How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

Perhaps because I woke up once in the middle of the night, I ended up sleeping in a lot longer than usual.

 

As I saw the sun rising in the sky, I took the initiative and pulled the rope.

 

“Are you awake, ma’am?”

 

“What time is it? Why didn’t you wake me up?”

 

“Sir Ethan told me not to wake you up because you slept late last night.…Have I done something wrong, Ma’am?” 

 

Sally asked me with a slightly frightened look on her face.

 

If Ethan said that, there was a high probability that Leonhard had told him to do it.

 

I lightly waved my hand saying it was okay. 

 

“What about Noah?”

 

“He was taking a shower after his swordsmanship class. We’ll be preparing lunch soon, would you like to join?”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

Perhaps because I often asked about Noah’s whereabouts, my maids kept track of Noah’s whereabouts.

 

It was convenient for me, but I suddenly realized that Noah might feel like he was being watched.

 

‘Maybe I’ll ask him later.’ 

 

‘Because I overslept, I felt dizzy….’

 

Stretching my arms high, I lightly washed my face with the water Sally brought me and sat down in front of the dressing table.

 

Because I went to sleep with my hair down, it got tangled and messy, but Sally skillfully combed my hair neatly without causing any pain.

 

As expected, the skills of the experts are different. As I was admiring it, I noticed that the cage reflected in the makeup mirror was empty.

 

‘Did the bird go out to play while I overslept…?’ 

 

When I looked closely, I saw that there was no letter left next to Rake’s cage. 

 

‘Did Leonhard take it?’

 

I asked Sally just in case.

 

“Did you, by any chance, clean up the letter next to the cage?”

 

“Ah no. How could I carelessly touch your belongings?” 

 

“Hmm, then I guess the owner took it.”

 

‘I guess he wrote a reply. No, wait. Just because I didn’t tell him to reply to my letter doesn’t mean he only wrote a reply to Noah’s letter, right?’

 

With such doubts in mind, I went down to the dining room and ran into Noah, who was looking more fresh than usual. It was because he had just washed up after training.

 

“Good morning, Mother, how are you?”

 

“Ugh, I’m a little embarrassed to be greeted like that at this hour… I slept well. Did you have a good time at your swordsmanship class?”

 

“Yes. My teacher complimented me on how much my physical strength had improved.”

 

“Really?”

 

I was curious about what the criteria for ‘increased physical strength’ were, but I didn’t bother to ask because I felt like I would feel ashamed if I heard it.

 

‘I need to do some exercise too.’

 

Even though I got married and went to Ajas, I’m still a homebody. No, in some ways it was worse. Unlike before, when I would go for walks and shop, I only went down to the city once when I came here.

 

‘I really want to visit Hermen at least once. All three of us should go together.’

 

While spreading sweet whipped cream on a thickly sliced baguette, I let out a small gasp.

 

“Ah, Noah, about that letter you wrote to your father yesterday—” 

 

“Oh, Father came and took it himself yesterday.” 

 

“Huh? How do you know that?”

 

“He stopped by my bedroom last night.”

 

“Your bedroom?”

 

I can still see the awkward look on Noah’s face. 

 

‘When did Leon stop by Noah’s bedroom?’

 

Fortunately, the child’s face showed excitement as he put down the spoon next to the soup bowl.

 

I wondered if Leonhard had also seen Noah’s amber eyes shining so beautifully.

 

“He reads children’s books like you. Because it got late, he said that the reply to my letter would be sent from the Hiyela Gate. And he also said that when he returned to the castle, he would read another story to me.”

 

“Were you awake at that late hour?”

 

“Yes. Actually, I woke up to the sound of the door opening.…I never thought my father would come in.”

 

Noah seemed very happy with just that.

 

If Leonhard had been around, I would have poked him in the side to see that face.

 

That child is so happy just because he’s had a few conversations with Leonhard. 

 

‘I hope Leon will stop thinking weird things and be nice to Noah.’

 

‘After all, he promised to do better in the future.’

 

“He also told me that I don’t have to perform the Spring Hymn in front of people on my birthday.”

 

“So what did you answer?”

 

“I said I wanted to do it.” 

 

“Really? Can you do it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Noah smiled brightly and answered. The corners of his ears were red as if he was a little shy. 

 

“I said mother would teach me.”

 

“Oh my god….”

 

‘My son is so cute! If there was a camera in this world, I would have taken it out and taken a picture right away!’

 

I thought about Noah’s smiling face several times to engrave it in my memory. 

 

‘I’ll make a portrait of him later when I have time.’

 

‘No…why bother trying to remember? From now on, this kid will show that smile often.’

 

I also smiled at Noah.

 

That day, Noah spent the entire meal talking nonstop about how his dad read him a story in his bedroom last night and how he stroked his hair.

 

The same story was repeated over and over in the middle, but I listened without feeling bored.

 

I thought to myself, I must tell Leonhard about this story.

 

* * * 

 

A spacious room with a dome-shaped ceiling.

 

Unlike the doors on each of the three walls, there were no windows anywhere.

 

However, thanks to the light emanating from the round ball hanging at the top of the ceiling, the room was not dark at all.

 

Brighter than moonlight, darker than sunlight.

 

The two tiny feet, which did not even touch the floor, exerted so much force that they seemed to stick to the bottom of the chair.

 

The arms holding the soft teddy bear tightly also took a lot of strength.

 

The girl with her dazzling golden hair braided into two pigtails endured the stinging pain with her eyes tightly shut.

 

“You’re holding up well. Just a little more, just a little more…” 

 

“Stop.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“That’s enough, stop it.”

 

“But…alright.”

 

Just as she was about to protest she saw the old man’s hard face, so she pulled out the needle from the girl’s thin arm with a sad expression. 

 

It wasn’t a big syringe. The tiny syringe, made for a child’s body, filled less than halfway with blood, an absurdly small amount. 

 

The woman clicked her tongue lightly in disappointment, realizing that she had only drawn that much blood this time. 

 

But as if he couldn’t hear the sound at all, the old man with his long gray hair in a messy braid, carefully wrapped his arms around the girl’s forearm and busied himself with chanting a healing spell and applying bandages.

 

“Kana, you endured well today as well. It hurts a lot, right?”

 

“Ugh, Kana didn’t hurt at all.”

 

Small tears were forming in Kana’s eyes as she hugged the teddy bear tightly.

 

The old man, who had finished bandaging her, noticed the tears and quickly hugged Kana with a face filled with emotion.

 

“You are so brave. What should I give you as a reward? Do you want some cake? Do you want a bunny doll? Or do you want a pretty dress?”

 

“Kana likes candy. Strawberry flavored candy.” 

 

“Ran!”

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

Sighing, the woman, Ran, rang the bell on the table as if she was used to it and summoned a servant.

 

A moment later, a servant pushed open the brown door and brought in a trolley of cookies, chocolates, cakes, puddings, and also the strawberry-flavored candy.

 

The old man walked over to the trolley, holding the child in his arms, picked up a strawberry-flavored candy from the candy bowl, and put it in the child’s mouth. Her cheeks protruded because of the candy. The corner of the old man’s mouth curved as Kana burst into laughter as if she liked the sweet candy.

 

“Our Kana, is the candy delicious?”

 

“Yes, it’s delicious. Papa Try it too.”

 

“Our Kana, how nice of you to take care of Papa first…!” 

 

The old man, on the verge of shedding tears, showed off his affection for his daughter by rubbing his cheek against the child’s small head. The bright laughter of a child laughing at being tickled.

 

An old man and a child who seem to get along well. It should look good, but Ran’s face, which secretly picks up a cookie and puts it in her mouth, seemed to rot any moment.

 

She knows what their original relationship is, no matter what the current form is.

 

‘If anyone sees that, they’ll think that girl is his real daughter. No, she’s more like a granddaughter.’

 

‘What was so special about her that she could change a human who knew nothing but magical research and experimentation? It’s been three years, and I still can’t figure it out.’

 Priik, priiik! 

Just then, a stuffed canary on a branch on the wall opened its beak and began to cry. 

 

Kana clapped her hands covered in whipped cream in delight at the sound of the bird.

 

The old man used magic to summon a soft wet towel and wipe the child’s hands, saying without even raising his head.

 

“Come in.”

 

With his permission, the green door opened and a man wearing a black robe came inside.

 

What was revealed from under the hood, which he immediately pulled back, was a wooden mask.

 

The gloomy face drawn on it looked quite sinister to the child, but Kana didn’t care and jumped out of the man’s arms, approaching him with a bright face. 

 

“Pan!”

 

“Oh, it’s been a while.”

 

Pan, with his knees bent, lifted the girl who spread her arms. 

 

Kana laughed and tapped his wooden mask with her small fist.

 

“What about Kana’s gift?”

 

“Here.”

 

What Pan took out of his pocket was a white porcelain doll shaped like a bird. 

 

The porcelain doll had a protruding tail, and when Kana saw the small hole at the end, she immediately knew that it was a flute.

 

“Piiiip!”

 

“It makes a sound! pretty!”

 

“Do you like it?”

 

“Yeah! Thank you, Pan!”

 

Kissing the rough wooden mask, Kana jumped out of his arms and ran around the room, playing her new flute.

 

How quick is a small body like a squirrel? 

 

After chasing Kana for a while in the not-so-wide room, Ran finally managed to pick up that child’s body.

 

“Gotcha!”

 

“Ahaha, caught! Kana got caught!

I’m the one chasing now?” 

“Yes. You have to come and catch me in 10 seconds?” 

 

“Okay! Kana now knows how to count to ten! one, two…” 

 

While Kana was gently folding her fingers one by one with the hand holding the porcelain doll, Ran opened the blue door on the other side of the wall where Pan came in and went out. 

 

She didn’t go far enough so that Kana could see her. After counting to Ten quickly, Kana caught sight of her and ran after her.

 

“I will catch Ran!”

 

“Kana, be careful!”

 

Leaving behind the shouting voice of an angry parent, Kana quickly disappeared out the door.

 

‘It hasn’t even been that long since we had her blood drawn, so is it okay to run like that?’

 

It was an instant before the hard expression disappeared from the face of the old man, who was looking at the back with eyes full of worry.

 * * *