How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 159

“I heard that in Ajas there isn’t much prejudice against male wizards. Am I mistaken?”

 

“What?”

 

Felix’s unexpected question made my neatly organized list of questions, numbered in my head, vanish into thin air.

 

I didn’t understand the intent of the question, so I put down the fork and knife I was holding and looked straight at Felix.

 

“Why are we suddenly talking about Ajas and male wizards?”

 

Did he really think that was why we were being cautious around him?

 

I was so shocked that I couldn’t help but snort, but Felix, ignoring my sharp gaze, pointed his spoon toward Noah.

 

“That thing on his arm.”

 

Following his gaze, not only I but also Leona, Ethan, and Marilyn turned our eyes to Noah. 

 

Noah also looked down at his left arm, where Felix was pointing.

 

What drew everyone’s attention was the bracelet— the white stone bracelet I had given Noah.

 

Usually, it was hidden under his long sleeves, but as he was using his fork and knife, his sleeve had slid down, exposing it.

 

Noah must have realized that because he put down the fork and knife he was holding in his hands and covered the bracelet on his left hand with his right hand.

 

No, as if that didn’t seem reassuring, he put both hands down under the table as if he were hiding them.

 

“Is there something wrong with this bracelet?”

 

“Who gave it to you?”

 

“I gave it to him, is there a problem?”

 

‘No way—was he planning to act like a father now and nitpick over that plain bracelet?’

 

If that was his intention, bring it on. If he wanted to make a fuss with money, I’d welcome it. I had access to Ajas’s treasure.

 

“Do you know what that is?”

 

“Of course, I wouldn’t have given it to him if I didn’t know…”

 

‘Well, I don’t know the details.’

 

At that moment, I felt a cold sweat running down my back. I deliberately made a brazen voice so that it wouldn’t be noticed.

 

“This is a one-of-a-kind keepsake left to me by my biological mother.”

 

‘If he had any decency as a human being, he’d back off now, right?’

 

I expected him to stop it, but instead, Felix reacted in a way I hadn’t predicted.

 

He frowned, as if something didn’t make sense.

 

“She left that for you…?”

 

“Why? Is there something wrong with this bracelet?”

 

My older brother clearly told me that this bracelet would protect me.

 

‘Or maybe my biological mother was scammed somewhere?’

 

“That’s a bracelet that blurs your presence. Of course, it also hides your magical power. If that child hadn’t seen the magic circle on the back of my hand, I wouldn’t have known that he had magical power.”

 

“Oh….”

 

Now that I think about it, Noah saw that man’s magic circle.

 

“Noah really has magic?”

 

“You called yourself his mother and didn’t know?”

 

“Hah, it’s better than a biological father who didn’t even know the child was born.”

 

It was ridiculous for someone like him to act superior.

 

Even as I scoffed, I felt a bit guilty and turned to Noah.

 

“Noah, did you know you had magical powers?

 

Noah shook his head at my question.

 

“Not at all. Honestly, I still don’t really understand.”

 

He clenched and unclenched his fists under the table. His faintly confused expression made me glance at Leona and Ethan.

 

My unspoken question—Did you guys know?—was met with their silent shakes of the head.

 

‘So… no one knew?’

 

Unless someone was a genius who could instinctively use magic without learning, most people only discovered their abilities through a magical aptitude test.

 

And in the Estroa Empire, those tests were usually done on girls.

 

Boys could take the test, but unless there was a strong suspicion they had magic, they usually didn’t.

 

‘Because there is a strong perception that a real man should swing a sword!’

 

The Ajas family was known for its unique bloodline—born with supernatural strength and blessed with the power of steel.

 

Moreover, their heirloom was a sword supposedly made from a dragon’s tooth.

 

If Marquis Ajas were to say that he used magic over the sword, people would doubt their own ears.

 

‘And if the person in question was Noah?’

Noah’s position as successor was already weak.

 

He lacked the support of vassals, and now if he were revealed to be a magic user? That would just give his opponents another reason to oppose him.

 

‘Noah in the book I read couldn’t use magic… No, wait. Could it be that the magical tools Noah used weren’t taken from the treasure vault, but were made by himself?’

 

‘If that were the case, then he wasn’t just hiding the fact that he used magic—he had already been using it in secret!’

 

The sudden realization struck my mind for a moment, and then a question naturally followed.

 

‘Then who taught Noah magic? There must have been someone who taught him.’

 

The only person in the book who could have taught Noah magic…naturally, my gaze landed on Felix.

 

“Hey, I have a question… Are you good at making magic tools?”

 

‘The commission fee is expensive.’

 

‘A commission fee? What is he talking about…?’

 

‘Wait, does he think I’m about to ask him to make a magic tool for me?’

 

‘What’s with this guy and his overinflated ego?’

 

“You’re changing the subject, which means you’re feeling guilty. You two are so close, yet you didn’t even know the kid had magic?”

 

‘I can’t believe I have to hear this from the man, who didn’t even know his child was born….’

 

Still, he wasn’t entirely wrong. I hesitated for a moment before speaking in a way that wouldn’t sound like an excuse.

 

“To be honest, I never thought about testing Noah’s magic power. After all, he is Ajas’s successor.”

 

“So you gave him a bracelet that hides his magic power?’

 

“I didn’t know what it was! All I was told was that it would protect me. So, I assumed it had some kind of defensive magic…”

 

“Did you grow up in an environment where you couldn’t let it be known that you had magical powers? No, you didn’t have any magical powers in the first place.”

 

Felix’s eyes scanned me from head to toe. There was no ulterior motive in his gaze, but being examined like an object made me even more uncomfortable.

 

“What’s so strange about that? Maybe my mother thought I would have magic.”

 

“Of course, magic power is most greatly influenced by blood ties, but… Something strong enough to fool my eyes? And why would a woman need to hide her magic in the first place…”

 

Felix put down his fork and knife and crossed his arms.

 

Then, he started mumbling to himself. Even though I had only known him for a few days, I was already used to this behavior, so I just focused on my meal.

 

Just as I put the last piece of steak in my mouth—

 

“As you know, magic is something you are born with. Depending on effort, you can turn a 1 into a 10, but you can’t turn a 0 into a 1.”

 

Felix pushed his chair back, stood up, and walked toward me.

 

Was it my imagination that during that process, I felt something like a magic circle shining in his eyes as he scanned my body?

 

While I was shrugging my shoulders for no reason, Felix was already standing next to me.

 

“What do you want?”

 

As Noah showed his wariness with a firm voice, Ethan got up from his seat and stood in front of me.

 

But Felix ignored them, scratching the back of his neck as he looked at me over Ethan’s shoulder.

 

“I want to check something about your body.”

 

“Check what, exactly?”

 

“I have a feeling you might have magic.”

 

“No, I don’t have magic. I took tests a few times when I was young.”

 

Having lived in a world without magic and ending up in a world where it existed, it was only natural that I would be interested in magic.

 

Even my sister Lily could use magic. 

 

I took the magic test with the dream of becoming a magical girl.

 

The result? Nothing. 

 

I took the test four or five times before finally giving up, but the result was always the same.

 

‘I remember how much it hurt to let go of that dream.’

 

“There’s no need to check. No, actually, don’t check. I don’t want to get my hopes up again.”

 

“I think you should get your hopes up.”

 

“What? Why do you keep—”

 

“Have you ever heard of the Witch race?”

 

“Witch?”

 

‘As in… a witch? Or is he talking about something else?’

 

I glanced around, but no one else seemed to know what he was talking about.

 

Except for Marilyn, whose face suddenly lit up in realization.

 

“The first magic users on the continent! The ones whose firstborn is always a daughter, and they pass down half of their magic to her—are you talking about that race?

 

“Exactly. As far as I know, the only people who can be certain their child will have magic are Witches. And if a Witch wanted to, sealing someone’s magic would be easy for them.”

 

“Magic Sealing?”

 

“You want to use magic, don’t you?”

 

‘If he asked like that…There was only one answer I could give.’

 

I nodded, still in disbelief.

 

“Do I really have magic?”

 

“Let’s find out.”

 

Felix reached out his hand toward me.

 

“Mother, wait.”

 

“Marquise, it may be dangerous to trust this man’s words.”

 

Noah and Ethan both tried to stop me at the same time, but my hand, which I held out as if possessed, had already grabbed Felix’s hand.

 

And then—

 

“Whoa!”

 

A cold sensation surged through my fingertips.

 

My whole body felt like it was going to freeze as the cold ran up my fingers, wrists, arms, elbows, shoulders, and so on.

 

‘Isn’t this how I’m going to freeze to death?’

 

‘It wasn’t just a joke—I was genuinely terrified.’

 

‘Why did I hold Felix’s hand? What made me trust this man?’

 

‘Please…Help me!’

 

Then, as if responding to that call, I felt something warm forming in a circle inside my stomach.

 

The small energy, like a spark from a flint, expanded in an instant. 

 

Because of that, the warmth that had felt merely warm suddenly became hot as if it were going to burn my body.

 

‘It hurts, stop…!’

 

But this time the heat did not listen to me.

 

In an instant, the heat that consumed my entire body from the tips of my fingers to my toes, as if it were suffocating me from being trapped in this body, spun around violently and ripped something apart.

 

And then, my consciousness was swallowed by darkness.

 

* * *