The Young Master I Carefully Raised Became Obsessive-Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Maybe, for now, this really was the best outcome. Dragging things out any further wouldn’t guarantee that Serina would change her mind.

I’d only get more desperate.

Just as that thought crossed my mind and I raised my hand to knock on the door…

“Your Highness!” A voice called out urgently.

I turned my head and saw someone hurrying towards me from a distance.

As I watched, Derol squeaked from below, “Master, isn’t that the uniform worn in Rowell’s palace?”

He was right. The clothes this person wore weren’t something I often saw around here.

“What would someone from Rowell’s palace be doing all the way out here?” I murmured to Derol as the figure came to a stop in front of me.

It was indeed the attire of someone from Rowell’s palace, but it was distinctly different from that of an ordinary servant.

There was an insignia on the shoulder, and the outfit was sleek and formal, without unnecessary frills.

As soon as he saw me, he gave a slight bow. “I am Arte, sent by His Highness the Crown Prince. I usually assist with His Highness’s official duties.”

I eyed him warily. Knowing he was from Rowell, I couldn’t help feeling distrustful.

Arte paused for a moment before continuing, “His Highness has invited you to dinner this evening.”

“Dinner?”

“Yes. His Highness should be arriving soon as well, so it would be best if you came with me now.”

Something didn’t sit right. I hadn’t heard anything about this from Ardion, which only made me more uneasy. But then again, there hadn’t exactly been a moment for conversation. We’d spent quite a long time in bed…

“Your Highness?” Arte looked at me cautiously.

“What if I refuse to go—”

Before I could even finish the sentence, Arte cut in swiftly. “As I mentioned, this is an order from His Highness. If you disobey, you may be punished for defiance.”

Derol squeaked anxiously from below. I bent down and held out my hand. He scampered onto it. “Master, I have a bad feeling about this.”

I didn’t feel great about it either. Like Derol said, it felt ominous. But with the way Rowell’s aidel had phrased things, there really was no way out. I couldn’t risk ending up back in prison.

I whispered quietly to Derol, “Derol, I don’t think we have a choice. He’s threatening me.”

While speaking, I looked back at Arte. His expression remained unchanged, as if he’d been trained never to reveal emotion while carrying out his duties.

“Your Highness, we should be on our way…”

“I’m going.” I gave a brief reply.

Arte bowed slightly and turned to lead me.

Making sure he couldn’t hear, I said softly to Derol, “Derol, at least this might not be entirely bad.”

“But Rowell is dangerous. Avoiding him is your best choice.”

“I know, but since he went to the trouble of calling me there, he must want something from me.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means he’s desperate for something too.”

“You really think so?”

I nodded. The fact that Rowell had gone so far as using threats of punishment to summon me meant something was up.

I opened and closed my hand. If Rowell tried anything stupid, I was ready to use water magic. My mana reserves were full, thanks to Ardion.

Lucky or unlucky, hard to say. I let out a quiet sigh and followed Arte.

He led me to a door I’d never seen before. Its massive frame was adorned with what looked like gold, gleaming along the edges, and the center bore the imposing crest of the imperial family. Arte knocked three times.

Soon, a voice called from within. “Come in.”

The moment I heard it, my face involuntarily twisted. I was here because I had to be, but that didn’t mean I liked it.

“You may enter.” Arte even opened the door for me.

I stepped slowly through the gap.

Inside, the dining room was bathed in soft light, creating a somewhat elegant atmosphere. I glanced around before my expression hardened. Rowell sat at the head of the table, sipping from a wine glass.

“Are you planning to just stand there?” Rowell raised his head without looking away from his wine.

I tucked Derol into my pocket and sat as far from him as possible.

I looked around the table and saw all the other seats were empty except Rowell’s. “You called it a dinner party, but there’s no one else here.”

“I’ve already received enough congratulations,” Rowell replied calmly and took another sip of wine.

I looked uneasily at the plate in front of me. The servant had just laid out a variety of dishes, but I couldn’t bring myself to touch any of them.

Who knew what he might’ve put in them.

As I remained still, Rowell set his wine glass down. He didn’t touch his food either and was now just staring at me. The atmosphere felt stifling, especially since we were alone.

“By the way, didn’t you say Ardion would be coming too? He’s late.”

“Ardion? He was supposed to come?”

“Yes, that’s what Arte told me earlier…”

“I told them to bring you here no matter what. It seems they even used Ardion’s name to do it.”

My expression soured. “Then Ardion isn’t coming?”

“Why would I call that guy too? He just pisses me off,” Rowell said coldly, his face clouding over.

I had known he didn’t like Ardion, but I hadn’t realized the hatred ran that deep.

Well, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. He was the one who sent Ardion to the frontier after all.

“So, what did you call me here for?” I just wanted him to say whatever he had to say so I could leave. He didn’t summon me for no reason, that much I was sure of.

Rowell didn’t answer. He leisurely picked up his knife. All I could do was watch as he cut into the meat.

What’s he playing at now? I stared at him, practically glaring.

Rowell eventually looked up. I didn’t bother hiding my expression, and he didn’t look the least bit surprised. Instead, he smiled faintly, as if he had expected me to react this way.

He glanced at the untouched plate in front of me. His brow furrowed slightly, and then he clicked his tongue softly and said in a smooth tone, “You should eat something. It’ll make talking more pleasant.”

“I don’t really have an appetite.”

Hearing my honest answer, Rowell chuckled. “Are you worried I’ve poisoned it or something?”

I said nothing.

He raised his wine glass again, a smirk on his lips. “That’s too simple. You should know killing you here would only get me killed too.”

That reminded me of the magical drug in my wrist. Derol was rustling in my pocket. I slipped my hand in and gently stroked him. He calmed down.

Tap, tap. I heard the soft sound of fingers drumming on the table. When I looked up, Rowell was staring at me. This time, his expression was blank, no trace of a smile. Our eyes met, and he gestured subtly.

“So go on. Eat. I don’t want to dine alone.”

“…”

“Don’t you know what disobeying my order means?” Rowell raised an eyebrow and gave a crooked grin. The tapping on the table grated on my nerves. Even when I turned away, I could still feel his gaze.

“Do you want to go back to prison? Because I can arrange that.”

He called for a servant. I let out a quiet sigh and, with a trembling hand, picked up a fork.

Rowell raised his hand. The servant hesitated, bowed quickly, and left the room. He must’ve learned to read the mood well from being around Rowell.

I took a small bite of salad. It’d be easier to vomit later if things went south.

“Now that’s more like it.”

His comment made my expression harden. More like it? What a joke. What did he know about me to say something like that?

I really couldn’t understand Rowell. I looked up and asked him directly, “Why did you call me here?”

Rowell stared at me, wine glass in hand. His gaze was piercing, like he was analyzing me. It made my skin crawl, and I set the fork down.

“I’m curious.”

“About what?”

“The scent you left at the trial, it’s been stuck in my head.”

What the hell was he talking about? I couldn’t keep my expression in check.

Rowell grinned, swirling his wine. “I didn’t believe it myself at first. People like you, commoners, usually have tainted blood. You can never be like me. Most of your kind vanish from my mind quickly…”

He tapped the table with his fingers, gazing at me with a faint smile. I didn’t avoid his eyes.

His smile deepened. “But somehow, your scent hasn’t left me. It even appears in my dreams.”

“…”

“It’s so vivid… It feels like you’re really there.”

He laughed under his breath. I felt a chill run down my spine.

If that’s true, then the times I saw Rowell in dreams… it wasn’t just in my head?

I suddenly had a very bad feeling. Come to think of it, he had seemed to be truly looking at me in those dreams.

Not wanting to be tied to him any longer, I hurriedly responded, “You probably saw me in your dreams because of the magical drug. Anyway, get rid of it already, unless you actually want to die with me.”

“Who knows? Maybe I do.”

I stared at him in shock. “Are you serious?”

“If I weren’t, why would I say something like that?”