[Side Story 6] Follow Me

Diane and Talprin's relationship was known only to the Duchess of McKinnon. It seemed that the doting father and daughter, who wanted to ignore the truth, didn't see it, no matter how close the two were in society.

However, regardless of whether they were dating or not, the McKinnon family often encountered Talprin. And Talprin, who had a lot to feel guilty about, seemed to have already picked up their way of speaking.

Neris nodded without any further comment.

"That's right."

"Even though I've been given the earldom, I'm still essentially alone, and I don't have a family to boast about in noble society."

"Oh, my husband already told me that you're a descendant of a particularly historic family in Meindlandt."

The surname "Wirtam" wasn't just given to him randomly. It was the name of Talprin's original family, a former family that had been among the top one or two of the subordinate lord families in the Grand Duchy of Meindlandt.

No matter how generous the master was, working in the shadows was always difficult and dangerous. If they weren't going to use him for that kind of work, there was no reason to raise someone in the shadows. And a descendant of a noble family who was in charge of the shadows? That was a story that only existed in novels.

But in Talprin's case, the circumstances were understandable. When he was very young, the former Grand Duke went insane, and countless families were mercilessly wiped out. During that time, the former young master became a beggar on the streets.

Neris didn't know the specifics of what happened at the time. If she asked Cledwin, he would probably explain it in detail, but she didn't want to pry that much. She could only speculate, based on Talprin's behavior, who still wanted to be called by his name rather than his title, even though he had already gained a considerable position.

As usual, whenever the story of his family's past came up, Talprin's eyebrows twitched uncomfortably. And as if he didn't know, he continued what he was saying.

The McKinnon family has suffered so much humiliation just because their family history is short, even though they have everything else. Maybe this is the time to form an alliance with a truly well-established family…

"Wait a minute."

She couldn't just let that slide. Neris frowned.

"Are you saying you're going to break up with Dee?"

Talprin couldn't answer. Even though his expression clearly said "Absolutely not." Neris was angry. It was time for her to be.

"If you really think that, I can't help but be disappointed. The old order has crumbled a lot with the new establishment of the Empire. Especially, how meaningless those so-called historic families are, haven't the Bisto and Elandria families proven it themselves? No one brings up family history anymore. At least not in front of me!"

That was true.

Hadn't it been revealed to the whole world that the two most historic and prestigious families in this Empire were built on lies?

In the dark corners of society, yes, there were still those who clung to family history and puffed up their chests. But their clinging to the old order was purely because they lacked the capacity to adapt to the new order, and their only solace was their memories. No one thought they were great.

The respected Empress's anger was very justified. Talprin knew that. He couldn't even meet her eyes.

Neris, still frowning, continued.

"If you want to break up, then break up. I can find you twelve men who would die for Dee. But if you're going to keep seeing her, behave yourself. Otherwise, she'll dump you first. At least the men I've seen Dee with so far…"

Talprin's ears perked up, pretending not to. She suddenly felt her anger subside and sighed.

"…They were honest people. Dee didn't look for the sons of great families. She looked for someone who would cherish her for life. So if you intend to cherish her for life, don't hesitate. And if you like her but won't say it, and keep your mouth shut like this, don't drag it out."

A short silence followed.

Talprin, as if sighing, finally confided his true feelings.

"Miss Diane… she's so dazzling, I'm afraid she'll be disappointed in someone twisted like me someday. It's a miracle that someone so loved is liking me now…"

Neris's anger subsided further. She knew that feeling.

People who can't bring themselves to value themselves highly because of past events have a hard time admitting love. Even their own feelings of affection feel too pathetic, too shameful to offer to someone so dazzling.

But wouldn't it be even more shameful to run away and inflict irreparable damage on the other person?

Knowing this very well, Neris clicked her tongue lightly.

"You can't just find and meet someone who you think is pathetic, can you? Of course, you'll see them in a good light if you love them. …Anyway, it's not good to be so absent-minded all day, so you should go to that ball right away. Duke Hilbrin must have invited you, right?"

***

"You still have the will to live, I can see it in your eyes. If you want something, follow me."

Talprin could still vividly recall it, as if it were yesterday. The moment Cledwin Meindlandt appeared before him, a winter day with heavy snow, as he wandered the back alleys of Penmerwick barefoot.

The Wirtam family was among the most prominent of the many noble families in Meindlandt. They had formed kinship ties with countless other noble families, namely the powerful subordinate lord families and the Grand Duke's vassals, and their influence was just as great. The mansion they had lived in for generations was as magnificent as a castle, and they had countless heirlooms, so even the children played with jewels.

Talprin Wirtam was the second child of that family. He had an older brother and a younger sister. His brother was a clever heir and received attention, and his sister, being the youngest, was also charming and received attention. The guests who came and went every day praised his brother and sister with insincere words.

Although he loved his family, Talprin sometimes thought he envied those who didn't have siblings. That way, he could be the only one who received love.

However, on the day when his entire family, except for him, was massacred, Talprin realized how self-indulgent his complaints had been.

Just because a family was respected didn't mean they had no enemies. There were enemy families with a long history of grudges, as well as those who envied their wealth and fame. When the former Grand Duchess died and the former Grand Duke went mad, those who had always disliked the Wirtam family joined hands with the Grand Duke's elders and killed every member of the family overnight, burning down their home.

Talprin, who was not even ten years old at the time, survived only by chance. A chance he hadn't wished for, like the fact that he couldn't sleep that night and went out to play in the garden alone.

He wasn't a servant, but a direct descendant. The enemies couldn't have missed the fact that one body was missing. Talprin smeared mud on his once handsome face and quickly exchanged any items that might reveal his identity with others. And he began a life on the streets, feeling threatened every day.

He stole, lied, took, and begged. There was nothing he didn't do to survive. But in those days, everyone was struggling to survive. The once handsome young master disappeared soon after, leaving only a bitter beggar.

He had to move countless times. The former territory where the Wirtam family's main house was located was passed on to the elder who had joined hands with the enemy, and when he somehow reached the neighboring territory, there was a conflict among the street children. He was caught by the ruler of the back alleys and ran away, and his identity was revealed and he ran away again. When he came to his senses, Talprin was in Penmerwick, far from the Wirtam family's territory.

'No, did I go there on purpose? Did I walk all that way?'

Talprin had been sharp since he was a child. He couldn't have missed the fact that the Grand Duke's negligence was at the root of everything that had gone wrong.

Penmerwick's back alleys were more spacious than those in other territories. When he joined the gang that was growing like crazy at the time, there was a place for him to sleep at night. The people on the streets were much more ruthless, but if he impressed his superiors, he got bread.

A fake identity, a fake face, a fake personality. Talprin disguised himself perfectly to keep his identity as the last survivor of the Wirtam family a secret from everyone. Luckily, he was talented. As he carved out his place among the disgusting thugs, he often kept an eye on the Grand Duke's mansion.

To get in? Maybe he had thought about it. There was no way a pathetic little beggar could punch the Grand Duke in the face, but somehow, he couldn't let it go. He might die as soon as he entered the mansion… but he thought it would be satisfying to yell at the Grand Duke's high-ranking officials.

See what you've done to me.

But the Grand Duke's mansion was still the Grand Duke's mansion, even if its owner had lost his mind. Talprin, no matter how clever he was, was still a little kid with nothing to his name. He had no chance of encountering the Grand Duke, his son, or the elders around him.

He had been watching for months. Then something happened to Talprin.

There were many green kids in the gang that ruled Penmerwick's back alleys. Naturally, more than half of them were natives of Penmerwick. Some of them, who thought it was a great future to become the worst thugs, resented Talprin, who was from out of town and was favored by the higher-ups.

'He sold information to the enemy gang.' That flimsy accusation was enough. The thugs, who had plenty of little thieves to run errands for them, didn't even bother to verify the truth and chased Talprin away. To be precise, they threw him away. They beat him so badly that he was left on the cold street, where the heavy snow was falling.

Talprin thought he was going to die this time. He sat down on the side of the road and looked up at the sky. It wasn't even surprising anymore to see people dying on the road around this time. No one paid any attention to Talprin.

Why did I even bother to live, if this is how it's going to end? I wish I had died with my family.

He was taller and stronger than he was on the day of the attack, but he felt like a child again. Talprin closed his eyes, ready to die.

That is, until a giant shadow fell over him.

Was it an adult coming to kick him away? With snow covering his head and eyebrows, Talprin opened his eyes. But the shadow he felt wasn't a human's, but the shadow of a carriage. A carriage so luxurious and clean, it seemed like it was from another world.

Talprin recognized the crest engraved on the carriage door like a bolt of lightning. It was the Grand Duke's.

The door opened, and a boy who looked about Talprin's age stepped out. The boy was so beautiful that it was hard to believe he was human. He had black hair and gray eyes, so he must have been the Grand Duke's only direct heir.

The Grand Duke's family. Hatred flared in Talprin's eyes, which were finally finding peace. The boy, with his cold face, looked down at Talprin and raised his eyebrows.

"I thought there was a corpse lying around where people walk."

"Your Grace, you don't seem to know, but these days, there are many corpses in Meindlandt, even where people walk."

The boy, Cledwin, didn't get angry at Talprin's insolent words. He just laughed, as if he found him amusing.

"I know. I took care of one here yesterday."

He said that and picked up Talprin.

Talprin couldn't understand why the noble boy would pick up a beggar boy who was on the verge of death. Was it hypocrisy? Was he trying to convince himself that he was living a righteous life, ignoring the fact that the people were dying because their noble ruler had abandoned them, and picking up a child like a distraction, making him a servant?

He learned later. He learned that young Cledwin was taking care of the people of Penmerwick as much as he could, caught between his nonexistent father and the elders who were abusing their power.

All the young, clumsy boy could do was to look around the streets whenever he had time, pick up corpses on the side of the road, and try to give jobs to those who were starving. More realistically, changing the structure of society and rooting out corruption was too much for the little boy.

But as he followed Cledwin, Talprin gradually came to believe. If that boy, who gritted his teeth in helplessness but silently moved forward step by step, couldn't change Meindlandt, then no one could.

It wasn't long after he was picked up that Talprin started using the term "Master." It was also around the time that Aidan and Talprin first punched each other.

'What a ridiculous thing.'

Even after being picked up by Cledwin, Talprin continued to suffer, doing dirty work for a long time. After all, Cledwin himself had been on the verge of death, so what could he do? Talprin thought that he had lived a pretty good life, considering he had survived all that.

But was that enough for Diane McKinnon?