How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

[I am worried that you might be surprised when I call you like this. I know that I should call you Marquise, but I decided to write it like this after much thought. Our relationship started before you got married. Of course, I can’t deny that I hope the nostalgia the name evokes will sweeten my gift.

 

Perhaps because this cold land is quite far from Howard, it is not easy to obtain Howard Wine.

 

I bought this to immerse myself in old memories that came flooding back from meeting you, but I think it would be something you would be more excited about than me, so I am sending it to you as a gift.

 

Come to think of it, Alex once told me that you used to get drunk on Howard’s wine when you were younger and got….]

 

* * * 

 

“Doesn’t that seem right?”

 

“Somehow, I feel like he was chosen based on his skills alone, but his face is too…”

 

“He has known her for a long time…”

 

“They haven’t uploaded the wedding plan yet….”

 

“Hey.”

 

The shoulders of the servants and maids who had gathered at the end of the hallway and gossiping jumped at the sound of the frosty voice.

 

When they confirmed that it was Lucius who had called them, they bowed their heads and made a hic sound.

 

“Butler.”

 

“Plant. You must be in charge of the lobby on the first floor. Do you have nothing to do, or are you just chatting away and playing around, neglecting your work?”

 

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I was on my way back from running an errand.….” 

 

“Errands? Whose errands?”

 

“That, that…The nobleman who visited the castle…”

 

Up until that point, it was no big deal because it happens often.

 

But once the errand was done, they should have gotten back to work and done what they were supposed to do.

 

Moreover, they gather together and chat without doing any work. 

 

“Your face looks unfamiliar.”

 

“Yes? Oh, I was hired a while ago. I’m Nancy from the Laundry.” 

 

“Yes, Nancy. Do you know how you got hired in this castle?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Because the employees who slandered and insulted the master they were supposed to serve with all their heart were fired. If you had watched the whole process through which they were kicked out of the castle, you would have kept your mouth shut.…” 

 

The servants lowered their heads to avoid the gaze of Lucius who was lightly scanning them.

 

“I’m sorry, I was wrong.”

 

‘Why are they running their mouths so frivolously when they’re shaking like this.’

 

Lucius let out a displeased sigh, unable to understand.

 

“I’m only letting you go now because I don’t want to make another noise in the castle. But if I see anyone else, even if it’s not you guys, talking nonsense, I’m going to….” 

 

“Yes, I will make sure that it never happens again!”

 

The servants bowed their heads and apologized for their mistakes, and the moment Lucius nodded, they quickly left their seats.

 

Lucius frowned as he watched their backs running away. 

 

‘It’s strange…’

 

He’d been aware that the atmosphere among the employees had been a bit chaotic recently. 

 

However, he didn’t really pay attention to it because he thought it was just a commotion caused by the new hires and the people who had been working at the castle mixing together.

 

Lucius thought things would get better as they got to know each other and started working together, He never thought they would be talking about things like that.

 

‘Why? It’s not just Sir Mario who’s been talking to Marquise in private…Is it because of his face?’

 

Well, for someone who graduated from the military academy, he was quite handsome.

 

Moreover, perhaps because he was a family acquaintance, she talked to him more than other teachers.

 

‘I should give the servants some proper attention. I should also speak to the Marquise separately.’ 

 

‘If the marquis were in the castle, it might be okay, but if such rumors spread while he was away, Marquise’s reputation would plummet to the bottom in an instant.’

 

The vassals were already displeased with her because she had acknowledged Noah as Ajas’ successor.

 

“Ah, Butler! You are here!”

 

Lucius’s thought was interrupted by Simon running up to him, breathing heavily. 

 

He bent his head to look down at the child, who was hunched over in front of him, catching his breath.

 

“Simon, what’s going on?”

 

“That’s it, huh, the young master asked me to bring the butler.… Huk, huk.” 

 

“Young Master?”

 

“Yes. I think he got a little angry after hearing what the other servants were saying.”

 

Lucius covered his face with his hands because he could guess what was being said.

 

“Please guide me to where the young master is.” 

 

“Yes!”

 

“Don’t run. Walk as fast as you can without losing your dignity.” 

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

With a look on his face that said, ‘How am I supposed to do that?’ Simon walked out of the castle at a brisk pace.

 

Noah was near the food storage. He was probably returning from swordsmanship training at the training ground.

 

Standing in front of him were two servants.

 

Even though they bowed their heads with their hands clasped together as if they were being polite in front of their lord, they exchanged glances with each other, as if they were harboring other thoughts inside.

 

“Young master! I have brought the Butler!”

 

And Lucius could tell from the faces of the two servants looking back at him and Noah what they were thinking. A face that brightened as if relieved.

 

“Head butler! Please listen to our story! I think Young Master has misunderstood something!”

 

‘I guess they thought I would take their side.’

 

Lucius’s eyes became dizzy for a moment, as he began to understand a little bit why they thought that way.

 

He couldn’t believe they were still in the castle, but who could blame them when he had been forgiven and was still working as a butler.

 

Reflecting on the past, Lucius bowed to Noah. Pretending not to hear their earnest voices, he politely asked Noah, “Did you call, my lord?”

 

The faces of the two servants were filled with shock as if they had never imagined his reaction.

 

However, Noah, who took Lucius’s actions for granted, fixed his gaze on the two servants and spoke in a cold voice.

 

“These people are trying to tarnish my mother’s reputation and insult me with their ridiculous nonsense.”

 

“Young Master!”

 

“Oh, no! That’s not true. It’s a misunderstanding.” 

 

“Lucius. Who am I?”

 

Lucius had a vague idea of the conversation between the two servants and Noah.

 

Lucius chose the answer that Noah most needed in that situation.

 

“Noah Ajas, you are the rightful successor of Ajas, acknowledged by His Excellency the Marquis and the Marquise of Ajas.”

 

“Then I also have the right to fire servants who have been dissolute to me.” 

 

“Yes.”

 

The faces of the two servants turned pale at Lucius’ answer.

 

“Young Master! Yes, I was wrong! Please forgive me just this once!”

 

“If we get fired within a month of being hired, no one will hire us!”

 

“What? After being so rude to the master and successor of the castle, were you planning to go somewhere else and serve the new master?”

 

The amber eyes that glared at the two servants were fiercely filled with disgust.

 

“I honestly don’t think I did anything wrong, Young Master!”

 

“Lucius, get these guys out of this castle right now. And come to my room, I have something to ask you.”

 

Noah turned around and left without a second thought.

 

Simon, who had been watching with an anxious face, quickly followed after Noah, and the two servants, whose faces turned pale, fell to their knees on the floor. 

 

“Head butler! Please forgive me!”

 

“Sir, please have mercy on me. If I am driven out of this castle, my entire family will starve!”

 

“If that’s the case, then you should have acted correctly from the beginning.”

 

Since Noah had ordered them to be driven out, Lucius had to do it. He only had one chance now, so how could he disobey the orders of the next Marquis?

 

‘It’s better this way. If we set an example for them, those who talk nonsense about the Marquise of the castle will be silenced.’

 

‘If you spread such false rumors and the master hears about it, how will you handle the consequences?’

 

‘Should I say thank God the Marquis wasn’t in the castle, or should I say….. it was because he wasn’t at the castle.’

 

‘I guess I’ll have to investigate.’

 

If there were more than one or two people, and servants were talking everywhere, it was clear that someone had intentionally spread the rumor.

 

If he can find out who first started the rumor, he can also uncover their intentions.

 

Lucius, who had called his assistant and had him investigate the servant’s dismissal and the rumors spreading within the castle, headed to Noah’s room, debating whether or not he should report this to Raenel.

 

‘I think it would be best to at least tell her to refrain from having private meetings with Sir Mario.’

 

In fact, it is very presumptuous for a subordinate to say such things to a superior, but this is Raenel’s current position.

 

Lucius sighed softly and knocked on Noah’s door. 

 

“Young Master, I’m Lucius.”

 

“Come in.”

 

Noah, standing by the window, was feeding dried fruit one by one to the beaks of Rake, who were jumping around on the windowsill.

 

Even though it was spring, it was still too windy to open the window. Noah stroked Rake’s head with his index finger as if the cold wind blowing through the window was just ticklish.

 

Then he put all the dried fruits he was holding on the windowsill, moved to the center of the room, and sat down at the table.

 

“What happened to them?”

 

“I have fired them as you said. They will be leaving the castle before the sun sets today.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The face that answered indifferently was as expressionless as before. To Lucius, who knew well what kind of expression Noah made in front of Raenel, that face simply felt unfamiliar, but thinking about it, it was the way Noah looked in front of Raenel that should have felt unfamiliar.

 

‘Isn’t this the first time the young master proclaimed himself the successor to Ajas….’

 

“I have a question for you.”

 

Noah said that and gave Simon a wink. Simon nodded solemnly, as if he had received some kind of education in the meantime, and quietly went out and closed the door.

 

In the quiet room where only the sound of Rake pecking at dried fruit could be heard, Lucius bowed his head to Noah.

 

“Please ask, Young Master.”

 

“They were talking nonsense. Sir Mario was definitely hired as my teacher, but they say my mother has taken advantage of her husband’s absence to bring her lover to this castle.”

 

“Those guys… say such things?”

 

‘They so blatantly slandered the Marquise?’

 

“That’s not the end of it. If Father finds out about this, it’s only a matter of time before Mother is kicked out of this castle.”

 

Lucius closed his eyes in despair.

 

‘Of course, they say that even the emperor is cursed in public, but this is going too far. Even Noah, the successor, hears those words?’

 

“What is a lover?”

 

“Yes…?”

 

“I heard that if my mother falls in love with another man and marries him, she might have to leave this family. Is that what the lover means?”

 

“No, no. Where did you hear that? To begin with, Sir Mario is not her lover in the first place….” 

 

‘What did you just hear?’

 

It was the first time he had felt this bewildered since he had seen Noah’s room with the fireplace out. 

 

Lucius shook his head in confusion.

 

“Master and Ma’am have not yet held their wedding in this castle, but they did hold their wedding in the capital. The marriage certificate has His Majesty the Emperor’s seal. Since she is already married to the master, she cannot marry another man. Unless they divorce.”

 

Just as Noah was relieved to hear that his mother would never marry another man again, he frowned at Lucius’s next words.

 

“Divorce?”

 

“You can think of it as canceling the wedding.” 

 

‘Cancellation? You can cancel the wedding?’

 

Noah’s face turned red with shock.

 * * *