How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

“Your Excellency the Marquis and the Marquise!”

 

Leonhard looked around at Simon, who was bowing deeply.

 

“Why did you come alone? Where Noah?”

 

“The young master was having tea time with Sir Mario in the greenhouse. He said he didn’t realize how much time had passed while talking, so he told me to tell you that he would be there soon.” 

 

“Huh? Why did he send you when he could have just come with you? Is there still work left to do?”

 

“uh… I don’t really know that much. I apologize.” 

 

“No, you have nothing to be sorry about.”

 

It was a very desirable attitude for a servant not to question what his master told him to do.

 

Raenel nodded in agreement and asked Simon, 

 

“So when is Noah coming? How long will it take?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know that either.…The young master told me to come back right away after speaking to you two.”

 

“What?”

 

‘I don’t know what he was doing there, but he seemed to be staying there until Simon returned to the greenhouse.’

 

“Hmm…That’s strange.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Noah never missed a mealtime.”

 

‘He was late for a dinner where he invited the guest? And he says it’s tea time when he should be eating?’

 

Leonhard opened his mouth half impulsively as he watched Raenel tilt her head, wondering what Noah was doing there.

 

“Then should I pick him up?”

 

“Oh, that would be great!” 

 

Raenel smiled brightly as if it was a very good idea. 

 

“Noah will be happy since it’s been a long time since you came to the castle.” 

 

Leonhard also stood up following Raenel. Simon, who had been intimidated by not being able to give a clear answer to every question they asked, smiled brightly and said.

 

“Then I will guide you to where the young master is!” 

 

Simon started walking without looking back as if he was confident in that much.

 

Just as Leonhard was about to open his mouth to tell Simon not to walk so fast, Raenel shook her head to stop him. 

 

She was worried that the ten-year-old would get scared again.

 

In fact, Leonhard was more worried about Raenel falling if she walked too fast, but Raenel put her hand on his arm and shut him up.

 

‘Yeah, I can just escort her.’

 

‘If she falls while walking, I can just pick her up and carry her.’

 

Leonhard was confident that the moment Raenel lost her balance, he would be there to catch her before she fell.

 

If he did, would he be able to use that excuse the next time?

 

Whether or not she knew of his dark intentions, Raenel walked very quickly and was able to arrive at the greenhouse safely without falling.

 

“Your Excellency the Marquis and the Marquise!”

 

The two guards guarding the greenhouse saluted Leonhard and Raenel. 

 

Leonhard nodded with satisfaction at the two men’s saluting postures. 

 

Meanwhile, Raenel asked them, 

 

“I heard Noah was in the greenhouse.”

 

“Oh, yes. He is with his teacher.” 

 

“Are they the only two in the greenhouse?” 

 

“Yes, they are.”

 

Raenel nodded, wondering if they really hadn’t finished teatime yet.

 

“Simon, it’s okay to go back now, so go eat dinner.” 

 

“Yes? But the young master told me to come back—” 

 

“It’s okay. We can take Noah.”

 

“Um, yes! Then I guess I’ll be heading back for today. Thank you!” 

 

It seemed that one polite refusal was enough.

 

Raenel chuckled as he watched Simon quickly bow his head and leave. Then she took Leonhard’s arm.

 

“Come on, let’s take Noah and eat.” 

 

“Sure.”

 

Leonhard’s nod was a little insincere. His attention was elsewhere.

 

‘The air……I don’t know why, but I’m strangely nervous.’

 

As Leonhard looked around the greenhouse with a slightly stiff face, Raenel made a noise next to him.

 

“Rake, are you here too?”

 

“Peep, peep.”

 

A small bird fluttered down through the lavender blossoms of the short wisteria and landed on Raenel’s palm.

 

The little bird jumped on its two feet and hopped on the palm of her hand, flapping its wings and making a squeak. 

 

Raenel watched it with a smile and asked, “Rake, were you with Noah?”

 

“Peep, peep?”

 

“Noah, Noah. My son. A small, dark-haired boy.” 

 

“Raenel, there’s no way a bird would understand what you’re saying—” 

 

“Peep, Peep!”

 

Rake, who had been tilting his round head from side to side, flew up and flapped his wings back to where he came from.

 

Raenel, who was watching the scene with her eyes blinking, grabbed Leonhard’s arm and said.

 

“Noah must be over there. Let’s follow Rake quickly before we lose him.” 

 

Leonhard, pretending to give in to Raenel’s urging, took a step forward, looking at the bird’s blue tail feathers with a slightly confused expression.

 

“That bird, can it possibly understand human speech? Can it even distinguish people just by hearing their names?”

 

“The bird is smart. He’s especially smart when it comes to food.”

 

“But how can a bird….”

 

“Oh, that’s prejudice. Don’t your birds also do that when you write in a letter, right?”

 

The reason His birds were able to deliver letters was because they were highly trained.

 

But that bird that flutters around has never received any such training. 

 

‘Come to think of it, have I ever seen a bird like that near the castle of Ajas? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that bird before…Where did the bird come from? And it was found in the castle’s treasure vault. How did the bird get inside?’

 

“Peep, peep!”

 

“Huh? Is Noah in front of me?” 

 

“Peep!”

 

“What on earth is our Noah doing?” 

 

The moment Raenel took a step forward.

 

A loud, glass-shattering sound rang in her ears, and at the same time, a dazzling light exploded and filled her field of vision.

 

“Ahh!”

 

“Nell!”

 

Leonhard, who closed his eyes reflexively, reached out and grabbed Raenell’s hand with only his senses and pulled her into his arms.

 

At the same time, the moment Ajas’s power was activated, certain sensations were felt through the five senses that had become several times more sensitive.

 

The sound of a person or something of similar weight falling to the ground, a groan of pain. The smell of damp earth, the strong, almost annoying scent of flowers. And the scent of blood seeping in between.

 

‘Blood scent?’

 

There was no way to confuse it. It was definitely the smell of human blood.

 

The moment he realized that fact, the scene that came to his mind made Leonhard tighten his arms around Raenel. In response, she let out an anxious noise.

 

“What is that light? What happened?”

 

Beyond the ceaselessly blinking vision, the image of the object finally began to come into focus.

 

However, Raenel continued to keep her eyes tightly shut, as if she had not yet regained her sight.

 

Her two trembling hands were tightly holding onto Leonhard’s clothes as if they had nothing else to rely on.

 

The image of a deer struggling desperately, chased by hunters and driven into a corner with no escape route, was clearly engraved on Leonhard’s retina.

 

She was already full of fear.

 

‘If the smell of blood in the air belonged to Noah….’

 

Leonhard couldn’t even imagine how shocked Raenel would be. At that moment, before he could even think of something, his hand moved first.

 

With a painless blow to the back of her neck, Raenel fell unconscious, unaware of what had happened to her.

 

Leonhard gritted his teeth as he accepted the body that was falling limply like a falling flower.

 

“Noah!”

 

Leonhard, who had been carrying his unconscious wife, sprinted across the ground. The densely planted flower trees in the greenhouse blocked his view. 

 

A small bird flew through the trees, chirping happily.

 

As Leonhard ran through the gaps, he finally caught sight of his son.

 

“Father…mother.”

 

Fortunately, Noah was safe.

 

The child, who was sitting on the floor, blinked in surprise and looked at Raenel in Leonhard’s arms.

 

Leonhard, who had been scanning Noah from head to toe several times, noticed that the pendant on the child’s chest was split in half and realized the cause of the bursting light.

 

‘It seems that defensive magic was activated.’

 

Ordinary defensive magic tools only cast shield magic, but this was the artifact that Noah had. It seems that light attribute defensive magic was deployed.

 

Leonhard’s thoughts were cut off there. After confirming Noah’s safety, he unconsciously turned his head towards the place where he sensed the scent of blood, and the scene unfolded before his eyes.

 

“Ugh…”

 

The man lying helplessly across from Noah was in agony, with pieces of broken swords embedded in his abdomen, arms, and legs.

 

In his right hand, he held the hilt of the sword with only half the blade remaining.

 

* * * 

 

When the ground spiders descended, the western sky turned blood red. The heir of the Marquis Ajas was attacked inside the castle!

 

As if to signal the seriousness of the situation, hundreds of torches were lit along the walls of Ajas and access to the castle was closed.

 

The residents, who realized that something was wrong in the castle by the long resonating sound of the horn, stopped what they were doing, went straight to their homes, and locked the doors tightly.

 

Soon, the sound of dozens of horse hooves resonated loudly throughout the city. 

 

The sound of horses being hurried, the sound of armor clanking, someone’s fierce shout. And the thick voice of a man shouting that it was the order of the Marquis, frightened the residents and made them huddle together in anxiety. 

 

“What the hell is going on all of a sudden…?” 

 

“A monster didn’t invade, did it, Mother?”

 

“No way. The marquis is personally guarding the gate, so how could a monster invade Ajas Castle? You don’t have to worry too much.”

 

“Then what was that horn sound just now?”

 

“That means there’s a very bad man in the castle, and the knights are running around like that to catch him. Don’t worry.”

 

It was half true, though it was meant to calm a frightened child. The knights currently running through the castle city were summoning the vassals living within the city under the orders of the Marquis.

 

“A call at this late hour? Is it true that Young Master was attacked?”

 

“Honestly, I can’t believe it. The young master could protect his body with the power of the pattern, so how can he do it this time?” 

 

“It seems that the attacker’s skills were much better than his.” 

 

“So, how is the young master’s condition? Have you heard anything?” 

 

“If he was seriously injured in this attack and cannot fulfill his duties as successor,….”

 

Even though they had heard that the successor had been attacked, the voices of the vassals gathered in the conference room were louder than their concerns for him, and even sounded excited.

 

* * *