97 Marina’s Side — Alan’s Past

"Imbecile! How dare you hit your fiance like that? Apologize! Right now!"

"I'm not gonna! She's the one in the wrong! She bullied Myrna!"

"Myrna?! That scullery maid girl? I told you to stop playing with her already, didn't I? She's not fit to be your playmate, especially when you have Luna around!"

"Luna is a big meanie! I don't wanna play with her! I wanna play with Myrna!"

"For Milicis' sake, when will you start to grow up?! You're already ten years old! You should already know your duties as the heir of the House of Archimond! You can't be fooling around with a girl not of your stature like that! If your marriage is going to go through, then you have to make Luna happy! I already told you how important it is for our house and hers to be united, especially after all the crop failures we suffered over the years."

"I don't want to marry Luna! I wanna marry Myrna instead!"

"You stupid child!"

With his large and strong hand, the earl slapped the boy on his left cheek, causing him to fall down to the floor.

"Philip! You can't do that to him!"

A woman quickly rushed over to the boy, cradling him in her arms. She was the boy's mother, and the wife of the man that had hit him.

Philip and Ariel Archimond. They were indeed the parents of this boy, Alancourt Archimond.

The father and the boy were quite alike in their features. Both had light brown hair and brown eyes. The father had a sharp, handsome look and it was expected for the son to have a similar attractive look once he grew older. However, for now, the boy was more cute than handsome. Some of his mother's beauty must have rubbed off on her.

Speaking of the mother, she was indeed a very gorgeous woman. Wearing a dark green dress, she had long, flowing golden hair that reached down her waist. Her eyes were crimson red, but instead of being a slight to her beauty, they only enhanced it.

"You're spoiling him, Ariel. That boy needs to learn his place."

"But you don't have to hit him that hard, do you?!"

"It's what he deserves for hitting a girl. No son of mine would be as unchivalrous to do such a thing."

The wife looked at the husband with an exasperated and angry look, but ultimately she decided to drop the issue, knowing just how stubborn he could be.

"Are you alright, dearie?" She asked her son.

"I-I'm fine, mother. A slap like that… I didn't even feel a thing."

It was all too obvious for the mother's eyes that he was merely bluffing. Tears were pooling in his eyes and his legs were shaking as he stood back up.

"I will protect Myrna! I don't care if it's from Luna or you!" He pointed his finger towards the father. "I will make her happy, no matter what!"

After saying those words, he stormed out of the room, ignoring the plea from his mother to stop.

This, and many similar incidents before and after, would lead to the tragedy that pretty much destroyed the noble family of Archimond.

-------

"Hmm… hmm… hmm… wiping the floor… wiping the floor… make it clean and spotless so no dust or dirt is around…"

The girl who was currently singing to herself as she mopped the floor was none other than Myrna, the scullery maid Alan was so fascinated by. It would be fair to say that she was his first love.

Myrna was the type of girl that didn't hope or think much for the future, like many other commoners of her stature. She was happy enough to be able to feed herself and her family with her job here. The Lord was even generous enough to give her a week of holiday every year for her to return to her village and visit her family there.

And so, when she suddenly received the affection of the manor's noble son, she just thought it was a simple boyhood fancy. It wasn't that odd. His own little brother back at the village had his own girl he was obsessed with.

"Hey, Myrna! Stop working so hard and play with me!"

It was Alan. With a grin on his face, he ran up to her as if she was his friend and not his servant.

"Young Master Alan, apologies but I still am not finished with this corridor yet," she answered him as politely as possible.

"Aww, really?" He scratched the back of his head. "That's a bummer… Oh, I know! Why don't I help you, Myrna? That way, you'll finish up faster, right?"

"Young Master! I can't possibly—"

Before the maid could say anything, he snatched the mop from her hands and started moving it back and forth on the floor.

"Young Master! I'll get scolded by the head maid if she saw me giving my work to you!"

"That old hag again, huh? Don't worry. I'll go talk to her if that happens."

"Young Master! A future Earl like you can't be doing this kind of thing! It's our job as your servants to—"

"Sheesh, Myrna. You're kinda noisy today, aren't you? You started to talk like Father." He chuckled. "I don't think it's a bad thing though. I can bear a nagging woman if she's as cute as you."

"Y-Young Master!" The maid turned crimson.

Indeed. Alan was already a womanizer even at this age.

"Hey?! What's going on here?!"

Alan groaned. He perfectly knew that shrill, high-pitched voice.

"Tch, it's you, Luna." His grin disappeared instantly, replaced by a frown."

"Is that any way to talk with your fiance? Especially after she goes all the way out here just to see her darling~♥"

Luna Fentyr. The girl Alan was stuck in an arranged marriage in. She was pretty much the embodiment of a snobby, arrogant young noble, especially towards those of lower social status than her. Ironically, her father was only a Viscount, so Alan outranked her as the son of an Earl. She was married off to him so her family could gain more influence in court. On the other hand, the reason why Alan was forced into said marriage was because of her family's wealth, as the Earl needed the funds he would get if Luna became Alan's wife for his struggling region.

Unlike Myrna's dull maid outfit, she wore a glamorous crimson red fur coat that matched beautifully with her black curls and purple eyes. Just by one look you could tell that she was a noble's daughter.

"Why are you holding a mop? Don't tell me that maid made you do it!"

"Myrna doesn't make me do it! I chose to do it on my own! So go away! You still haven't apologized for all the things you did to her so I don't want to see your face around!" Alan yelled.

The noble girl had indeed done some terrible things to the maid. First, it was merely insults and threats. She told her not to go anywhere near her darling Alan or else she'll get her fired. Then, when she still saw her being around him, it quickly escalated. She would put frogs and bugs under her dress, kick her bucket as she cleaned, and even slap her as she pleased. The maid could only beg for forgiveness, saying over and over that she didn't want to steal her fiance, but she didn't listen. After all, Alan kept preferring the maid over her. So the maid must have been seducing him when she wasn't looking.

Yes. Even though she was still 10 years old, she was already madly in love with Alan. Ever since he saved her from those things that tried to kidnap her on their date, she was convinced he was her chosen one. Her soulmate. Her knight in shining armor.

So for this whore to even attempt to seduce her darling (a word she learned from her mother), it was unacceptable to her.

Her last bullying was her actually casting a Fireball at her hair. She thought it would be funny to turn the maid bald. Only to end up receiving a slap from Alan for it.

It made her leave the mansion immediately, telling her maids that she didn't want to be here anymore. All the while crying non-stop.

The incident happened months ago. And now, she was back for another stay.

Only for Alan to yell at her like this, right after she caught him flirting with the maid yet again.

Her fists clenched. Why?! Why does he only care about her?! Am I not pretty enough? Papa always says that I'm the prettiest girl in the whole world.

... It's because of those two lascivious mounds, isn't it? I remember Mama yelling at Papa for staring at a maid's chest. Boys like them big, don't they?

Indeed. The maid, even though she was just a few years older than the little lady, was already quite well-stacked in that department.

But then, to Alan's surprise, the young lady's angry frown suddenly turned into a smile.

"Very well. I'll leave you two on your own then for now."

And just like that, she left.

If Alan had been smarter, he might have realized that there was something off about her.

Alas, when he did, it was already too late. Too late indeed.

------

The first time someone noticed that the necklace had gone missing was when Alan's mother was about to wear it for a party she was going to attend.

At first, the maids that attended to her simply believed that they must have misplaced the jewelry. However, after searching high and low inside her room in a panic, they realized with pure dread that the necklace was indeed missing.

It wasn't just any necklace. It was an outrageously expensive one, decorated by polished high-grade diamonds that sparkled in the most beautiful manner. It was an heirloom, handed over down the generations from her family. Not only it was precious, it also had a high sentimental value to her as a result.

It was all too obvious that if one were to steal it and sell it in the black market, they would be set for life.

And thus, the entire mansion went into an uproar.

A massive search was immediately ordered by the Earl. No men or women could enter or leave as every single servant and guard were dispatched to scour the estate for its whereabouts.

And then, it was discovered, hidden inside the wardrobe of a certain scullery maid.

Myrna's wardrobe.

Without mercy, the guards dragged her to the Earl, all the while she was crying, begging to them that she didn't know anything about the necklace, and that she would never steal from the family that had treated her so well ever since she worked as their servant. Alan of course vouched for her innocence, insisting to his father that she could never do such a heinous, filthy thing as being a thief. However, the proof was stacked against her. Especially since Luna gave her testimony that she had seen her walking near Ariel's room. As a low-class maid, that area of the floor was off-limits to her. There were other, more experienced maids who would clean the place there.

"Are you sure you saw her there, Luna?" Philip asked, his brows furrowing.

"Yes, I'm sure of it, Father." She already called him that as if she was already married to Alan. "I saw her wandering there just a few hours ago."

"No, I didn't! I swear I didn't go there!" The maid protested. "Y-you must be mistaken!"

"Father, please be lenient to her. She was just a child after all."

She put up her puppy eyes and sweet voice as she tugged on the Earl's sleeves.

Alan wasn't fooled however. He saw the small, almost imperceptible smile on her face, and immediately he connected the dots.

She was the one who had stolen the necklace and put it in the maid's wardrobe. This was yet again one of her harassment antics.

This time however, she had truly crossed the line. Alan immediately flew into a rage, grabbing her on the collar (he was taller than her by a good few inches). "You! You were the one who put the necklace into her wardrobe, didn't you?"

"W-wha— I-I don't know what you're talking about, darling!"

"Don't lie to me! You did it, didn't you? You always tormented her every time you came to our house!"

"F-Father, please help! A-Alan is hurting me!"

"Alan! Put her down right now!" The earl yelled.

"But Father, she's the one who—"

"I SAID PUT HER DOWN! RIGHT NOW!"

Still with righteous fury, he threw the noble girl to the floor.

"U-uwaaaaahhhh!"

Luna immediately broke into tears. But Alan's heart didn't budge. He knew it was just her faking it to gain sympathy from her surroundings. And it worked, as his mother promptly came to her and lifted her up to comfort her.

"Alan!" It was her turn to scold him. "How can you treat her like that? I am disappointed in you!"

Alan flinched. He was already used with the scolding of his father. But when it was his kind and angelic mother who did it, it really felt as if he had done something truly awful and horrible.

"B-but Mother, Mryna is being set up by—"

"Alan! Look at you! You're being used by her! She knows you are fond of her so she decides to use that trust, thinking you'll cover her for her! I always told you, didn't I, to be always on-guard from any girls and women that show their interest in you? As the son of an earl, you are a powerful and wealthy person, and they might only get close to you just to gain that power and wealth for themselves."

"That's Luna! She's the manipulative and scheming one! Myrna would never—"

"SILEEEENCE!"

The room immediately went as quiet as it could be. It was the Earl. And he had just shouted like he had never shouted before.

Alan flinched once more. He never saw his father being this angry before.

"Guards, take this little thieving maid away. As a display of mercy, I shall not hang her in the gallows. Instead, I shall banish her from this mansion and its city in its entirety. Never again shall she step foot here."

"Father, you can't—"

"And you, Alan. Get back to your room."

Her father's glare terrified him to his very core. It was no longer the anger of a parent who was disciplining his child. It was true anger, something he had never been exposed to before.

"It's fine, Young Master." Suddenly, the maid spoke. "I will leave."

"Myrna, you can't say that! I won't allow it! You have done nothing wrong so you can't just—"

"It's alright." Her eyes were brimming with tears at this point. "These past five years… it's been fun." She then turned to the Earl and said, "Thank you very much for everything you have done for me all this time, Milord. Please, forgive my ungrateful, thieving self." She bowed as deeply as she could, before letting the guards take her away.

"Myrna! Myryna!"

Alan tried to chase after her, but the Earl, in a surprising display of strength, gripped the boy's arm so tightly that he couldn't release himself from it.

And that, was the tragedy that befell the Archimond house.

----------

Alan later on confronted Luna on his own. And true enough, with a smug smile on her face, she admitted that it was indeed her who concocted the scheme to accuse the maid of being a thief. She did it all for the sake of her love, so that the whore would finally stop seducing him once and for all. She had come up with the plan for months, and she had executed it with the help of the servants that arrived with her.

Alan didn't even hit her for it. However, the glare that he gave her—even her thick skull realized that she had crossed a line she should have never crossed. It made her decide to leave early, hoping that after a few more months down the line, he would have forgotten all about that maid.

She never confessed the truth, of course. She was too much of a spoiled brat for that.

Later on, it was discovered that Myrna, who was sent away right in the middle of winter night, had returned on foot towards her village. However, she was caught in a snowstorm who suddenly occurred (an all too common occurrence in the area) and was mauled to a pack of snow wolves who would appear en masse in such weather.

When Alan learned of the news, it broke him.

But not in a way that made him break down crying. He cried, of course, but he cried in private, away from anyone's prying eyes and ears.

He then decided. He would no longer want anything to do with this life as a son of an earl.

If this is what it means to be a noble, then screw it all to hell! I don't need any of this! I can just live as an adventurer! I'm quite good with the sword after all!

Luna, Father, Mother, they're all the same. They see Myrna as a mere servant. They didn't mourn in the slightest when they heard of her death. And they still believed Luna's lies as well.

He wrote down his parting letter, packed his things, and sneaked out of the estate in the middle of the night.

It was the end of Alancourt Archimond, and the start of Alan Greenwood. There was nothing special about his made-up last name. He simply thought it up on the spot.

When his parents realized his disappearance, and found his letter, he was already far away from the city. The Earl told every single one of his guards to search for him. He even paid a handsome sum to the Adventurers' Guild to put up a missing person quest. But Alan was smart. He knew how to avoid capture from even all those adventurers. He quickly headed to the border, to leave the kingdom in its entirety.

When it dawned on his mother that Alan was never going to return, it broke her as well.

She would wail around crying, begging to every servant she met to search for her son. Slowly but surely, her beauty and intellect wasted away. Her figure turned thin and the bright glimmer in her eyes disappeared. Eventually, the servants and even the citizens outside started to call her the "Mad Beauty" or the "Wilting Rose". And every time the Earl heard that mocking title, he would order a flogging for the perpetrator, not caring in the slightest that it would make him look like a tyrant in the eyes of his subjects.

He knew however that there was truly no saving her, without her son being present. There was no spell or potion that could cure madness in this world.

In her last days, she would hallucinate that her son was there. She would hug her servants at random, sobbing with joy that her son had finally returned to her. She would even start to have a dialogue with said imagination, giggling as she did.

When the Saint finally saw it fit to deliver her poor soul away from this mortal realm, the Earl, as much as he hated it, admitted that it was for the best.

Thus, without realizing it, Alan Greenwood had killed his very own mother with grief.

And he never knew of said truth even after he died, as he never once returned to his home after he left. He traveled the world as an adventurer, growing as a swordsman using his own raw talent. The only times he sent any letters back home was when he married Renee, and when she gave birth to Marina, Hugo, and Erika. And he always did it through an untraceable route, absolutely making sure that her father would never be able to find where he lived.

If only he had known that his mother had perished because of him leaving, perhaps he would go back immediately and beg for his father's apology.

But that opportunity had vanished now. Just like how his first love perished in the cold, so did he.

He was born in the middle of a cold winter, and he died in the middle of one as well.