How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

“What is this room…Why is it so cold?”

 

The castle was so warm that it was enough to wear pajamas, a gown, and just a shawl.

 

‘I thought every place in the castle was this warm. but apparently not…’

 

“It looks like a nail fell off the board.”

 

Ethan quietly looked around the room from behind and spoke to me as if explaining. 

 

When I followed the voice and turned my head to the window, the wind that blew rattled the boards noisily.

 

It is said that while Hiyela’s wind hit Ajas, they removed the glass from the windows of all rooms and covered them with several layers of wooden planks.

 

Otherwise, the wind would be so cold that the glass would freeze and break.

 

The cold wind that blew in through the rattling crack made my body shiver.

 

I reflexively rubbed my shoulders and looked for a fireplace in the room.

 

“What is that?”

 

The room was so cold that I wondered if there was a fireplace in this room. However, there was a fireplace in one corner of the large room. 

 

That was it.

 

The firewood storage box next to it was empty, and the fire in the fireplace was dying out pitifully, with only small sparks remaining.

 

‘That’s why it’s cold.’ 

 

“Mother.…”

 

“wait for a sec. I’ve got a lot on my mind right now…..can you give me time to think?”

 

I looked down at Noah, and when I saw the child’s red hands, I came to my senses as if I had been doused with cold water.

 

I didn’t know what to think or say. 

 

I untied the shawl from my shoulders and wrapped the child’s hands, then pulled the child into my arms and shouted as if screaming.

 

“Sir Ethan! Call the maid immediately!”

 

At my words, Ethan immediately Ethan pulled a rope straight by the door.

 

However, unlike my maidens, who ran in as little as 10 seconds when I pulled the rope, the maid in this room was indifferent.

 

Just like me, who was so angry that my eyes turned bright red, Ethan also seemed angry.

 

He immediately went out the door, braced his stomach, and shouted loudly.

 

“How dare you be lazy when the Marquess calls you!” 

 

The shouting that echoed through the hallway seemed to have had an effect, as the atmosphere beyond the hallway became noisy.

 

Only after that did two maids, holding lanterns, hurriedly run down the hallway and appear in front of me.

 

“Did you call me, uh, uh?”

 

Not to mention that their clothes were a mess, and both of them had crazy hair. 

 

This meant that the maids who were supposed to be attending to their master’s call were sleeping soundly even before their master fell asleep.

 

Still, just in case, just in case, I asked Noah in my arms.

 

“Are they your close servants?” 

 

Noah hesitated for a moment and then nodded. I could see that his cheeks were red from the cold.

 

I shouted to the servants while squeezing my child’s ice-cold hand.

 

“Where in the world is there a servant who sleeps while her master shivers in the ice?”

 

“I’m S-sorry.”

 

“I was so tired that I just forgot.….”

 

“Do you think I called you here to hear excuses like that? Get some firewood and start a fire right now! 

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

The air in the room had already cooled down. Even if they start a fire now, it will take a long time for the room to become warm.

 

I picked up Noah and stood up.

 

“Noah will sleep in my room. I will postpone the reprimand I give you until tomorrow.”

 

“Marquess! I was wrong, please forgive me. We didn’t do it on purpose—”

 

“Shut up! If you have eyes, take a look! The firewood box is empty, the fire in the fireplace has gone out, the nails on the board blocking the window have fallen off, and is it all just a mistake?”

 

The two maids bowed their heads as if they had nothing to say. In the meantime, I shouted as I watched them lick their lips trying to come up with an excuse. 

 

“In the end, you didn’t even notice that your master’s hands were frozen and turned bright red. It wasn’t on purpose? In that case, I will have to punish the butler who has placed such shortcomings on my son as his close maids!”

 

“Marquess!”

 

“Lucius! Bring Lucious!”

 

“Did you call me, Marquess?”

 

Did someone already go to call him, or did he realize the commotion and come find it on his own?

 

Just then, Lucious appeared, pushing through the servants gathered in the hallway. So many people gathered here just by shouting loudly.

 

But the fact that not a single one of them had actually looked into this room left me speechless as I was shocked.

 

“Butler, I am very, very disappointed in you right now.” 

 

“It’s my fault for not looking into it sooner. I’m sorry, young master.” 

 

It seemed like he understood the situation just by looking around the room. 

 

After a brief sigh, Lucious bowed deeply towards Noah in my arms. 

 

Noah blinked as if he was confused by the reaction. 

 

“Not really, I’m fine.…”

 

‘oh my god. Who made him say it was okay in this situation?’

 

“No, this is not a good situation at all. “It seems like many teachers taught very strictly about table manners and rhetoric, which you don’t need to learn right away, and didn’t even say a word about how a master should treat his subordinates.”

 

If I show mercy to those who dare abandon their duties and disrespect their master, they will disrespect Noah even more.

 

“Butler. I’ll give you one chance, for you recognize at once the one who needs to apologize. Put off your work until tomorrow morning and have all the careless maids kneel in this room. Until I come to this room.” 

 

“Marquess! Well, I was wrong, no,  young master!”

 

Some of the servants turned pale and started to kneel and beg, but I didn’t even blink.

 

‘I wonder how many of them will actually realize their mistakes?’ 

 

‘I could bet my life that none of them did. They just want to avoid the punishment in front of them.’

 

If they had the character to realize their mistake with just a few words and sincerely regret it, they wouldn’t have looked down on Noah in the first place.

 

“I’m going back to my room. Sir Ethan.” 

 

“Yes, Marquess. I will take you there.”

 

As soon as Ethan cast his sharp gaze around the surrounding area, the people who were gathered pressed up against the wall and lowered their heads.

 

The five-year-old’s weight was heavier than expected and my arms were already shaking. But I didn’t show it and kept my head up and walked on.

 

“Mother.….”

 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about anything.” 

 

I gritted my teeth and hugged Noah’s body.

 

It was honestly hard to carry him up the stairs, and Ethan kept glancing back at me as if he noticed. But I glared at him and made my intentions known.

 

Luckily, as if my intentions were clear, he stopped acting like a puppy and didn’t argue with me.

 

When I finally made it to the fourth floor, Scarlett, Hannah, and Sage were standing in front of my bedroom, as if they had heard the news from somewhere, and they rushed toward me.

 

“Marquess! And young master, what happened at this hour?”

 

“You’ll find out tomorrow. Please bring me some milk instead. Add honey. Noah, Are you hungry?”

 

Noah hesitated in response to my question, then nodded. “Uh, yeah. I’m okay.”

 

“We’ve only known each other for a few days, but I know I shouldn’t believe you when you say you’re okay. Hannah, if you have any cookies or bread, please bring some.”

 

“I’m really okay.”

 

“Yeah, I see. Scarlett. Please get some warm water in the bathroom. Noah needs to warm up.”

 

“Yes, Marquess. I will prepare right away.” 

 

“and….”

 

I have some more work to do, but I sent Hannah and Scarlett away. 

 

Sage must have noticed that I was worried and quickly spoke up. 

 

“If you need me to do something else, please do it comfortably, Marquess.” 

 

“But….”

 

“Think of me as a maid, not an escort. When I was young, my dream was to become a lady’s maid!”

 

Perhaps to lighten the mood, Sage smiled brightly and said that. As a result, my stiff shoulders relaxed, and I was able to smile comfortably.

 

“Then why don’t you call a doctor? I’m worried that he might have caught a cold.”

 

“You can have me do that. Then I’ll come back quickly!” 

 

After a while, Scarlett, who had gone to the bathroom, quickly returned.

 

“The bath water is ready, ma’am.”

 

“Okay, then go downstairs and get Noah a change of clothes. and…”

 

I looked at Noah and thought for a moment.

 

‘Although five years old is still young….I was a little worried because Noah seemed so mature.’

 

I don’t know if it’s the child’s biological mother, but as a stepmother whom he had barely met, is it okay for me to bathe this child myself?

 

“Noah, who usually takes care of your bath?” 

 

“I bathe by myself.”

 

“By yourself?”

 

A five-year-old bathes by himself. And He Is also Ajas’s successor? 

 

I let out an involuntary sigh and felt Noah glance at me.

 

I gritted my teeth inwardly. At times like these, how nice it is to have his father!

 

“Sir Ethan. Can I ask you a difficult favor?” 

 

“You may command anything, Marquess.”

 

“Then I will give you an order. Please give Noah a bath.” 

 

“Yes…?”

 

Ethan opened his eyes wide as if he had heard something unexpected, and Noah shook his head in surprise.

 

“I can do it alone. Really.”

 

“No. The bathtub is too big for you to go in alone. Then what do you do if an accident occurs?”

 

“I understand what you’re worried about. I will protect you, master.”

 

“No, I really—” 

 

“Okay, then please.”

 

“Yes. Please wait a moment.”

 

Ethan touched the ring on his little finger of his right hand a few times, then woke up Leona, who had been sleeping well for a while, and called her to my bedroom before going into the bathroom with Noah in his arms.

 

“Wait a minute, Sir. I can wash by myself. I’m old enough not to need help.” 

 

“Five years is the age when a child needs help. Don’t worry, master. I will do my best.”

 

“What’s best….?”

 

I couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation as the two of them walked into the bathroom. 

 

‘I guess I could trust Ethan after that.’

 

‘Is it because I feel a little relieved? I feel relaxed and drowsy.’

 

While I was yawning with my hand covering my mouth, Leona, who was standing next to me, asked me in a shaky voice.

 

“Marquess. May I ask how Ethan ended up going into the Marquess’s bathroom with the young master at this hour?”

 

“I’ll tell you later. I want to get some rest now.” 

 

“All right.”

 

Leona was wearing pajamas because she had been summoned urgently, but Leona, holding the hilt of her sword in her hand, stood by my side.

 

Soon Sage returned with the doctor. 

 

Afterwards, Hannah and Scarlett returned, each carrying warm milk, cookies, and a change of clothes, and the room quickly became crowded.

 

Thanks to this, I was a little more relaxed, and I closed my eyes with my body buried deep in the chair.

 

And no matter how much I thought about it, I cursed hard at the person who was the culprit of this incident.

 

‘Just come home. I’ll make sure you realize how scary it is to have a nagging wife!’

 * * *