Side Story 3 (Part 2)

The merchant swallowed hard at Robin’s expression and scratched his neck. It seemed Robin’s reaction wasn’t what he expected, as he shifted slightly in his seat, unable to hold back, and gestured for Robin to come closer with a frustrated look.  

“Come on, hurry.”  

When Robin only slightly turned his head without moving his body at the merchant’s urging hand,  

“Hmm.”  

The merchant cleared his throat lightly, covered his mouth with his hand, and whispered even more quietly than before.  

“They say that Lady Olivie Elphano is an illegitimate child.”  

“…….”  

Despite the subtle whisper, the merchant quickly spat out the words, then leaned back, tapping the table with his fingertip. He nodded as if he had just revealed an incredible secret, maintaining eye contact with Robin.  

“Ah.”  

As if he had something more to say, he leaned toward Robin again.  

“Her birth mother was a commoner.”

This time, he tapped the table a couple more times before leaning back and picking up his glass. He wore a very smug expression, as if he had shared some precious gossip.  

“How did you find out?”  

“I looked into it.”  

“…….”  

“Why on earth would a prestigious family like Elphano choose a place like the Caylen family? Isn’t there something I’m missing? Merchants like me are very sensitive to such things. Every little thing is about money and…”

He made a circle with his thumb and forefinger, then shook his head as if coming to his senses.  

“Anyway, I was curious, so I looked into it, and it was because of that.”  

“…….”  

Illegitimate child.  

He mouthed the words silently and quickly looked around.  

“A family that’s not noteworthy and must rely on Elphano to survive wouldn’t dare ignore the lady. It seems the Earl of Elphano made that choice.”

“…….”  

“Honestly, Caylen lacks even the basics. All they have is the name of a prestigious family.”

The merchant clicked his tongue.  

“No money, no competence, and their territory isn’t even large?”

“…….”  

“It seems the Earl of Elphano found Louis Caylen to be kind and saw some potential, but who knows.”

The merchant gulped down the moonshine, making a gulping sound.  

“…….”  

But Robin was in a state where he couldn’t hear anything the merchant sitting in front of him was babbling on about.  

Illegitimate child.  

‘Olivie is an illegitimate child.’  

It was a shock.  

Not because Olivie was an illegitimate child.

It was surprising, but it didn’t influence his decision.  

What he liked was Olivie herself, not the name of Lady Olivie Elphano.  

The shock came from his father.  

After his mother’s funeral, when Earl Tanner mentioned looking for a marriage partner for him, Robin first brought up his engagement with Olivie.  

At that moment, the reason for the fleeting discomfort on his father’s face.  

‘Was it because of this?’  

Robin bit his lower lip.

‘I understand your intentions well. Let’s wait a bit. The situation with that family doesn’t seem easy.’

That day, Robin hadn’t expected his father to say such a thing, and frankly, he was taken aback.  

He had known Olivie since she was very young. Moreover, his father had always been fond of Olivie among Emily’s friends and was even old friends with the Earl of Elphano.

Therefore, Robin found it even harder to understand his father’s troubled expression.  

But then.  

“Since I know, it’s likely that the rumor about the lady being an illegitimate child has spread, making it difficult to secure a marriage partner.”

Listening to the merchant now, he seemed to understand why things had gone awry.  

His father must have known the Elphano family’s secret.

And why he hadn’t told him the truth.  

‘If I had known, I wouldn’t have backed down then; I would have pushed even harder.’  

Yes, in that situation, he wouldn’t have arrogantly waited for her, and he would have ignored the fact that she was young.  

“Damn.”  

Robin bit his lips hard.  

He had a reasonable suspicion that perhaps at this very time, the fact that he was in the distant Veroa Empire might also have been influenced by his father’s intentions.  

No, it wasn’t just suspicion.

‘It’s certainty.’  

Otherwise, there was no way everyone would have kept such coordinated silence, not delivering any news to him. Even the merchant who happened to pass through Plen was making such a fuss about the engagement of the two.  

It was all due to his own complacency.  

He shouldn’t have believed his father’s words so blindly.  

“Ha.”  

With a deep sigh, Robin Tanner ran his hand through his hair and stood up in front of the merchant.

“Thank you for the news. I’ll provide the meal for the merchant group, so please enjoy it, and I’ll see you later in Plen.”  

“Oh, there’s really no need to go this far. Haha.”  

The merchant glanced at his subordinates and rubbed under his nose.  

“Then we’ll gratefully eat and drink.”  

Robin, lightly bowing to the somewhat drunk merchant, turned his body.  

“…….”  

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and stood in front of the merchant.

“Uh, why. Is there something wrong?”

The merchant, caught off guard by Robin’s cold expression, stammered slightly as he looked up. But Robin’s unwavering gaze, without answering the question, prompted the merchant to stand up belatedly.

Even though they had spoken casually, a noble was still a noble, thought the merchant, scratching the back of his head. Then he awkwardly bowed slightly.

“Please go safely…….”  

“Merchant.”  

However, Robin approached him closely, as if uninterested in his polite gestures. Then, looking at the frozen face of the merchant, he coldly warned,  

“You should be more careful with your words from now on.”

“…….”  

“If you carelessly spread any of the rumors you heard in Plen, including today’s, things will become very difficult for you.”

“…….”  

“Do you understand?”

It wasn’t just an empty threat.  

In short, it was a warning that if he spread the stories he had shared today elsewhere, he wouldn’t let it slide.  

The merchant, frozen in his awkward bow, glanced up at Robin, who was pressing him with each deliberate word.

“…….”  

As Robin slightly tilted his head, as if demanding an answer, the merchant averted his eyes and nodded.

“Ah, yes, yes. Of course.”  

The merchant avoided his gaze and lowered his head.  

Only after that response did Robin straighten his posture and leave, and the merchant, watching the spot where he disappeared, pressed his lips even tighter.

* * *

Without needing any confirmation, what greeted Robin upon his return from the Veroa Empire was talk of Olivie Elphano’s engagement ceremony.  

It was the fastest confirmed engagement among the debutantes of that year, and it was held so lavishly, almost flaunting the wealth of Elphano, that the discussions were endless.  

Even his private meeting with his father went exactly as Robin had expected.  

“The girl who is Emily’s friend and the future mistress of the Tanner family should be different. Isn’t that only natural?”  

Instead, Earl Tanner scolded Robin for not coming to his senses even after knowing the truth.  

“Forget Olivie. She’s already someone from another family, so what can you do? In that time, you should focus on your own marriage…”  

“If it’s not Olivie, I will not marry.”  

“Robin Tanner.”  

At Robin’s stubborn expression, Earl Tanner widened his eyes.  

However, Robin, who was completely indifferent to his father’s expression, lifted his head.  

“Surely, you didn’t think that by getting rid of Olivie like this, I would obediently follow your wishes.”  

“…….”  

“Or perhaps… did you personally take on the role of matchmaker?”  

At Robin’s words, Earl Tanner, who was glaring at him, closed his mouth.  

It was true that after realizing his son had feelings for the daughter of Elphano, he introduced Caylen to Earl Elphano, who was contemplating his daughter’s marriage.  

It was a decent family, and he persuaded the Earl of Elphano that such a match was necessary for Olivie to marry and live wielding influence.

He believed that if Olivie’s marriage was quickly arranged, Robin would give up.  

But now Robin was exposing his father’s disgraceful actions.  

“You must know better than anyone what kind of family Caylen is.”  

“They are a solid and historically significant family. They just happen to be facing financial difficulties due to…”  

“Isn’t that so-called difficulty due to gambling and womanizing?”  

“Robin Tanner!”  

Earl Tanner raised his voice at Robin’s sarcastic remark.  

But Robin did not back down.  

“I’ll say it clearly once again.”  

“…….”  

“If it’s not Olivie, I will not marry.”