festival, Derol, who had been napping in my pocket, perked up and chirped, "I’ll go too."

I smiled and patted Derol’s head.

"What about you, Young Master?"

Looking up, I saw Ardion staring at me with a stunned expression. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "I’ll go too."

Without another word, he turned and exited the room.

"I’ll let Zikard know—"

"No! I’ll do it."

"No, I’ll—"

"Zikard seems uncomfortable with you being there."

"Really? He greets me every time I go."

"Probably out of politeness."

I was surprised by Ardion's view of Zikard.

In that case…

Since Ardion went for swordsmanship training every morning, it wasn’t a problem for me to handle this.

Ardion remained absorbed in his book while I sat beside him, reviewing the documents I had gathered. Although he no longer needed my assistance with his studies, he preferred to have me around from lunch to dinner. During this time, he often asked questions about mana, which I answered.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Laila, is there a specific flow of mana within the body?"

"Yes, Young Master. It should flow in a regular pattern within your body as well."

He slowly nodded. Sometimes, I wondered if Ardion was asking questions he already knew the answers to since the information was clearly stated in the book.

With his intelligence, it should be easy to comprehend.

Nevertheless, there was no real need for him to ask me, so I shifted my attention away from him.

When I became bored, I would play finger games with Derol. I would poke his tiny hands, and he would try to catch my fingers.

I dozed off without realizing it, a side effect of the lack of mana.

The room fell silent.

Ardion glanced over from his book and saw me asleep on the table. He carefully settled beside me, his gaze softening as he looked at me.

Derol tried to nip at my fingers, but Ardion gently restrained him. "Don’t make a sound. I’ll take all your mana if you do."

"… You’re a bad guy." Derol glared at him.

Ardion let out a soft chuckle. "You should have been nicer to me from the start."

"I’ll tell Master about this later."

"Then your friends won’t be safe either."

Derol fell silent.

Ardion patted his head. "Derol, don’t make me a bad guy, understand?"

Derol turned his head sulkily, showing his displeasure.

Ardion smiled faintly and then turned back to me, observing my resting figure, flowing hair, closed eyes beneath lowered lashes, evenly breathing nose, and red lips.

He gazed at me for a long time.

Then I stirred and furrowed my brow. Ardion straightened up.

Soon, I woke up. I was startled that I had fallen asleep in front of him. "Young Master, I’m sorry. I must have been exhausted these days."

"It’s fine," Ardion said nonchalantly.

The room had dimmed with the setting sun.

After checking the time, I sprang up. "Young Master, it’s getting late."

I hurriedly gathered my documents and books. My hands were still trembling, causing the books to fall.

As I bent to pick them up, Ardion also reached for them, and his hand accidentally brushed against mine.

Startled, I pulled my hand away, and he froze.

I forced a smile. "See you tomorrow, Young Master."

Ardion slowly turned his head towards me. At that moment, Derol hopped onto my hand, and I left the room with him.

Standing by the door for a moment, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with Ardion. His intense focus on his studies and his reluctance to wake me up seemed odd.

"Master?" Derol peeked out of my pocket.

"It’s nothing. Let’s head back to our room."

Regardless, I shook off my concerns and entered my room.

❋ ❋ ❋

Unknowingly, the day of the festival arrived. Most of the mansion’s staff had taken the day off, so the once-bustling estate was unusually quiet.

Dressed neatly, I knocked on Ardion’s door.

"Come in."

Ardion seemed more nervous than usual. Despite my arrival, he remained seated, fidgeting with the table.

"Young Ardion?"

Only after my call did he look up. His gaze was unnaturally nervous, his face beet red.

Is he coming down with a fever?

As I approached him, Ardion jumped up, startled.

"Are we going to the festival now?"

I nodded.

"O-okay, let’s go." Ardion left the room ahead of me, his stride oddly awkward.

I never forced him to accompany me though?

Lost in thought, I heard Ardion’s voice.

"Laila?" He was bending down, looking through the crack of the door as he waited for me.

I hurried out into the corridor.

The mansion was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the usual hustle and bustle. I found this serene atmosphere oddly pleasant.

"So, where is the festival held?"

"Near the capital."

"Ah, it's close to the palace."

"Oh, have you never been to a festival before?"

Ardion shook his head. "Rowell never let me go to such places."

Hearing his melancholy tone, I inwardly cursed Rowell’s whole existence. No wonder he never became emperor in the original story.

What could someone who just envied his brother and had such a mindset achieve? Anyways, in the original story, Ardion eventually became emperor, albeit through a rather grim and tortuous journey.

However, the Ardion I saw now was quite pure and composed. His twisted and sensitive demeanor from the original story was absent.

Ardion glanced around, taking in the surroundings that had begun to show signs of spring, with fresh green leaves starting to emerge.

"Isn't it nice to be out like this?" I asked brightly, trying to lift the mood.

Ardion always seemed to darken whenever topics like the palace or his family came up.

He slowly turned towards me, his green eyes unusually bright in the spring sunlight. 

Seeing my smile, he nodded. "Yes, it’s nice."

I felt a pleasant warmth from his positive response. Venturing outside for the first time in a while, I also found my spirits lifted by the fresh air.

"But do we really not need to take a carriage?"

We had already left the mansion. I looked back at it from a distance and nodded. “Duke Orchid’s mansion is close. Just a short walk, and we’ll be in the capital, so there’s no need to take a carriage.”

I walked lightly, inhaling the scent of blossoms carried by the spring breeze wafting through the air. Derol poked his head out of my pocket, sniffing eagerly.

Ardion walked beside me, his gaze fixed on me. 

The weight of his stare finally compelled me to ask, “Young Master, what’s on your mind?”

“Hmm?” His face turned an even deeper shade of red.

“You were looking at me just now.”

“Oh, I was just admiring the mountains,” he said, gesturing vaguely to my side. But there were no mountains in sight, just the gentle hills of the landscape.

“There are no mountains here.”

“True. I could have sworn I saw one. That’s odd.” He furrowed his brow and tilted his head.

I glanced around again, noticing the fresh green leaves and swaying wildflowers surrounding us. 

At that moment, Derol chimed in, “Watch where you’re going and walk straight!”