How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

“What? But…”

 

Raenel blinked in surprise, and then suddenly a possibility occurred to her and she looked at Leonhard.

 

‘Surely Noah doesn’t know what happened?’ 

 

She looked at Leonhard and whispered, just using the shape of her lips, in case Noah heard.

 

This time, Leonhard was slightly confused by the question and glanced at his child in his wife’s arms.

 

The child, with his face buried in his mother’s arms, turned his head slightly to meet his father’s eyes and blinked in a way that was unusual for a five-year-old.

 

However, Leonhard, who immediately understood the meaning contained in the silent gaze of his child, swallowed a sigh and nodded to Raenel. 

 

“I see! That’s fortunate.”

 

There are no injuries, no pain.

 

‘Since he doesn’t even have memories, there’s no need for trauma to occur in his young mind.’

 

Still, Raenel thought she should call Dr. Danvers tomorrow and stroked Noah’s head.

 

“Why didn’t you sleep? You went to bed early.”

 

“I was excited to have dinner with mother, father, and teacher. But I heard that my teacher suddenly got busy and had to go back.”

 

“Uh…Yes, something urgent came up suddenly.…he went back to his hometown. So I guess I’ll have to find your new teacher again.”

 

“I see…It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do. I’m sure the teacher has gone back to see his family.”

 

“That’s right. It’s nice for him to see his family. So don’t be too upset.” 

 

“Yes. I will. I have a mother.”

 

Unlike Raenel, who was glad to see the child smiling and not too disappointed, Leonhard just blinked slowly.

 

It was because Noah had planned everything and even knew that Mario Polten was currently locked up in the dungeon, but his face was so innocent that he went along with Raenel’s lies.

 

‘Noah…Was that kind of kid?’ 

 

Leonhard was sure Noah had been a very honest and gentle kid.

 

Leonhard, who had been muttering like that, soon let out a self-mockery. 

 

‘What was the point of mulling over what kind of child he was originally when I had only seen the face of the child a few times a month?’

 

He only saw a very small part of him.

 

‘As expected of me…’

 

As Leonhard’s gaze sank to the floor, the sound of clapping hands woke him up.

 

“Come to think of it, isn’t this the first time the three of us have gathered like this?” 

 

“Uh…”

 

As if they had made a promise, Leonhard and Noah’s eyes met. After a while, they both looked at Raenel and thought at the same time.

 

‘Yeah. This is the first time all three of us are in one place.’

 

Perhaps because they were thinking the same thing, the expressions on their faces were somehow similar.

 

Looking at them, Raenel laughed lightly and shook her head.

 

“It’s really hard, getting together with family.”

 

* * * 

 

“It’s really hard, getting together with family.”

 

It was just a trivial complaint, but for a moment Leonhardt’s face became blank. It looked like he had lost his mind, or like he had been hit in the back of the head.

 

I wondered why he reacted that way, and later realized that those words could sound like I was blaming him.

 

“The monsters and barbarians were bad, right? They caused such a ruckus on the day we arrived at that castle that we couldn’t even have a meal together.”

 

But it seemed like these words wouldn’t be enough to appease him. 

 

I patted his gloomy shoulder and furtively glanced at his expression.

 

“Thanks to you, so many people live in peace. They all feel secure and at peace because you guard the Hiyela Gate.”

 

“My father used that as an excuse and didn’t take care of the house…” 

 

“Yes?”

 

“He always said that the most important thing is the duty and responsibility as a Marquis and to protect the country.…I feel skeptical now.”

 

Leonhard’s gaze, full of confusion, found Noah. Noah just blinked with a blank expression as if he didn’t understand what he was saying.

 

No, it looked like he didn’t know what Leonhard was talking about.

 

At the same time, it occurred to me that Noah had also been brainwashed into growing up only about the responsibilities and duties of being the next Marquis.

 

‘This house…What kind of house is this?’ 

 

Let’s say Noah is like that.

 

But the older sister who tried to kill Leonhard, and the father who only instilled in him the duties and responsibilities of a Marquis, and I don’t know for sure, but it seems like the wife of the Marquis was not a person who took care of her family very well.

 

Yes, it’s all the fault of the top for the cloudy waters below.

 

I sighed. 

 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I came all the way here to protect the family while you guard the land outside.”

 

“Raenel…”

 

The blue eyes looking at me had faint moisture like fog. Looking at his face he looked sad for some reason, I spoke in a playful voice.

 

“But that doesn’t mean you should neglect your role as a father. Right, Noah?”

 

“Yes, what Mother said is right.”

 

Noah answered with the attitude of nodding his head no matter what I said. 

 

‘Oh, what should I do with this good kid?’

 

I stroked Noah’s head and studied his pale face. Although his complexion was a little pale, I was glad to see that he looked cheerful after what he’d been through.

 

‘I hope he doesn’t remember it later.’ 

 

‘I’ll have to remind my servants never to mention Mario Polten’s name again.’

 

“But why do you add ‘ya’ after Noah’s name?” 

 

“Huh? Oh, that’s it…”

 TL: ‘ya’ Is a suffix that Koreans usually use to call people who are of the same rank or younger than them. Usually the use of ‘ya’ after someone’s name is used for people who are close to us. Because this is a novel from Korea, the name of Noah in the novel is written as Noah-ya in Korean.  

A habit from a past life without me knowing.

 

Noah, who was actually called that, didn’t say anything, so I continued to call him that without thinking. I rolled my eyes, wondering what kind of excuse to make, and then I blurted out, 

 

“Noah’s name is two letters, so it’s hard to make a one-letter nickname, right? That’s why I just made it three letters.”

 

“You call that a nickname?”

 

“There’s no rule that says you have to shorten your name to create a nickname, right, Noah?”

 

“Yes, I like it.”

 

Noah nodded quickly without hesitation.

 

I’m glad Noah said he liked it. Since my kid said he liked it, I guess I’ll just keep calling him that from now on.

 

Of course, it feels more affectionate to call him “Noah-ya” rather than “Noah.”

 

“I see.”

 

Leonhard, who had said it many times to himself, looked at Noah and asked, his voice a little nervous for some reason.

 

“Can I call you that too?”

 

If you ask so stiffly, the person listening will get nervous! 

 

I glanced at Noah’s face and quickly interjected.

 

“Hey, don’t ask like that. You sound too old. Speak more affectionately.”

 

“I sound old…”

 

Leonhard muttered in shock, but then his face lit up.

 

“What do you mean, more affectionately?” 

 

“Noah, do you mind if I call you that?”

 

“Do you mind if I call you that…?”

 

Leonhard’s voice, repeating what I said, was filled with awkwardness. 

 

Perhaps that’s why Noah’s gesture of nodding slowly also felt unnatural.

 

Still, this is a huge improvement.

 

I made Leonhard, who had been standing, sit down next to me and made the two men face each other.

 

“Okay, then call him.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Noah just gave you permission to call him by his nickname. Then let’s do it. Now, quickly.”

 

There are people like that. People who do well on their own, but can’t do it if you tell them to do it.

 

Leonhard seemed to be one of them, too, and he couldn’t make a sound easily, with his mouth wide open. 

 

And that wasn’t all. He couldn’t even see Noah. The situation was the same for Noah.

 

The child looked down and only played with my hand, as if it was burdensome to see his father at such a close distance.

 

‘Oh my God…’ 

 

The atmosphere between a man and a woman who are meeting for the first time could be more harmonious than this. 

 

After a while, I looked at the two people who were still giving off an awkward atmosphere, and then I let go of Noah and lifted him into Leonhard’s arms. 

 

“Oh?”

 

“Oh, Mother.”

 

“Now, hold him like this with this hand, and stroke him like this with this hand.” 

 

Even though I moved Leonhard’s hand to hold Noah’s body and stroke his head, he creaked like a rusty hinge that hadn’t been oiled. Noah was also a little nervous, his body hunched over.

 

Even though it felt awkward for me to watch, I pretended not to notice and urged Leonhard from a distance.

 

“Now call him. You didn’t just get permission to call him something you are not going to call him.” 

 

“Noah–ya…”

 

At his awkward call, Noah just blinked as if he didn’t know what to do. 

 

Then he looked at me as if asking for help. But I smiled as if I didn’t notice his meaning.

 

“Noah, your father is calling you.”

 

“Yes, father…”

 

Leonhard, unable to bear the awkwardness of the answer, let out a cough.

 

‘Oh, my God, after all I’ve done for him.’

 

I let out a sigh, thinking that I really have a long way to go.

 

‘What would have happened if I wasn’t here?’ 

 

Still, there was room for improvement.

 

Look at Leonhard, who holds the child’s body tightly in his arms in case he falls, or Noah, who doesn’t seem to mind sitting on his lap, even though it may seem awkward and uncomfortable.

 

‘Yeah, they can become closer in the future.’

 

With that in mind, I put a storybook in Leonhard’s hands. 

 

A new mission for the awkwardly-connected father and son. It was to hold Noah in his arms and read him a storybook until he fell asleep.

 

* * * 

 

Leonhard reads fairy tales better than I thought. To the point where I thought I would like to hear fairy tales later.

 

Best of all, Leonhard’s low voice echoed soothingly in the silent room, creating a lullaby effect.

 

“A baby bird on the back of a crocodile….”

 

Before he could even turn a few pages of the storybook, Noah’s eyes started to close, and when he was halfway through reading the thin storybook, Noah was fast asleep, breathing heavily.

 

‘Yeah, he must be very tired.’ 

 

I waved my hand cautiously over Noah’s closed eyes, and after confirming that the child was asleep, I quietly got out of bed. The same goes for Leonhard. 

 

‘Go out quietly.’ 

 

I turned off the lamp by the bedside and checked the firestone installed in the room. 

 

Leonhard and I left Noah’s bedroom and quietly closed the door. 

 

The hallway was dark and quiet, perhaps because it was past the servants’ bedtime. The only people following us were the guards and maids who had been by my side while I was here. Even they quietly retreated at Leonhard’s gesture. 

 

“Today was a really long day.….Aren’t you tired?”

 

“Why would I be tired when I haven’t done anything? Are you feeling better?”

 

“I told you I’m okay.”

 

Actually, the back of my neck is starting to tingle a little, but I guess it’s better not to talk about it. I’m sure it’s just the lack of sleep.

 * * *