How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

“But madam, what does this bird eat? bug?”

 

“Peeep!”

 

The bird’s fur stands up at the mention of bugs. I chuckle as Rake flaps his wings.

 

“I guess Rake doesn’t like bugs. I think dried tree fruits or grains will do.” 

 

“Oh! This bird nodded his head at Madam’s words! It seemed like he understood what people were saying. Judging by his reaction, it seems like he knows what dried tree fruits and grains are.”

 

A series of bird sounds were heard as if it was natural. Amy continued to exclaim in exclamation, saying that she had never seen such a clever bird before.

 

Then, as if she belatedly remembered what she had to do, she said that she would bring snacks for the birds along with the meal, and then left my bedroom.

 

After finishing a light breakfast with Noah, not only Amy but also the other maids became aware of Rake’s existence.

 

“Oh my, you’re so cute! I’ve never seen a bird with such pretty fur.”

 

“The fur color is similar to that of a snowfox. It’s not like it’s a monster, right?” 

 

“Oh, no way. I can’t see the magic stone.”

 

“And if it was a monster, other knights and wizards would have noticed. Right?”

 

“Yes. That bird doesn’t seem to be a monster. I can’t feel the energy of the magic stone at all.”

 

With Ethan’s guarantee, the maids were able to pet my pet bird with peace of mind. As a result, within a day of becoming my pet bird, a large birdcage, a feeder, a water container, and and a perch for the bird to rest on were all prepared in my bedroom.

 

“Rake, here are dried raspberries. Do you like this?”

 

“Peep, peep!”

 

“Look at the way he cries! He’s so cute!”

 

“By the way, madam, how did you name it Rake? Does the name have any other meaning?”

 

“Just that…I added it to make it easier to call it.”

 

Actually, it had meaning.

 

Although the tips of his fur were light blue, the down that covered Rake’s body was basically white.

 

A white, round mass. Looking at Rake, I couldn’t help but think of

Tteok

, but I couldn’t name my new bird

Tteok

.

 TL: Tteok in English Is rice cakes. 

Instead, I realized that

Tteok

is rice cake in English, so I shortened it to Rake. I can’t explain it to anyone.

 

As if it wasn’t afraid of people’s hands, Rake puffed up his chest fur as if it was only natural for him to be loved by the maids.

 

I just watched him with my arms crossed and made a noise. 

 

“Rake look used to being touched by people.… Did anyone raise him?” 

 

“Oh, maybe so.”

 

“Shall we find out if there is an owner?” 

 

“Yes, sure.”

 

It only took a few hours to find out if Rake had an original owner. 

 

Because the workers or maids were not allowed to raise animals, all they had to do was visit the knights and the wizards.

 

As a result of the investigation, the only animals that the Knight of Heilang kept separately at their dormitory were six hunting dogs.

 

It was also said that, excluding Ruby, the only animals that Wizard keeps separately at their dormitory are two cats and a canary.

 

I also visited the bird’s nesting bush where they keep the birds, but they said they don’t raise small birds like Rake there either.

 

“Instead, they hang bird feeders all over the trees, so I wonder if the bird could sneak in there and steal the food.”

 

“Hmm, that might be possible.”

 

At that time, It was as if the habit had become ingrained in Rake, and one minute he was gone and the next he was back in his cage, snoozing contentedly.

 

It looks slim because its body is small.

 

The maids, who were initially panicking that he was missing, stopped worrying and thought that he must have gone off to play somewhere else.

 

In just three days, Rakenaturally became a part of our family as if he had always been there.

 

But that didn’t mean everyone in Ajas Castle was mesmerized by Rake’s cuteness.

 

My guards were worried that Rake, who kept using my head and shoulders to perch, might hurt my body, and Lucius looked at Rake with disapproving eyes, saying that he was damaging the dignity of Marquise.

 

But even so, they never told me not to raise Rake. except for one. No, just one.

 

Ruby, who had been banned from the castle as punishment for tearing my dress and Noah’s shawl into pieces, hated Rake very much.

 

* * * 

 

“Nyaaang!”

 

“peep, peep, peep!”

 

“Nyaang, Nyaaaang!”

 

“It’s me, Madam. Is it okay to leave them like that?” 

 

“Leave them alone. They say kids usually become friends after fighting.”

 

“Isn’t that a story about human?” 

 

“The animals will too.”

 

‘maybe…’

 

I swallowed the words I couldn’t get out of my mouth and glanced towards the other side of the office.

 

There, Ruby and Rake were tangled together and fighting. 

 

Every time Ruby swung his front paw or tried to hit Rake with his tail, Rake flapped his tiny wings and managed to avoid Ruby’s attack. 

 

If this was a game,

MISS

must have come up dozens of times.

 

Ruby even pulled out his claws, but was unable to hit Rake.

 

“Nyaaaang!”

 

A small flame breath burst out from Ruby’s mouth. However, Rake leisurely spread his wings and flew high enough to touch the ceiling, and Sage, who was watching by their side, quickly cast a water spell and extinguished Ruby’s flame breath.

 

“Ruby, didn’t I say you can’t use flame breath in the castle?” 

 

“Nyang, Nyang.”

 

“Rake is your friend now, you can’t keep attacking him like that.” 

 

“Peep, Peep.”

 

Rake, who had been drawing a circle in the air, landed on Sage’s shoulder and made an obnoxious squeak. As if he was saying that Sage was on his side.

 

Rake didn’t really mean it that way, and even if he had, Ruby wouldn’t have understood it.

 

As if he had been provoked, Ruby spread his wings and tried to pounce on Sage, or more specifically, Rake, who was sitting on her shoulder.

 

“No, sit down.”

 

“Ugh!”

 

But before his feet could leave the ground, Ruby was intercepted by Sage’s wind shield.

 

“Ruby, Why are you being such a troublemaker today?”

 

“nyang, nyang!”

 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re happy to have a friend, but you need to calm down. Rake is a lot smaller than you, and you might hurt rake.”

 

Sage’s soothing consolation did not seem to have any effect on Ruby. 

 

Suddenly, I remembered the cat and mouse animation I watched as a child in my last life and shook my head.

 

‘They are not going to become enemies like that….’

 

I brought Ruby to the office with the intention of getting them to become closer, in case a tragedy occurred where Ruby ate Rake while I was not paying attention.

 

‘Sometimes I feel like I did something pointless, and sometimes I think it will get better with time.’

 

Anyway, my escorts were watching over them now, so I figured it wouldn’t matter how much they fought.

 

I poured the remaining tea into my mouth, got up from my seat, and returned to my office desk.

 

End of break. Now it was time to get to work. Lucious also came into my office just in time.

 

“Madam, a letter from the teachers has arrived.”

 

“Teachers? Did the letters from Viscount Hierne and Baron Orte arrive at the same time?” 

 

“Yes. A messenger brought it all at once.”

 

“Hmm…I have a pretty good idea of what it’s about.”

 

The two people didn’t even live in the same house, but the messenger brought their letters at the same time? This meant that they agreed.

 

I picked up the paper knife and opened the two letters Lucious gave me at once.

 

The content that I glanced over contained the same content, with no difference whatsoever, except that the handwriting was different.

 

‘It’s a resignation letter after all.’

 

The only person I dismissed straight away during a personal interview was Lady Lamberton. If someone asked me if I had kept my professional and personal affairs separate, I couldn’t honestly shake my head.

 

I didn’t want to see her in this castle after her betrayal of my family, including my brother, and me. And unlike her, I gave the other three a chance.

 

But it seems there was no need for that. I gave them a generous deadline to submit lesson plans for how they would teach Noah in the future the other two, except Sir Fleet, submitted their resignations today, the last day of the deadline. 

 

He also wrote a letter of resignation that showed only his displeasure at me asking him to submit a plan. 

 

‘Anyway, I didn’t expect him to be so blatant.’ 

 

I put down two letters on the desk that I didn’t need to look at in detail and called Lucious.

 

“Did you say that the rumor that I took Noah to inspect the main facilities of Ajas spread throughout Ajas Castle?”

 

“There was even a rumor that you went to the treasure room together. This matter probably reached the ears of not only Ajas Castle but also the entire Territory, not only the vassals.”

 

From the beginning, I deliberately leaked the news of Noah’s registration so that it would reach their ears.

 

However, perhaps due to prejudice against ‘stepmother’, very few people believed that I had really registered Noah. I realized that fact after listening to Lady Lamberton.

 

“Do you really intend to recognize the young master as your successor?”

 

‘I mean, I’ve already recognized Noah as the heir, so what’s the point of asking?’

 

‘If the rumor that I signed the registration document doesn’t work, how can I prove my intention?’

 

As I was thinking about it, what came to mind was a treasure room. It is a treasure room that only Ajas’s immediate descendants can enter.

 

‘I guess that really worked.’

 

Considering that he sent a letter of resignation that so blatantly expressed his disapproval. 

 

“It seems like I’m easy on these guys.”

 

“They can’t possibly be thinking such a rude—”

 

Lucius, who seemed to have opened his mouth reflexively, closed his mouth without finishing his sentence.

 

I said with a small smile, grateful that he had opened up the conversation. 

 

“It looks like you can’t say for sure that it couldn’t have been done, Butler.”

 

“I am apologize…”

 

“It can’t be helped. I haven’t even had a wedding yet.”

 

Although a wedding had already taken place in the capital, it would not be of much importance to Ajas’s vassals. It is important to note that I have not yet been introduced to them by the Marquis.

 

Aside from the fact that Leonhard entrusted me with the matriarch’s ring, there was enough reason for them not to treat me with respect as the Marquis’s wife.

 

‘If I had been of one mind with them, and If I had said that I couldn’t recognize Noah as my successor, they probably would have thought, ‘Okay That’s good,’ and would have supported me.’

 * * *