How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

“How are you feeling? Are you okay? Are you feeling better?” 

 

“Ah….yes.”

 

Noah looked around and nodded carefully.

 

As if she knew what he was thinking, Raenel laid Noah down on the bed and placed her hand on his forehead.

 

“hmm… So, it looks like Dr. Danvers’ medicine is working well.” 

 

“…..”

 

‘It worked well and there was nothing to do, he never had a fever in the first place.’

 

With that in mind, she notices Noah watching the maids.

 

 Raenel’s gaze turned towards them.

 

“Get out of here, I’ll take care of Noah.” 

 

“Yes, Marquise.”

 

The maids who had been standing quietly behind Raenel moved silently like shadows and went out of the bedroom.

 

After the door closed, there were now only two people left in the bedroom. Raenel’s face changed as soon as that happened.

 

“Now it’s just the two of us.”

 

She asked in a whisper with a mischievous smile on her lips. 

 

“How does it feel to do a trick for the first time?”

 

She is the main culprit of the incident or should she say the co-conspirator.

 

Noah didn’t put any will into this, so it should be called the former, but in the end, Noah was the one who did that. And in that case, the main culprit is Noah.

 

It’s not like he’d never lied before, but it was the first time he told such a big lie.

 

A guilty voice came out from between trembling lips.

 

“I’m a little…scary. I don’t know if I can do that.” 

 

“It’s okay, I gave you permission. If you don’t want to go to class in the future, you can do that sometimes. Of course, you have to tell me that you’re not sick.”

 

For Noah, this was the first time in his life that he didn’t attend class, so her seemingly nonchalant attitude didn’t reassure him.

 

“But then the teachers who gave their time for me were in vain.….”

 

“Noah, my son. Did I tell you? You are only five years old. There is no need to worry about the harm that other people will suffer because of you. You can be more irresponsible, and you can cause trouble here and there. You have a guardian to take responsibility and take care of things.”

 

‘And your guardian is me.’

 

Raenel  lightly flicked Noah’s forehead with her index finger.

 

“Leave all the worries in your head to me. Repeat after me. ‘Mother will solve it.’ ”

 

“mother…”

 

Noah, who was looking at Raenel blankly, continued speaking as if he was fascinated by her soul-filled eyes.

 

“Mother will solve it.”

 

“Okay, good job.”

 

With a bright smile, Raenel stroked Noah’s hair as if praising him. 

 

At that moment, something tickled in his chest. It felt like a single dandelion seed was blowing inside him.

 

That was when Noah lowered his head, not knowing what to do about that unfamiliar sensation. 

 

There was a loud, polite knock on the door.

 

— Marquise, a messenger has arrived from the Hiyela Gate. 

 

“What?…wait for a sec!”

 

Raenel, who called out to the door, gently stroked Noah’s forehead and whispered softly.

 

“It looks like a report came from the Hiyella Gate. Mom’s going to do some work.”

 

“Ah…Yes, go ahead.”

 

The word “sad” popped into his mind as soon as he lost her hand.

 

However, that thought, like a single snow crystal, melted in an instant and Noah was not even aware of it.

 

“Hmm, I’ll give you some homework.” 

 

“Homework?”

 

Raenel looked at Noah, who quickly nodded, with a curious look on his face. 

 

However, he soon erased that expression, cleared his throat, and Raenel picked up a storybook from the nightstand next to the bed.

 

“I want you to read this book until I come. But you don’t have to.”

 

“it’s….?”

 

“Have you forgotten what you are doing today?” 

 

Noah blinked involuntarily at the word that spontaneously appeared in his head. 

 

As if Noah was cute, Raenel stroked the child’s head in a mischievous way.

 

“Do what you want. If you need something, pull the string. Now the servants won’t be bothered no matter what you order them to do, so you can order them to your heart’s content. If there is someone who doesn’t listen, let me know.”

 

With only those words, Raenel went out of the bedroom. And since no other maids or servants came inside, Noah was the only one left in the bedroom.

 

Being alone in a large room was something Noah was very used to.

 

However, the reason he feels a little empty and lonely today is probably because of the feeling of a soft hand on his head.

 

“…..”

 

Noah, who was idly stroking his own hair, looked down at the picture book that Raenel had given him.

 

<The lamb calls the cloud its mother> 

 

Raenel said he didn’t have to do it, but his first trick was already enough.

 

Since there was nothing to do alone in this room anyway, Noah eagerly opened the storybook.

 

* * * 

 

“Nice to see you! Peter, the youngest member of Ajas Messenger! Greetings to the Marquise!”

 

He shouts in a loud voice and salutes politely. Peter, with slightly flushed cheeks, was tall enough that I had to look up from my chair, but his freckled face looked quite young.

 

‘I don’t think he’s an adult, no matter how old he is.’

 

Zenut also looks quite young. so I wondered if Ajas, who only sees skill, didn’t see age?

 

“Okay, nice to meet you. You’re from Hiyela?”

 

“yes! The Marquis told me to deliver the letter to the Marquise. Here is a letter written by the Marquis!”

 

Peter’s voice was so full of energy that it stung my ears. However, I was afraid that this boy, who did not look like he had been here for a long time, would be discouraged, so I just thanked him without saying anything else.

 

“Only this letter?”

 

“yes? That is the only letter I was told to deliver to the Marquise. Is there something I’m missing?”

 

As Peter asked that question in a trembling voice, his face was filled with contemplation as to whether he might have made a mistake.

 

I quickly shook my head and said it wasn’t like that. 

 

“I was wondering if there was a letter sent to Noah other than me.” 

 

“Noah? Ah, ah, you mean the young Master, There isn’t!”

 

Peter replied with such certainty as if it wasn’t even worth considering.

 

I knew that would be the case,but hearing it was true, I couldn’t help but sigh.

 

I swallowed my sigh and internally gritted my teeth, afraid that this timid boy would hear and be scared again.

 

‘I knew this would happen. It was a good idea to deliberately say it was a report.’ 

 

But what made me even angrier was that Noah knew Leonhard was at the gate of Hiyela, but yet he had no expectation of a letter from him, even though he was told that a messenger had come from there.

 

The fruit of resignation grows from the seed of disappointment.

 

I was sorely sad for the child’s expectations, which must have been crushed and broken and ruined, until he was convinced that his father could not possibly write to him.

 

“He is the son of my dead sister.”

 

“Because he is her son.”

 

Lucious’s reaction was the same. And If I had known nothing, I would have thought, ‘Did you bring that son to take revenge on your dead sister?’

 

That’s how indifferent Leonhard was to Noah.  

 

No matter what’s on the inside, it looks like it on the outside.

 

“Marquise? Is there something wrong with the letter?” 

 

“No, I was just thinking for a moment. Looking at the thick envelope, it seems like it will take some time to write a reply. Amy.”

 

“Yes, Marquise.”

 

“Give Peter some tea and refreshments. Take a break, Peter.” 

 

“Oh, no! I can’t do that during a mission!” 

 

“Then I’ll say it’s my mission for you, Peter. It’s the first mission. Enjoy Amy’s tea and refreshments.”

 

 “….I accept the mission!”

 

While Peter was sitting at the table on one side of the office, raising a teacup to his mouth in a stiff posture, I read the letter from Leonhard.

 

[Raenel Ajas, to my one and only wife.]

 

Today was the first time I saw my name in his handwriting. It was also the first time I saw Ajas after my name instead of Howard.

 

However, I did not feel much emotion when I saw my name written in fancy handwriting.

 

‘Do you only have one wife? you only have one son too!’ 

 

That’s what I thought.

 

Suddenly, I realized that I was much angrier at Leonhard than I thought.

 

Before I arrived at Ajas, I was worried about whether or not he would love me, and if he didn’t, whether or not I would ever be happy. Now, when I hear him say that he has only one wife, I feel repulsed.

 

‘Well, okay. Let’s see how great he wrote that he completely forgot his only son.’ 

 

I quickly read a total of five letters.

 

[It’s cold. Are you doing well in the castle? Are you sick? Are people being kind to you?]

 

When I turned the page where he asked me how I was doing and explained in detail that he was not hurt, there was indeed important information written there.

 

[Some wizards are creating chimeras by modifying and synthesizing monsters in the Anild Canyon Dungeon.

 

They were able to kidnap Layla in the same vein as they were able to avoid the threat of monsters in the dungeon because they could control monsters with a stone called a blood stone.

 

The security of Ajas Castle should also be strengthened.

 

It would be impossible to break through the security of Ajas Castle with just a few wizards, but if you find a wingcat other than Ruby inside the castle, leave immediately. The same goes for other monsters that aren’t Wingcats.

 

Leona and Ethan can recognize monsters, so please follow their instructions in an emergency.

 

Since you are similar in age to Cloud’s daughter, you may become their target.]

 

‘Oh, no way.’ 

 

I thought it couldn’t happen, but on the other hand, seeing Layla kidnapped made me think that something like that could happen to me too. 

 

‘But why are you targeting people around 20 years old? Are you trying to use them as a sacrifice?’

 

The sacrifice reminded me of the Onyx, a group of wizards I’d read about in the novel. 

 

There can’t be two groups of wizards controlling monsters. Are they the ones creating the chimeras in Anild Canyon? But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a word like chimera in a novel.

 

Rather than that, the bloodstone….I think I saw a description of a rod carried by wizards with a blood-red magic stone embedded in it, but I couldn’t remember for sure.

 

‘If it is right that they have joined hands with the first prince…’

 

What is the purpose? What are they going to do by creating something like a chimera? Are they dreaming of conquering the world?

 

“Ugh, I don’t know.”

 

In the first place, the time in the novel I read was not now. At least 20 years later. Current events are all briefly mentioned in the form of flashbacks to the past.

 

All I know about wizards is that they have the power to control monsters, and they helped the first prince with that power, and they were destroyed together because the monster went on a rampage.

 

‘But why did those monsters go wild all at once? Have all the bloodstones controlling the monsters been broken? What happened?’

 * * *