How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

I cautiously opened the door in case he fell asleep early, but the oblivious bird sitting on my shoulder screeched and cried, attracting Noah’s attention.

 

“Mother.”

 

Suddenly, the book in the child’s hand closed. I felt a little sorry for him and smiled awkwardly.

 

“Noah, aren’t you sleeping yet?”

 

“Yes. I can’t sleep.”

 

The child got down from the chair in front of the desk and quickly ran to the door. 

 

Thinking the greeting was directed at me, Rake, who had been perched on my shoulder, squeaked and flew up and landed on Noah’s head.

 

“Uh, Rake. Get off me.” 

 

“Peep, Peep!”

 

As soon as Noah finished speaking, Rake, which had been rolling down on Noah’s head like a round glutinous rice cake, barely managed to spread his wings and fly up just before he hit the floor.

 

“Bwaaaak!”

 

Rake must have been the one who lost his balance, because Rake, now perched on my shoulder again, spreads one wing as if to poke at Noah. 

 

Noah apologized to him.

 

It was so sad to see him so depressed. I raised the corners of my eyes sharply and lifted Rake on my shoulder onto my index finger to bring him to eye level.

 

“You’re the one making the joke, so why are you giving the stern look to Noah? You can’t do that, Rake.”

 

“Peep, Peep! Peeep!”

 

“If you keep doing that, I won’t even let you sit on my shoulder.”

 

“Peep…”

 

Rake, who was making a small squeak as if he didn’t like it, flew up and landed on Noah’s shoulder.

 

Noah, who had stiffened his body, cautiously extended his index finger to Rake. paused for a moment as if teasing him, then pecked the tip of Noah’s index finger with his beak. It was a sign of love in his own way.

 

‘Yes, it’s great that they get along so well.’

 

I asked Noah after lightly patting them both on the head.

 

“How is your room? Do you like it?”

 

“Yes. It’s very warm even without a fire in the fireplace.”

 

“Let’s see if that’s true.”

 

Noah’s room repairs and construction were completed just yesterday. Noah, who had been staying in my guest room, went back to his room starting last night.

 

The Magic Stone of Fire embedded in the wall of this room was decided to be managed directly by the Wizards. 

 

With all the commotion in the castle, it was unlikely that the wizard would be lazy, but I’d stopped by Noah’s room every night out of concern.

 

“Now, hands.”

 

“Hand.”

 

I put both hands forward, and Noah followed suit, putting out both hands and placing them on my palms.

 

The child’s hands, red and shiny, were pleasing to the eye.

 

I let go of Noah’s little hand only after touching it two or three times to confirm that it was very soft and warm.

 

“But there’s something else I want to show you, if you don’t mind?”

 

“Yes, it’s okay.”

 

Noah left the chair and sat down on the bed.

 

Rake went down on Noah’s hand and enjoyed Noah’s touch as Noah caressed his head like a habit.

 

The small bird’s body was the perfect size for Noah’s small hands. I looked at that with satisfaction and handed the document I was holding to Noah.

 

“Now, Noah, here’s your new schedule.” 

 

“New timetable?”

 

“Yeah. Although it is temporary. Just check it out first.” 

 

Rake climbed onto Noah’s head, and Noah took the schedule from me with a mixture of anticipation and excitement.

 

Well, it’s natural to be surprised that the class time has been reduced to half of the usual amount.  

 

‘I would have been upset to have to go back to class after playing.’

 

I secretly sighed, wondering if he was such a conscientious child to begin with, or if he became more conscientious because of his surroundings.

 

“Is this the end?”

 

“Later, when teachers are hired, military studies and monster studies will be added. Still, it’s a lot more spacious than before, right?”

 

“It’s not just spacious.…Is it okay to just take this class?”

 

A pale shade fell across Noah’s face as he studied his schedule.

 

Two teachers had quit at once, and Lady Lamberton had been fired by me the day before. That left only one teacher left, Sir Fleet, the swordsmanship teacher.

 

It would take a week, even at my fastest, to test, interview, and hire a teacher.

 

I immediately asked sage to be a temporary teacher, and she agreed to help Noah review the subjects he had been learning for the time being.

 

If a teacher was hired to formally teach Noah, the schedule would be readjusted, but it probably wouldn’t change much. His current schedule is that he only takes classes for three or four hours a day, and the rest is all free time.

 

Noah not only couldn’t believe the fact, but even looked confused.

 

The number of subjects was also reduced. Things like etiquette and history, art and music that he already knows perfectly well and don’t need to learn.

 

‘If it were me, I would have jumped for joy when I saw the schedule without the subjects I didn’t like.’

 

I calmly explained to Noah, who was hesitant as if he didn’t know how to react.

 

“First of all, I think it’s enough for you to learn just these things. But this is only temporary. You can fill it in or take it out according to your will.”

 

“According to my will?”

 

“Yeah. Is there a subject you don’t want to learn, or a subject you want to learn?” 

 

“I am…”

 

Noah looked down at the schedule in his hand with deeply penetrating eyes, as if he didn’t know what to say.

 

I just told him to tell me what he wants to learn and what he doesn’t want to learn, so what is so difficult and worrying about this child?

 

I waited quietly for the child’s answer, then suddenly picked Noah up and hugged him.

 

“Eighhtt.”

 

“Uh-uh—.”

 

Noah, who was sitting on my thigh, opened his eyes round in surprise, crumpling the schedule he was holding in his hand.

 

In the process, Rake almost tumbled to the floor and squirmed as if protesting to me.

 

I apologized and touched Rake’s head, then hugged Noah’s body tightly.

 

When I was young, when there was a thunderstorm outside or my heart was pounding anxiously because I did something wrong, I remember feeling so relieved that my mother would hug me like this and I would fall asleep.

 

“I guess the first thing my son needs to learn is how to be honest.”

 

“No, I never lied.”

 

Noah answered me quickly, probably because he was worried that I might have misunderstood.

 

I thought I knew what this child was thinking when he said that, so I gently patted his small back.

 

“Well, you know. What I’m worried about is not that you’re lying, but that you can’t say what you want to say. This is very important. If you don’t learn this when you’re young, you won’t be able to do it when you grow up.”

 

Words like I’m sorry, thank you, and I love you also fall into this category.

 

These are just like riding a bicycle or swimming. If you learn them when you are young, you will be able to learn them without difficulty when you grow up. So if you don’t say what you want to say, you’ll grow up to be an ugly adult who keeps quiet when those words are needed. Like a dark sub-male lead in a book.

 

“This is something mother should teach you. So it’s no wonder our Noah hasn’t learned it yet.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“Shall we start with something easy? Noah, you said you liked swordsmanship classes the most, right? Currently, swordsmanship classes are held twice a week for three hours. Is this enough?”

 

Noah pursed his lips, then shook his head in thought. Then he spoke, though in a low voice. 

 

“More…I want to learn more.”

 

“How much more do you want? Would one more hour of learning be enough? Or do you want to increase the number of times?”

 

“I want to increase the number of times. They say the body doesn’t lie. They said that if you neglect your training for even a day, it will show up.”

 

“Really? Then how much do you want to increase the number of times?”

 

Noah hesitated, as if he was watching me, and then carefully parted his lips. 

 

“I want to learn every day.”

 

“Everyday? Wouldn’t it be difficult?”

 

“It’s natural that it’s difficult. “The teacher taught me that if it wasn’t hard, I was being lazy, and that the more difficult it was, the stronger my body became.”

 

His eyes were straight and his voice was clear, and it didn’t seem like he was saying it because someone told him to do it.

 

When Noah is this determined, there’s no stopping him. I nodded.

 

“Okay. But let’s take Sunday off. You’re still young, you should rest for a day. Okay?”

 

“Yes.”

 

While Noah nodded vigorously, I took out the pen I had brought with me and received the schedule back.

 

And after consulting with Noah, I wrote swordsmanship on all days, from an hour after breakfast until before lunch.

 

“So your regular swordsmanship class is free. Is there anything else you’d like to learn at this time?”

 

Noah hesitated to answer this time again.

 

This time, instead of pressing for an answer, I simply waited for him to speak on his own.

 

The wait was worth it, as his lips slowly parted, but the words that came out were completely unexpected.

 

“I want to continue learning the piano.” 

 

“Piano?”

 

At that moment, the words of Lady Lamberton, who harshly criticized Noah for not having talent, came to mind and I frowned without realizing it.

 

Then, I made eye contact with Noah and quickly raised the corners of my mouth.

 

“Um, may I ask why? Do you enjoy playing the piano?”

 

“I don’t know about fun….yet, but I made a promise to my father.”

 

“What promise?”

 

“On my sixth birthday, I decided to play the Spring Hymn at the birthday banquet.” 

 

“Oh my God, really?”

 

I covered my mouth with my hand.

 

‘hymn of spring…It’s much better than Vertigo, but it’s not an easy song for beginners to play.’

 

Noah’s birthday is in the fall. The practice time would be about half a year at most. I don’t know how much Noah practiced the Spring Hymn, but it wasn’t something a beginner would be able to perform in front of people in half a year.

 

“Who picked the song? Father?” 

 

“Yes. My father liked that song.” 

 

“I see…”

 

I guess Leonhard never tried it himself. So, he asked a five-, no, six-year-old to play it. That too at a formal event such as a birthday banquet.

 

‘Did he ever think that Noah might make a mistake there? Does he not care about his child, or Is he overconfident in Noah’ abilities?’

 

Part of me wanted to cancel that, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell a five-year-old child, ‘You’re not good enough, so let’s not do that.’ 

 

“Okay, then let’s learn piano this time. I will teach you.” 

 

“What?”

 

Noah made a surprised voice while I wrote the word ‘piano’ during what was originally a swordsmanship class. 

 

I asked in a mischievous way, even though I knew he didn’t mean it in a bad way.

 

“Why? Do you not want me to teach you?”

 

“No! I love it!…But I’m not good at playing the piano.” 

 

Noah, who looked like he didn’t know what to do, lowered his head to avoid my gaze. In the meantime, he was holding the hem of my clothes tightly with his hand, and his voice was weak.

 

“You will probably be disappointed. I’m so bad at it…”

 

“You learn because you can’t, and if you were good at everything right from the start, there wouldn’t be a job as a teacher in this world, isn’t that right?”

 

“But, I….”

 

Noah’s voice was so quiet that I couldn’t hear it. 

 

“What did you say?”

 

After hesitating for a while, Noah stuttered, his earlobes dyed red. 

 

“I just want to show my mother a good side of me…”

 * * *