How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

While Leonhard was swallowing dry saliva, Lucius, who had guessed what he was about to say, nodded.

 

He continued speaking with a gloomy face, not noticing Leonhard, whose face was turning pale in the darkness.

 

“There were some shortcomings in serving young Master. A total of twenty-three employees were disciplined according to the severity. And I too—”

 

“So what about my wife?”

 

“yes?”

 

“Where is my wife now?”

 

Only then did Lucius realize that Leonhard was quite anxious.

 

‘Could she be in danger? ‘

 

Lucius, who had such a thought, quickly opened his mouth to Leonhard, who couldn’t stand it and urged him to answer.

 

“By now…she will be in the bedroom, right? “It’s bedtime.” 

 

“Are you sure? She didn’t leave the castle, right?”

 

“Where would she like to go at this hour? Besides, she hasn’t left the castle even once.”

 

“She never left the castle?”

 

“yes. It’s been a long absence for the Marquise. she’s been busy taking over the work, and she is now in charge of taking care of the young master.”

 

“Is Noah sick? That can’t be possible, right?” 

 

Ajas’s blood does not get sick easily. 

 

Leonhard also lived his whole life without knowing what a cold or body aches were.

 

“yes. In fact, it is a fake illness made up by the Marquise. She said she wanted to let the young master rest.”

 

Leonhard was silent for a moment as if he was thinking.

 

There was no way to guess what his downward-facing eyes were thinking in the thick darkness, so Lucius waited slightly nervously for his mouth to open again.

 

A moment that felt like a very long time passed.

 

“Is it wrong…for Noah receives education all day long?” 

 

“What? Of course not. Weren’t you educated when you were younger, too? As an heir, it’s only natural.”

 

“What if He is not an heir? How many classes does a normal five-year-old take? How about you?”

 

“I don’t really remember, but rather than taking any specific classes, I think I followed my father around and learned what I was supposed to do as a servant.”

 

Lucius, who naturally became a servant following his father, who was the butler of Ajas castle also found it absurd to live the life of an ordinary child.

 

Actually, they didn’t have time or opportunity to think about that. The two could not even afford to think of such an idea.

 

“Speaking of which, the Marquise has summoned young master’s teachers for a personal interview with them…”

 

“Personal interview?”

 

“Yes. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what they were talking about. Should I call the escort or maid who was there?”

 

“No, you don’t have to.” 

 

Leonhard shook his head and started climbing the stairs again. 

 

Lucius hesitated for a moment and then followed him.

 

Leonhard did not stop him, saying there was no need to follow him.

 

It was as if he was lost in thought and couldn’t even think of that option. 

 

‘What is the Marquis doing here?’

 

‘I wonder if he came back because of his work.’

 

Seeing as Leonhard passes through the third floor and heads to the fourth floor, Lucius thinks he has something to do with the Marquise.

 

‘Is he going to argue about that? But It was too hasty to do after the long journey to the castle.’

 

However, even though Raenel was the one who uncovered the incident, it was Lucious who sought out those who committed wrongdoing and imposed disciplinary action such as pay cuts, transfers, and dismissals.

 

If Leonhard was offended by the disturbance in the castle, he should have been the one to be reprimanded.

 

This happened because of his negligence in the first place.

 

“Marquis, please listen to me for a moment—”

 

“Huh, Captain?”

 

While he was hesitating for a moment, Leona, who was guarding the bedroom door in the Marquise’s bedroom, yawned long and found Leonhard.

 

Leaving behind Lucious, who clicked his tongue with a look of frustration on his face, Leonhard walked with long strides toward the bedroom door.

 

“What about my wife? Is she inside?”

 

“Yes, she is with the young master.”

 

“Noah is here?”

 

Leona nodded to Leonhard’s question. 

 

“It’s already been a few days. He continued to sleep with Marquise.” 

 

“How long has it been since they were in the bedroom?”

 

“Well, it’s been an hour.…they are probably sleeping.” 

 

After hesitating for a moment, Leonhard signaled Leona to be quiet and then slowly opened the bedroom door.

 

because he opened it carefully, there was no sound of the door opening. 

 

Since there was no light in the hallway, there was no light leaking into the bedroom. 

 

Rather, the light that was still on in the bedroom drew a path of light across the dark hallway.

 

“Baby Lamb asked Mrs. Cloud… Why, Mommy, won’t you stay by my side…? Mrs. Cloud said….”

 

Raenel’s voice, which continued talking, suddenly changed into a steady breathing sound.

 

Leonhard was not surprised because he had heard her voice like that several times. 

 

The reason he couldn’t blink his eyelids was because Noah was in Raenel’s arms. 

 

Raenel sat half-lying with several large pillows behind her back.

 

The child, who had been blinking slowly and looking at the storybook, raised his head and looked at Raenel’s face as if he had finally realized that she had fallen asleep.

 

The child’s face looked sleepy. 

 

But Noah struggled to lift his heavy eyelids and gently waved his hand over her face as if checking something about her.

 

“mother?”

 

The voice was so quiet that even if Raenel had not fallen asleep yet, she would not have heard it.

 

As if that was enough to convince him that she was asleep, Noah carefully slipped out of her arms.

 

Then, after putting aside the storybook that had fallen, he lifted Raenel, who was in an uncomfortable position with both hands.

 

Even though he is a small child, he has the blood of Ajas. Moreover, by borrowing the power of the pattern, an adult woman could be lifted like a feather.

 

Noah used his power to lay his mother down, who slept uncomfortably, and lifted the blanket to cover her chest.

 

Then he turned off the lamp and snuggled into Ranel’s arms as if to find his rightful place.

 

In a bedroom where the light has faded and is covered in darkness.

 

Soon, the sound of Noah’s quiet breathing was heard in a regular rhythm above the sound of Raenel breathing.

 

Leonhard, who was watching the scene without making a sound, quietly closed the door. Be very careful not to make any sound even by mistake.

 

“Didn’t you have something to do with the marquise?”

 

Unaware of the situation in the bedroom, Lucious only saw Leonhard carefully opening the door and then closing it again, and asked in a low voice. Leonhard responded reflexively.

 

“I have never…”

 

“yes?”

 

“No, It’s not.”

 

Leonhard’s gaze fell to his feet. 

 

Noah’s smile in Raenel’s arms was stuck in his head like an arrow.

 

‘I always saw only his stiff face.’

 

‘At some point, it became natural. He was uncomfortable with me, so I thought it was best to avoid seeing him as much as possible.’

 

‘If you ask me if I didn’t know, it was wrong…I knew it. How can I not know?’

 

[I’m telling you, you don’t deserve to raise a child.]

 

‘I thought so too, and that’s why I found a mother who could raise him well.’

 

But the difference between knowing it, being pointed out by others, and self-awareness was very big. 

 

So much so that his heart aches.

 

“Huh? Captain, where are you going?” 

 

“At the Hiyela Gate. I’m going back.”

 

“What? Just like this? You’re not going to meet Marquise—?

 

“Don’t tell her. I was never supposed to be here today.” 

 

“Ah yes.”

 

Leaving behind Leona, who was confused, Leonhard went down the stairs, moving his legs faster than when he went up the stairs.

 

Lucius looked back once and then ran after him as if he was running in a hurry.

 

“Marquis!”

 

“You too. Keep quiet about the fact that I came to the castle. Keep their mouths shut for those who saw my face..”

 

“Yes, I will.…But, Marquis, I have something to tell you.” 

 

“Do it later.”

 

“No, please listen now. It is what the marquise has commanded.” 

 

“what?”

 

Leonhard’s feet, which seemed like they wouldn’t stop no matter what he said, stopped at that moment as if they were frozen.

 

Lucius swallowed his dry saliva as he saw Leonhard looking back.

 

He was very sorry to say this to a person who seemed to be in a bad mood.

 

however…

 

“I will not accept your resignation, but I will punish you even worse.”

 

“What kind of punishment do you mean?”

 

“The next time you see the Marquis, confess to him everything you feel for Noah, and what you did about it.”

 

‘It was a terrible punishment indeed. I wanted to get down on my knees and beg her to let me leave this castle, because I deserve to die.’

 

However, how could he repeat the same mistake after deceiving his lord? It was something he shouldn’t have done, not even as a butler but as his friend.

 

Lucious closed his eyes tightly, then looked straight into Leonhard’s eyes, and opened his mouth. And he confessed all the mistakes he had made.

 

* * * 

 

A nightstand by the window with dazzling golden sunlight pouring in.

 

A round vase, carefully set down by a maid, was filled with the jasmine flowers the Empress had brought.

 

“The flowers are so pretty. Right?”

 

“Yes, it’s so pretty.”

 

The white jasmine flowers were in full bloom, giving off a strong scent as if they had been sprayed with perfume.

 

The scent was so strong that it gave Mariette a headache even though the distance from the tea table to the window was quite long.

 

However, the Empress simply lifted the tea cup gracefully, as if she could not sense any scent of jasmine.

 

Mariette watched the scene from the corner of her eye and skillfully covered the corners of her mouth that had curled up with a teacup.

 

‘I was wondering why she walked with such a heavy step….’ 

 

Before being crowned princess and moving to the Rose Quartz Palace, Mariette lived there. The princess’s palace was Jasmine Palace.

 

The reason why the Empress came to see her daughter after a long time and choose jasmine among the many flowers was obvious.

 

* * *