How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

But when they were close enough that their carefully drawn breaths could land on each other’s cheeks, Raenel turned her head sharply.

 

Not noticing that Leonhard’s cheeks had stiffened for a moment, she fanned her flushed face with her hand and muttered.

 

“Yes. It was supposed to be done a lot earlier, but it was postponed until now.…I’ll be packing diligently until the moon rises, so don’t ask me to unpack today. Okay?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Leonhard nodded obediently, but he couldn’t take his gaze, dripping with longing, off Raenel’s lips.

 

Raenel unconsciously bit her lips under the intense gaze, and without any use for cooling her face, she touched her cheek with her hand and quickly got down from Leonhard’s lap.

 

“Oh, by the way, the child I sponsored sent me a portrait. I’ll show you. Come here.”

 

Although it felt like she was trying to change the subject, Leonhard obediently took her outstretched hand and stood up.

 

He followed Raenel into her office and looked at the portraits of the Howard family.

 

“So, if you have time later, we should do a portrait of ourselves, you, me, and Noah.”

 

“Sure. Maybe we could have them paint several and hang them around the castle.” 

 

“I’ll send one to Howard and one to the capital. My brothers and sisters are all curious to see what their new nephew looks like.”

 

As she chatted about their well-being through letters, time passed quickly and a spider web began to descend outside the window.

 

Raenel had been so absorbed in family stories that she had lost track of time, only coming to her senses after Lucius called her to say that dinner preparations were complete. 

 

“Oh my god, we’re supposed to have guests tonight. Did Noah and Sir Mario already arrive at the dining room?”

 

“No. I sent someone to their room as well.” 

 

“That’s fortunate they don’t have to wait. Let’s go quickly.” 

 

“If you rush like that, you’ll fall over.”

 

Leonhard escorted her away so she wouldn’t run, and asked about tonight’s dinner.

 

“Noah said he wanted to invite his teacher to dinner.” 

 

“Yes. It seems like Noah likes his new teacher. He’s definitely the top student at the military academy, but I can’t help but wonder what’s different about him.”

 

Leonhard stared intently at Raenel’s face as she spoke. 

 

Raenel noticed his gaze and asked, “Why?” but Leonhard shook his head and said, “It’s nothing.”

 

“I heard from Lucius that the new teacher was a close friend of Sir Alex.”

 

“Yes, that’s what he says, but….”

 

“But?”

 

“Uhm, I’m just saying this to you.”

 

Raenel stopped at the end of the hallway, grabbed Leonhard’s shoulder, pushed it down, and put her hand on his ear, which was bent down.

 

The words, “Only for you,” and the lips that were almost touching his ear made Leonhard’s heart flutter so much that his head felt dizzy. 

 

“To be honest, I’m suspicious of that person.”

 

‘suspicious?’

 

The small amount of anxiety that remained in him melted away at the fact that it was not interest but suspicion that she had given him.

 

Meanwhile, Leonhard frowned, wondering if Raenel had known what had happened between the servants.

 

‘I heard that Lucius did a good job of cracking down on servants.’

 

“Why?”

 

“Well, that guy certainly knows a lot of things that the other people wouldn’t know if they weren’t Alex’s friend, but if he had a friend like that, how could I not know?”

 

Raenel was quite open about how her brother didn’t have any friends when he was in the military academy.

 

“And he said Alex even tried to introduce me to him. If only there was someone like that.…”

 

“What did you just say?”

 

“Huh? Oh, Sir Mario said that Alex was going to introduce me to him. But if that was the case, there’s no way my brother wouldn’t have said anything until I went up to the capital to find a groom and made my debut in high society, right?”

 

“You’re right, if there really was someone like that, he would have introduced him to you before you went to the capital.”

 

And if two people liked each other and got married, Leonhard Ajas and Raenel Howard would have lived without knowing each other.

 

‘Even if he had never proposed to her in the end, Raenel had previously said that no one had proposed to her, but how could someone so lovely never find a husband?’

 

It wouldn’t be long before a man would have appeared to take the seat next to her.

 

Then, she would have fallen asleep in his arms, leaving her wet hair in his hands instead of hers.

 

And when she went to the ball, she would have been escorted by her husband and danced only with him.

 

Suddenly, Leonhard’s mind flashed to the image of Raenel dancing with the first Prince.

 

At that time, the people around him were talking as if telling others to listen, saying that the two of them looked very good together.

 

He doesn’t know if the two of them really got along well or not, because all he could see was Raenel.

 

‘What did I think at that time?’

 

‘When and where did she meet the first prince and become so affectionate with each other that she called each other by name?’

 

From the moment the first prince went to where Raenel was, Leonhard, who had been not expecting it, felt as if he had been hit in the back of the head when the first prince called Raenel’s name.

 

At the time, Raenel’s reputation had been tarnished by a scandal with him. 

 

Dancing with the first prince would hopefully dilute the scandal, so for that reason alone, it was better for him not to meet Raenel separately.

 

However, after sending the second princess back to the palace, he had nothing to do but return to his quarters, and he wandered unnecessarily near Queen Rose Hall, where the banquet was being held.

 

Then, when he saw Alexander looking for his sister, he made up an excuse to help him and went to find Raenel.

 

‘But then Raenel burst into tears…’

 

“What are you thinking all of a sudden that makes your expression so serious?” 

 

“Huh? Ah…”

 

‘She, who had cried so hard that her cheeks were soaked, is now blinking her clear eyes next to me…’

 

Leonhard was just lost in thought for a moment, but his appearance was strange as if he had just woken up from a dream.

 

“Nell.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Nell.”

 

“Why?”

 

Leonhard watched Raenel tilt her head, then grabbed her shoulder and kissed her on the lips.

 

It was a light and short kiss that ended with their lips just brushing against each other. At that contact, Raenel let out a surprised sound, “Oh my god!”

 

“Look at this guy. What would you do if someone saw us?” 

 

“Are you saying it’s okay if no one sees us?”

 

“What….”

 

It was only once or twice that he had kissed her. He was even planning to have sex with her tonight.

 

Leonhard couldn’t help but laugh as he looked at Raenel, whose cheeks were now flushed.

 

“What is it? Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”

 

“I just like it.”

 

“What’s good? Let’s enjoy it together instead of enjoying it alone.”

 

Leonhard’s laughter only grew louder as Raenel poked him in the side with her index finger, demanding to know why he wouldn’t tell her.

 

He knows. The arms she holds are his, and the arms she sleeps with are his.

 

‘How fortunate that I’m not imagining myself holding her in my arms while I’m with her, but rather imagining what it would have been like if I hadn’t married her while holding Raenel in my arms.’

 

Leonhard whispered in Raenel’s ear with a smile on his face.

 

“I suddenly feel like going to some banquet or ball.” 

 

“I was wondering what was on your mind.…Why a banquet or a ball? You don’t really like those kinds of places.”

 

“That’s because I didn’t have a wife back then. Now, I want to dance with my wife in front of everyone right now. I’ll put the same flower in my boutonniere and your hair.”

 

“Like in the capital?”

 

“Yes. I would like a black rose.” 

 

“Black rose? What does that mean?” 

 

Raenel tilted her head as if thinking and Leonhard quickly changed the subject.

 

‘You are mine forever. You can’t get away from me.’

 

It’s embarrassing for him to see his true feelings come out without his knowledge, but how surprised must his gentle rabbit-like wife be?

 

“What kind of story are you talking about that he wouldn’t know if he weren’t your brother’s friend?”

 

“I have a story about an accident at home when I was young….Ahem, that’s not really important, so let’s just skip it.”

 

Raenel’s ears were burning as she finished her speech with a light cough as if she was embarrassed to tell him.

 

But Leonhard, who would normally be considerate of her, had already opened his mouth before she could even think of what to say.

 

“Can you tell me too?” 

 

“Yes?”

 

“I want to hear anything about my wife, especially if it’s something that another man knows.”

 

“Uh…It’s a story you really don’t need to know…”

 

“If it’s my wife’s story, then I, as her husband, should know about it, right?”

 

Raenel’s cheeks flushed at Leonhard’s firm words. She nodded hesitantly and glanced at him as if examining his face.

 

“So I’m allowed to know anything about my husband, then?” 

 

“Just tell me. I will answer any question you ask.” 

 

“Really? You promised.”

 

“You’re the one who made the promise.”

 

He held out his pinky finger, as he had done before, and Raenel nodded and hooked it. Then she burst into a clear laugh. 

 

“This is your hand.”

 

He smirks as if he’s been tricked, when the gain he’s gained in terms of time alone with her is immeasurable.

 

Just seeing her smile like that was worth a thousand pieces of gold, so Leonhard just smiled along with her.

 

“Anyway, that’s why I sent Peter to the capital. I wanted to ask my brother if he was really friends with Mario Polten.”

 

“I thought you said they were classmates at the academy?”

 

“Not all classmates are friends. Do you know? Maybe that guy happened to steal Alex’s diary.”

 

“Does Sir Alex keep a diary?”

 

“Hmm…Cancel. My brother isn’t the type of person to write a diary or something.”

 

Hearing that friendly voice mixed with a smile, Leonhard felt extremely envious of Alexander.

 

‘Will there ever come a day when my wife speaks to me like that?’

 

“Doesn’t Count Howard keep a diary?” 

 

“My older brother likes to write, but my brother Alex likes to use his body. He’s a typical outdoor type.”

 

As he walked into the dining room, listening to her gossip about her family, Noah and Mario hadn’t arrived yet.

 

“I guess we got here first.”

 

“They’ll come if we wait.”

 

His dishes were placed on the highest table, but Leonhard had his servant rearrange them.

 

In this way, the peculiar arrangement was completed, with Leonhard, Raenel, and Noah sitting side by side, and Mario Polten sitting alone across from them.

 

“Is there a reason we are sitting like this?”

 

It was a question that Raenel thought was odd, too, so she shook her head. 

 

Leonhard, who took the seat next to her, brought his hand and lips to her ear, just as Raenel had done earlier.

 

“Isn’t that the person you said was suspicious? We need to keep an eye out to see if there’s anything suspicious.”

 

“You don’t have to go that far…., maybe it’s just my thoughts.”

 

However, Raenel seemed glad that Leonhard did not take her words lightly.

 

“Where did we stop talking earlier? So, my sister Lily…”

 

Raenel’s cheeks were covered with a beautiful blush as she resumed her story that had been interrupted for a moment when she entered the dining room.

 

Ten minutes later. Just as she was finishing, Noah’s servant, Simon, arrived at the restaurant. Alone, without Noah.

 * * *