How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

“Then you should kiss me goodnight on the cheek, lie down next to me, and put your arm around me.”

 

‘It’s late, so she is probably sleeping.’

 

Leonhard tilts his head slightly, remembering someone who is not there. 

 

However, he raised the corners of his mouth as he recalled a memory from one day. It’s a smile he wasn’t aware of himself.

 

‘You’re doing well, right?’

 

‘Although I had no choice due to urgent circumstances, I felt very sorry and upset that I could not spend even a night with her at the castle.’

 

‘Even on the way here, she missed her hometown so much. She even looked emotional as if she regretted marrying me.’

 

‘Could it be that the regret deepened while I was not by her side?’

 

Leonhard was very worried about that.

 

Suddenly, Leonhard realized that he was not worried about her, but he was worried that Raenel was leaving the castle, saying she wanted to return to the Howard Territory.

 

he burst out laughing.

 

“Stupid…”

 

‘I guess I’m just thinking about this because I’m free.’

 

Leonhard got up from his sleep, wishing he could go out at this time and catch at least one more monster.

 

He didn’t bring anything like armor because he wanted to use his powers. 

 

Leonhard, carrying only a sword and a lantern, left the room.

 

He was halfway down the staircase that led to the lobby on the first floor when he spotted Peter entering the residence.

 

“Peter?”

 

“Ah, Your Highness! It’s late. Where are you going out?” 

 

After asking, Peter belatedly saluted him. 

 

Leonhard waved him off and hurried down to the lobby. He was reaching out to him before he even opened his mouth.

 

“What is the reply? You must have received it, right?”

 

“Of course! “The Marquise wrote two letters.” 

 

“Two letters?”

 

“Yes. Here it is.”

 

Peter took out two envelopes from the magic bag on his waist and handed them to him. 

 

Both were sealed with the seal of Marquise Ajas, but the thickness was slightly different.

 

Leonhard looked at Peter, wondering why he didn’t put it all in one envelope.

 

“Did my wife tell you something to tell me separately?”

 

“There wasn’t any…Oh, she asked me to run an errand for her. So, I plan to go straight this way to do what the Marquise told me to do.” 

 

“My wife ordered you to run an errand? Hold it for a moment.” 

 

Leonhard, who was a little surprised, left the lantern in his hand to Peter. 

 

And with his free hand, he tore the seal on the envelope.

 

Of course, he was the one who informed Raenel that Peter was a member of the intelligence group.

 

He’d told her because it was something she needed to know, but he hadn’t expected her to put him to work right away.

 

‘What work does she have with someone who’s not even a servant?’

 

‘No way something happened in the castle.…’ 

 

Leonhard stood and opened the envelope to see if there was an answer to the letter.

 

What was written in a total of five letters contained in a thick envelope was that she had confirmed that the castle’s security had been strengthened and that she would be careful of wingcats. 

 

In addition, Leonhard couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the additional information. 

 

“Noah’s close servants neglected their work and the boy was shivering in his room? They were fearless about the master they should serve?”

 

[It is said that they laughed and said that Noah was lucky enough to be born with the pattern of Ajas.

 

That was even the mildest profanity I could write in this letter. I can’t say more than this because I don’t want to get my hands dirty.

 

When you return to the castle, don’t be surprised if you see a face you’ve never seen before. I kicked out all the people who used their tongues dirty.]

 

Leonhard couldn’t believe the contents, so he read the same contents over and over again.

 

The servants insulted Noah. There were many people who put off work when Noah told them to do it. 

 

They didn’t even fill the fireplace with firewood, and instead dozed off in front of the rope, they went back to their rooms and slept.

 

“I can’t believe how lazy they are… Lucious didn’t know?” 

 

Raenel’s letter ended by saying that after interviewing Noah’s teachers, if there were any problems, they would also be fired.

 

Leonhard, who was looking down at the letter blankly, opened the thin envelope left in his hand.

 

Unlike the previous letter, which had been addressed to His Highness Marquis Ajas, this one was a little more friendly.

 To Noah’s father. 

But strangely, Leonhard became more nervous when he saw the words ‘Noah’s father’ than when he saw the words ‘His Highness Marquis Ajas’.

 

It was as if he knew the whole reason why he had swallowed his saliva without realizing it, and even after reading the previous letter, he thought that he would blame Lucious. 

 

Raenel scolded Leonhard very harshly in the letter.

 

[Did you read the letter I wrote earlier? If you haven’t read it, read that first. 

 

Since you are a kind husband who listened to everything I asked, I believe you read the letter as I asked you to. So let me be blunt and say this.

 

Leonhard. Are you out of your mind?

You’re asking me to take care of a child and be a good mother to him, but you don’t think to be a good father first!

 

Did you think that if you just brought him in, made him your son, and announced him as your successor, he would grow up on his own? 

 

Busyness is an excuse. You couldn’t have cut back on the amount of time you spent sleeping while your five-year-old child stayed up all night doing the homework his teacher gave him?

 

If you had just taken a little, just a little bit of time to check if your child was sleeping well, this wouldn’t have happened.

 

I’m telling you, you are not qualified to raise a child.

 

If you know everything that happens in the castle and neglect your child, I will immediately divorce you and take Noah to Howard Territory!]

 

* * * 

 

“Still, what I said was a bit harsh.…?” 

 

“Yes?”

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

Yesterday, I was so angry that I just wrote it down and sent it away, but after sleeping all night, I realized I should have filtered it a little bit.

 

‘No, no. If not me, who else would scold him like that?’ 

 

‘If he really wants to raise Noah well, he needs to come to his senses now. Does he thinks I’m going to accept his excuse of being busy? I have a lot of work to do too!’

 

“Marquise, Viscount Pierre has arrived.”

 

“Let him in.”

 

I nodded, and Viscount Pierre, who had been guided by Amy, appeared through the door of the living room.

 

As soon as our eyes met, he took off the hat he was wearing, put it on his chest, and bent down towards me, but his face was filled with a displeasure he couldn’t hide. Or maybe he has no intention of hiding it.

 

“Nice to meet you, Marquise. I am Viscount Pierre, I am the sixth head family of the Viscount Pierre family—”

 

“Stop. What I wanted to see was not Ajas’s vassal. So let’s postpone the introduction until the day when I introduce myself to you.”

 

When I looked at him to see if he understood what I meant, Viscount Pierre instantly looked angry.

 

However, he soon closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and introduced himself once again.

 

“Nice to meet you, Marquise. I am Viscount Pierre, and I am teaching history, philosophy, and geography for the young master.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Viscount Pierre.”

 

I nodded and gestured to the chair across from me for him to take a seat.

 

He left his hat and cane to the servant and sat down, and Sally and Scarlett set the tea table.

 

Two teacups were poured with clear reddish black tea, there was also a three-tiered tray filled with scones, mini muffins, cookies, macaroons, and chocolates.

 

After waiting for him to take a sip of tea out of courtesy, I slowly opened my mouth.

 

“I assume you know why I wanted to see you, Viscount Pierre.”

 

“Of course. You want to know about young master’s accomplishments.”

 

“No about his accomplishments, I want to know what he is learning now.”

 

I clasped my hands under the tablecloth so as not to be intimidated by a man who looked much older than me and who also seemed to have a dirty personality. 

 

‘It’s okay, I’m a higher power than him.’ 

 

If something happens, Leona and Ethan, who are standing behind me, will come forward. 

 

Besides, I have the matriarch’s ring that Leonhard gave me. So there is nothing to be afraid of. 

 

With just that thought in my head, I smirk at Viscount Pierre.

 

“or more precisely, whether what you’re teaching is really something a five-year-old needs to learn.”

 

* * * 

 

“Hah, that’s hilarious!”

 

Only after getting on the carriage was Viscount Pierre able to throw away the cane he was holding in his hand and show his frustration. 

 

And that fact made him even more angry. He can’t believe he has to worry about such a young and arrogant woman! 

 

“Viscount, shall we go now…?”

 

“Then do you plan to stay here for ten thousand years?” 

 

“yes yes. We will go now.”

 

‘He didn’t even tell me to leave, but he threw his cane at me for leaving.’ 

 

But how could he say such a thing in front of Viscount Pierre, who was so temperamental?

 

Today again, thinking of his wife like a rabbit and his child like a bear cub, the coachman closed the window and started the carriage.

 

“Can’t you drive carefully? “The carriage is shaking!”

 

— Yes, I’ll be careful.

 

Even if you take out your anger on someone, there’s no way you’ll feel relieved.

 

Viscount Pierre picked up the cane that had fallen on the seat across from him and smacked his left hand to the carriage.

 

In his head, the insults that the Marquise had given him a little while ago were raging wildly.

 

“Let me ask you this, did you learn all that you now teach at the age of five, and did you master it so perfectly that you never need to open this book again, and if I were to open it now and ask you a question, would you be able to answer it?”

 

“I didn’t know that the Viscount would be able to meet my expectations. Are you forcing a five-year-old child to do something that you yourself can’t do? For what reason? heir? The duty of the Marquis is to protect and defend the northern territories and borders, not to memorize the history of the empire!”

 

“How many years have the territorial battle in the former Orlanbandra Plain been suppressed, who became the lord of the plain, and what name the plain is now called. Can’t you stop the barbarians if you don’t memorize these facts at the age of five? Can’t you destroy the monsters?”

 

Before he came here today, he had been thinking of joining forces with the other vassals to try to appease the Marquise.

 

Most importantly, he wanted to get rid of the child in that Castle.

 

For that, he thought he would be able to please the young lady who was alone in an unfamiliar place. 

 

However…

 

“It’s culture as an imperial noble? What kind of culture is being taught in this thick history book that records everything, even the trivial events of the royal family who did not become emperor? Teach me too.”

 

“He was following the progress well…. That’s a good point. I had a lot of questions, viscount. If Noah has learned this thick history book at the age of five, what are you going to teach him at the age of six? At seven? At eight? Can you show me the curriculum going forward? I’m sure they don’t intend to send Ajas’s heir to the capital’s academy.”

 

“Damn that woman….”

 

Using the servants’ negligent behavior as an excuse to turn the castle upside down and create a chaotic atmosphere was, of course, a deliberate act.

 

‘Did she discourage the vassals who might come up to her because she was afraid of territoriality?’

 

‘It wasn’t for such a cute reason.’

 

‘The Marquise has only one purpose. The idea is to take control of the successor guaranteed by the Marquis and manipulate him to her taste.’

 * * *