How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

7. If you love me, confess it  

By the time the clover planted with Noah began to bloom with white flowers, the wind blowing through Ajas had finally become warm enough to suit the season of spring.

 

Of course, the thick layer of snow on the Hiyela Mountains in the distance was still there, but somehow I didn’t feel like my face and ears were going to fall off in the cold wind.

 

Moreover, the warm spring breeze gradually melted the frozen atmosphere of the castle.

 

Whenever I ran into the servants in the hallway or the dining room, they all had such tense expressions on their faces that it actually felt uncomfortable. It seems that the saying that time heals all wounds is true.

 

‘If I had been gentle, the mood would have lightened up sooner.…’

 

Since the issue was what it was, I couldn’t step in and lighten the mood.

 

If I seemed too easygoing, someone might try the same trick again.

The only people I treated comfortably like before were my escorts, my maids, and the gardener Brown.

 

Of course, Noah too.

 

“Did you call me, Mother?”

 

“Yeah. I was thinking about going for a walk together. Is that okay?”

 

“Anytime for you.”

 

“Peep, Peep!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, Rake, you come too.”

 

After stroking the head of the noisy Rake with my index finger, I took Noah’s hand and headed into the garden.

 

The central garden of the castle, where the ice statue was erected, was frequented not only by servants but also by many people working in the outer castle.

 

Actually, I’m a shy person, so I don’t usually go to places with a lot of people, but I’ve been going out more often on purpose. I held Noah’s hand.

 

“The weather has gotten a lot warmer, Mother.”

 

“That’s right. If the magic hadn’t been applied, those statues might have all melted.”

 

In fact, ice statues that lose their shape even if they melt even a little were the utmost luxury. They cost money to maintain, and they cannot be resold.

 

However, in Ajas, the ice statue is carved anew every fall and displayed in the garden until the following spring.

 

In the summer, they clean it up and let it melt.

 

‘Those statues will melt and disappear when summer comes…

Well, in this cold north, it might be more cost-effective to decorate the garden with ice rather than flowers.’

 

“Lucius asked me to choose a new statue to sculpt this fall. What do you think would be good?”

 

The answer I expected from Noah was a cute animal or a flower. Or a brave dragon.

 

However.

 

“Mother.”

 

“What…?”

 

I couldn’t believe my ears when Noah answered without a moment’s hesitation.

 

But Noah shook his head with a serious expression, not knowing how to interpret my bewildered face.

 

“Of course, no matter how many sculptors they bring in, they will never be able to portray my mother’s appearance as delicately as she did in real life.”

 

“Oh my god, look at this boy. You can tell that to your future bride.”

 

That’s what I said, but of course, I didn’t feel bad. I could barely keep the corners of my mouth from twitching upward.

 

‘But what kind of girl is Noah going to marry?’ 

 

‘If he meets April like in the book, will he fall in love with her?’

 

But the reason Noah gave his heart to April was because they had been supporting each other while struggling together on the White Land.

 

‘If he doesn’t fall in love with April,…That’s fine.’

 

‘I’m all for any girl Noah likes, as long as he can be happy with her.’

 

“Mother, what are you thinking about?”

 

“I was sitting on the altar holding back tears.….”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Ah, nothing. Should we just sit over there for a bit and then go?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Noah nodded, let go of my hand, ran ahead, and laid a handkerchief on the bench I pointed to. Then he smiled at me while extending his hand in my direction as if he was escorting me.

 

“Please sit over here.”

 

“Oh my god, what a gentleman…!”

 

Noah’s future was very bright.

 

‘Well, he won’t become a villain like in the book, he will become a kind, polite, affectionate, and gentleman.’

 

‘Many ladies will be lining up to be escorted by our Noah.…!’

 

I sat down on the seat where Noah had laid out the handkerchief, imagining the future that was still far away.

 

Noah, sitting next to me, took a few walnuts out of his pocket.

 

The child’s tiny hands simply clenched and unclenched, causing the hard walnut shell to shatter into pieces.

 

While I was inwardly amazed by the sight that was still amazing no matter how many times I saw it, Rake landed on Noah’s palm and immediately started pecking at the walnut.

 

“If you look closely, this one seems to be quite a bit bigger than before…..”

 

“Maybe because it’s still young. When you’re young, you grow up so fast.”

 

“That could be the case.”

 

I nodded and then squinted my eyes at Noah.

 

He said,

“When you’re young, you grow up so fast”,

didn’t sound like something a kid who was only five would say.

 

“Mother?”

 

“Now that you said that, Noah, you seem to have grown a lot since I first saw you.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yeah. You seem to have grown a bit taller… and your expression seems to have become a bit more mature, too.”

 

It wasn’t just my imagination, I actually felt that way.

 

‘Do they really grow up so fast when they’re little?’

 

Noah spoke with a slight blush on his cheeks at my excited voice.

 

“Not to make you feel bad, Mother, but I really hope so.”

 

“Why? Do you want to be an adult?”

 

“Yes. I want to grow up quickly.”

 

When I see him say things like that, I think he’s still a kid.

 

‘There’s nothing good about becoming an adult. I liked it best when I was a kid…’

 

But I can’t say that in front of my son.

 

I just laughed lightly and teased Rake’s wing by touching it with the tip of my index finger.

 

Every time I touched it, it flapped its wings as if it was annoyed, and it was so cute that I kept touching it.

 

“Oh, by the way, I have something for you.”

 

“For me?”

 

“Yes. Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”

 

Rake, who was annoyed by my touching, had already eaten everything it wanted to eat.

 

Rake flew alone and disappeared between the trees.

 

Noah brushed off the remaining walnut crumbs on his palm and did as I told him.

 

It would have been nice if the face with his eyes closed gently was filled with anticipation for the gift… but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

 

‘I wondered if I would see that look on Noah’s face someday when I gave him a gift.’

 

I thought to myself that it would be nice if that happened, and I put the bracelet on Noah’s wrist.

 

Noah opened his eyes and looked at his left wrist, perhaps feeling a weight on it.

 

“Is that a bracelet…?”

 

“Yeah. Doesn’t it look a bit rough?”

 

The bracelet I put on Noah’s wrist was the one I received from my older brother.

 

A keepsake left to me by my biological mother who gave birth to me.

 

“My mother who gave birth to me gave it to me. It is a magical tool, but I asked the wizards around me and they all said they didn’t know, so I don’t know exactly what kind of magic is on it. However, she said that it would protect me if I had it, so it’s probably got some kind of defensive magic on it.”

 

“This is…I think it’s too precious for me to receive.”

 

Noah shook his head and said he couldn’t accept it, but I was very happy with what he said.

 

“That’s right, it’s precious because it was given to me by my mother. So I think I would be happy if you treasure it too, Noah.”

 

“But….”

 

“Keep it well and when you get married, pass it on to your children. It’s something I received from my mother, so take good care of it and pass it on to your children later.”

 

“To my child…”

 

Noah blinked blankly as if he couldn’t quite imagine the events of the distant future.

 

But it seemed as if my words had not completely gone unnoticed, as Noah fiddled with the bracelet on his wrist and soon the corners of his mouth gently curled up.

 

“Yes, Mother. I will treasure it and pass it on to my child.”

 

“If you ever meet a wizard, show it to them. They might be able to tell you what kind of magic is being cast.”

 

“It’s okay, even if there’s nothing magic….”

 

“Huh? What did you say?”

 

“No, nothing.”

 

Noah shook his head and pulled down his sleeve, hiding the bracelet inside it. Judging from the way he fiddled with the bracelet above his sleeve, it seemed like he quite liked my gift.

 

‘I was worried that he might not like it because the appearance was so rough.’

 

Just as I thought that was a good thing, I remembered that I had something to say to Noah.

 

“Oh, Noah. And I have good news.”

 

“Good news?”

 

“hmm.”

 

‘It’s not really something to be ashamed of, so why are my cheeks burning?’

 

I coughed in vain and told Noah the important news.

 

“Father and mother, the wedding date has been decided.”

 

* * * 

 

The day Leonhard and I got married was in the middle of summer.

 

The wedding had to be held at that time so that guests coming from the furthest places could arrive in Ajas with plenty of time to prepare.

 

And in summer, I thought that guests from other regions who are not familiar with the cold in the north might not tremble.

 

“If you send out the invitation with the date fixed in advance like this, the master won’t be able to change the date when he comes back, right?”

 

“Yeah. I’ll tell my husband that I’ve set the date.”

 

“If you do that,…I would really appreciate it.”

 

Lucius seemed to be extremely uncomfortable with disobeying Leonhard’s promise to make arrangements for marriage as soon as Leonhard returned to the castle.

 

But no matter how much I thought about it, it was impossible to get married within two weeks.

 

“Maybe he didn’t really intend to get married in two weeks? He probably just wanted to set the earliest possible date.”

 

“well….”

 

“Huh?”

 

“No, it’s nothing. Anyway, please tell the master well.”

 

“Don’t worry, just trust me.”

 

Even though I was so weak, Lucius nodded with a face like he had won a great victory.

 

* * *