Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

“Ouch! That hurts, be gentle!”“Stay still. That’s why you shouldn’t get hurt”“Who wants to get hurt… Ouch!”Mary, who had bandaged the wound, slapped me on the back without mercy.“Mary, you!”“It’s all done. Get up now.”Ouch, she’s mean to a sick person.I couldn’t show my bare skin to a stranger, so I asked Mary to take care of me.As I rubbed my sore back, Mary held out the bottle.“What is it?”“It’s a medicine that the doctor gave you to keep it from getting worse.”“It’s not even a serious injury, why did I have to take medicine?”“Are you in a position to say something like that?”Mary snapped at me again.I emptied the bottle and went back to bed. Even after taking the medicine, my back was burning like a burning sensation.“Uh, I’m going to die.”“I told you not to go. Look at this.”“It’s not that bad, but it will get better soon.”“How upset would Madam be if she found out?”“Huh…”Mary referred to the Viscountess Evelyn, Lenia’s mother.If that’s the case, I have nothing to say.“Keep it a secret.”“Anyway, I’m only telling lies because of you.”Mary sighed and stood up.“I’ll bring you an ice pack.”“Okay, go ahead.”As Mary left the room, Helios entered.He had only just returned to the mansion a short time ago, having been up for two nights running around arresting the Duke of Eton as soon as he arrived in Duke territory.“How is your body?”“As you can see, I’m fine.”“Don’t get up, just stay still.”Helios sat down on the bed, resisting my attempts to get up.“What happened to the Duke of Eaton?”“Your Majesty was furious and ordered the arrest of Duke Eaton and all his people. We also sent soldiers to the Duchy of Eaton.”“That’s fortunate. I thought he was going to cover it up because of the Empress.”“The matter is too big for that. and it would be easier on Your Majesty if he were to take down the Duke of Eton once and for all.”“Well, there are too many victims to cover up.”I muttered bitterly.The exact details will be known only after the investigation is complete, but it is clear that the terrible things have continued since the opening of Dillua Academy.The timing happened right around when the Emperor ascended the throne, and some even suspected that the Empress knew about it and turned a blind eye.So, if the Emperor did not handle this properly, it was a matter that could damage the Empress as well as the Emperor.“There will be a public trial for the Duke of Eaton in a few days.”“Is he still under investigation?”“Not all of the crimes have been revealed, but the severe punishment is confirmed just by revealing it, so it must be dealt with quickly.”Helios said with a gloomy face.The Emperor’s people’s order had kept everyone quiet about the case, but rumors traveled faster than light.When the Duke of Eaton’s actions became known, the parents of the missing children gathered in front of the Imperial palace to protest, and even the general public joined in criticizing the Emperor for neglecting this.The soldiers were blocking it, but public opinion was so virulent that they were unable to disperse them without risking a riot.So, even from the Emperor’s point of view, he would have decided that it was best to finish the work as quickly as possible.“Are you okay?”“I’m okay.”He spoke casually, as if trying to reassure me of the worrying question.Opinions were divided in the noble circle, as Helios himself had revealed that he had made a deal with the Marquis of Melks to gain custody of Escal.Fortunately, public opinion over how to blame a parent who lost a child was stopped when the atrocities of the Duke of Eaton were revealed.Still, it was true that Duke Anthemion’s credibility was damaged.‘It will be difficult for Helios to hold a high office in the future.’It happened while he was trying to get back custody of Escal at my request.Feeling sorry, I touched Helios’ hand, and he chuckled as if he knew my heart.“It’s okay. I didn’t even want a place like that.”“Still….”“It’s good to take a break right now. After all, don’t you remember that we decided to go down to the estate and rest after this?”“I remember it.”“Yeah, so don’t worry about it.”Helios rolled his eyes and kissed me lightly on the lips.“You’ve been through a lot, and it’s all over now.”Helios, who warmly read me, left the room saying he would come and after washing.I let out a long breath as I looked at the closed door.Is this really all over?The Duke of Eaton had fallen, but the most important problems remained.‘Escal…’I gently fiddled with Escal’s shoes they found at the bottom of the cliff.Baron Hazel returned to speak with Escal, but there was still no news.‘Do you not want to come back?’My stomach hurt as if I had scraped it off with a sharp skewer.Even if it was all Duke Eaton’s plan, it can’t be denied that Escal’s wounds played a major role.I wanted to meet and clear up the misunderstanding, but if Escal refused, it was a problem that shouldn’t be forced.I tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach.“Madam! Madam, come out!”Just then, Mary burst through the door, calling out urgently.“What’s up?”“Young master is back!”“What?”I jumped up and ran outside.I was resting after finishing treatment, so I was wearing a thin chemise, but I didn’t even have time to think about it.As I ran to the front door barefoot without shoes on, I saw Escal coming up the stairs.“Escal?”The boy’s gaze snapped to me as he climbed the stairs.The messy hair, the twisted face, and the shabby clothes were unfamiliar as if they were not my child, but the eyes looking up at me were still clear and transparent.As I looked at the child without knowing what to do with my mind being complicated, Escal struggled to open his mouth.“… Mom.”“Escal.”I rushed down the stairs and hugged the child. A warm and soft feeling filled my arms.“I-I missed you.”The boy buried his face in my chest and burst into tears.My eyes watered at the sound of his sobs.“I missed you too, mom.”I asked the crying child softly.“How have you been?”“I’ve…Hic.. been doing well.”Escal hiccuped in reply.As I was wiping his tear-stained face, I found a bandage wrapped around his arm.“Why is your arm like this? Are you hurt?”“A little… it’s okay.”“It’s okay, what’s okay? Did you get treatment? Let’s call the doctor, it might hurt again.”“No. Uh, what about you, mom?”“Mom is fine.”When I answered, looking at the child worriedly, Escal, who had been crying, fell into my arms again.“Sorry for causing trouble.”“No, Mom is more sorry.”I hugged him back with crushing force.It felt like everything was over now. **** The doctor who had treated me and returned to the clinic visited the mansion again after half a day.“The bones are almost healed. I think you just need to rest for a few days and recover your nutrition.”“Will there be any aftereffects?”“As long as he doesn’t move too much, he’ll be fine.”I was a little relieved by the doctor’s confirmation.“Okay, thank you for your service.”I let the doctor go and turned to Escal, who was sitting on the bed.After taking a bath and changing clothes, he looked much more refreshed.There are a lot of things I want to ask him, but I have to feed him first.“Mary, bring me a meal.”“Yes.”Mary quickly returned to the room with the tray.I scooped up the steaming stew.“Mom will feed you. Ah, go ahead.”“I, I can eat by myself.”“No. Your arm hurts.”As I spoke firmly and brought the spoon to his mouth, Escal quietly swallowed the stew.“You’re acting all silly just because we haven’t seen each other in a while?”At some point, Helios, who was standing in the doorway, joked.Eskar’s ears perked up as he opened his mouth like a baby bird.“Why can’t he act like a baby to his mom? If you’re jealous, you can do it too.”“Today, I will yield to Escal.”Helios squeaked and waved his hand as he came to the bed and messed up Escal’s hair.“Welcome back, you’ve been through a lot.”“… I’m sorry. Fa-father.”The hand that was stroking his hair stopped. Helios cleared his hardened expression for a moment and said.“Don’t call me father, call me dad.”“Yes?”Escal blinked his round eyes as if in bewilderment, and Helios urged the child again.“Hurry.”“Da-Dad.”Escal, who spoke with difficulty, bowed his face, red as a tomato.“Then rest. I will go out.”“Where are you going?”“A call came from the Imperial Palace.”“At this hour?”Helios nodded as I pointed to the dark outside.“Yes. They’re summoning me for the Duke of Eaton’s trial, so I’ll be late. Don’t wait and go to sleep first.”“I see. Be careful out there.”I saw Helios off at the front of the room and I picked up the spoon again.“Come on, eat again.”