How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 176

Without dragging things out any further, we decided to return the very next day.

 

Felix promised that he would send us back as soon as I said I wanted to leave, so we made our decision based on that. But in the end, we didn’t even need his help.

 

Why? Because we had the great dragon right beside us!

 

– Teleport? Of course, I can do it. Distance doesn’t matter at all.

 

Do you think there’s anything impossible for that great dragon?

 

The number of people doesn’t matter either!

 

In short, it meant that everyone, including the Wizards and knights of Ajas, could be transported all at once.

 

After offering my snack to the great Rake, I called for an attendant and asked them to deliver a message to Marilyn.

 

And a little while later, Marilyn arrived at our room with the attendant.

 

“Marquise! Young Master! You are going back tomorrow? Already?”

 

“It’s not really ‘already.’ We’ve been here for over a week now.”

 

In fact, I slept for four of those days, so it didn’t really feel like I had spent many days in this tower.

 

Yet, considering how it felt like I had been away from the castle for months, I supposed that place really had become my home.

 

“We didn’t say anything in advance, so I thought people might be worried.”

 

“The knights must also return to the gate.”

 

As Leonhard spoke while cutting a piece of cake for Noah and Rake, Marilyn nodded in agreement.

 

“If everyone goes back at once, our wizards will also be very disappointed.”

 

“Huh? Have you all become close friends?”

 

“Rather than ‘close,’ it’s just that we’ve been isolated from the outside world for so long. This is the first time we’ve had so many guests since we closed our doors. Everyone seems really excited about it.”

 

“That makes sense. Everyone has been saying that the tower’s Wizards have been treating them well. Especially the Ajas’s Wizards—they look like they’d happily stay here for a whole year if I let them.”

 

“Interaction with outside wizards is always welcome. If only we didn’t cut off communication….”

 

Hearing Marilyn sigh wistfully, I found myself suddenly curious.

 

‘Why did the Silver Frost Tower cut off communication with the outside world?’

 

But I didn’t think it was a question I, an outsider, should ask, so I kept that question to myself.

 

“You said the Silver Frost Tower would remain closed, right? So once we leave, does that mean we won’t be able to see each other again?”

 

I don’t know about anything else, but I want to continue interacting with the Silver Frost Tower because of Noah.

 

I glanced over at Noah, who seemed completely uninterested in our conversation, as he was giving up the strawberries on the cake to Rake.

 

Noticing my concern, Marilyn lowered her voice slightly.

 

“That’s the official rule, but… I’ll ask my master.”

 

Marilyn patted her chest confidently before leaving.

 

It turned out that her words weren’t just empty promises. The next day, as we gathered outside the tower, ready to return to the castle, Felix himself came to see us off.

 

That man, who seemed to be as far away from the concept of ‘farewell’ as the moon is from the sun, had actually come.

 

“You’re going back to the castle?”

 

“Yeah. Rake will move us all at once.”

 

We hid the fact from the Knights and Wizards of Ajas, who did not know that Rake was a dragon.

 

‘After all, how many people would actually believe that my pet bird was a dragon?’

 

Besides, Rake had said she wanted to stay in that form for a while.

 

-My original form was too big and I thought it would be uncomfortable. I’m going to stay like this for a while.

 

The rake sitting on Noah’s palm, pecked at dried raspberries, looked like an ordinary bird no matter how you looked at it.

 

Since she liked that form and was planning to stay with us at Ajas Castle, I was relieved.

 

Sure, Hiyela had asked me to watch over Rake, but with the way Rake talked, she was practically a kid. There was no way I could send her off alone.

 

“Peep, Peep!”

 

Sensing my gaze, Rake flapped her wings and flew toward us, landing on my shoulder.

 

Then, puffing up her chest feathers proudly, Rake looked straight at Felix and declared:

 

And then.

 

– Idiot! You’re wrong!

 

“R-Rake?”

 

It was too childish to be called an insult, but Rake still spat the words out with a huff before flying back to Noah.

 

Noah, who was trying to chase after Rake and come to me, heard Rake’s words and said something to Rake, who was sitting on my palm, with a slightly bewildered expression.

 

But the way Rake flicked her wing dismissively told me she wasn’t listening to a word Noah was saying.

 

‘Was this what it felt like when a rebellious teenager caused trouble?’

 

I sighed and asked Felix.

 

“Did something happen between you and Rake?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

Felix shrugged lazily. It seemed less like he didn’t know the reason and more like he just didn’t care.

 

Seeing his attitude, it seemed like he didn’t care what Rake said, so I decided not to be either.

 

‘As long as she doesn’t do that to others, I’ll let it slide.’

 

Felix could be called an idiot all day, and he wouldn’t care.

 

“Anyway, about the magic tool…”

 

“Oh, right. Are you working on what I requested? When will it be done?”

 

“I’ll send it to the castle as soon as it’s ready. You can pay at that time.”

 

“Then what about the one for Noah?”

 

At my question, Felix looked at Noah without saying anything.

 

Noah, who had been diligently reprimanding Rake on the palm of his hand, felt the gaze and turned his head this way.

 

“Mother?”

 

Even though Felix was the one looking at him, Noah still called me.

 

With his head tilted slightly in confusion, Noah showed no intention of speaking to Felix.

 

To be honest, I had no feelings left for Felix. But seeing him completely ignored by his own son made me feel a little sorry for him.

 

“Noah, come here for a moment.”

 

Without hesitation, Noah approached me. Meanwhile, Rake flew away somewhere.

 

‘Noah really must dislike Felix.’

 

Even when he finally glanced at Felix, Noah’s face remained unreadable.

 

Felix, on the other hand, showed no particular reaction.

 

He didn’t try to smile at his son or reach out to him.

 

Instead, he simply took something out of his pocket and threw it toward Noah.

 

“Huh? Oh?”

 

Noah, who reflexively accepted what Felix had thrown, belatedly let out a flustered sound.

 

The flustered look was clearly visible on Noah’s face, but instead of apologizing, Felix simply folded his arms again and spoke in a calm voice.

 

“Wear it on your arm. It’ll protect you in dangerous situations.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You seem to have more talent for making magical tools than for general magic, so if you want to learn magic, it would be better to start there. And….”

 

Felix tapped his ear with his right index finger, keeping his gaze on Noah.

 

“It’s a useful ability. But don’t rely on it too much. When you inherit your father’s power, it’ll disappear.”

 

“Wait a minute, what does that mean?’

 

“Literally. Both powers are inherited through blood, but that power is stronger. You can think of it as one devouring the other.”

 

Hearing that, I remembered Hiyela’s words that power was the power that a dragon’s heart melted into blood when it transformed into a human.

 

Of course, no monster is a match for the dragon.

 

‘So that’s why the Noah in the future that Hiyela showed me didn’t have that ability.’

 

I nodded absentmindedly before realizing something.

 

Felix had just referred to Leonhard as Noah’s “father.”

 

“His father? Then you… wait, where did you go?!”

 

He had been standing right next to me just a moment ago, yet he disappeared without a trace.

 

‘If he was going to leave, couldn’t he at least say something?’

 

‘Seriously, what kind of person does that…?!’

 

I decided to shake off my unsettled feelings as I watched Rake curse at Felix.

 

‘Calling him an idiot was an understatement—he deserved worse. That man!’

 

“Nell? What’s wrong?”

 

Just as I was seething, Leonhard returned from checking on knights and wizards, who had finished their preparations.

 

I suddenly felt the urge to tell him about Felix’s ridiculous behavior, but I shook my head because it seemed so childish, even to me.

 

“It’s nothing. More importantly, the owner of the Silver Frost Tower just gave Noah a defensive magic tool and left.”

 

“It’s already finished?”

 

“Yeah. I heard defensive magic tools are hard to make, though…”

 

Even though I had requested a practice tool for magic control earlier, that one wasn’t done yet. So, Felix must have prioritized the defensive tool.

 

I wondered if that was his way of showing fatherly affection—but then I shook my head.

 

‘In the end, he made it clear that he has no intention of acting as Noah’s real father.’

 

‘If anything, this isn’t fatherly love; it’s just a sense of responsibility.’

 

I wondered if there was even that.

 

“Still, since it’s made by a sage, it must be high quality. You should keep it on you as much as possible, Noah.”

 

– Hmph! A magic tool like that? I’m much better at defensive magic. Instead of carrying around a magic tool like that, take me with you. Got it?

 

Just when I wondered where she had gone, Rake flew up from Leonhard’s shoulder and hovered in front of Noah’s wrist, pecking at the magic tool with his beak.

 

– This thing is useless! Useless!

 

Rake was pecking harder and harder. At this rate, the tool might actually break, so I quickly asked her,

 

“Now that we’re all gathered, are you sure we can return to the castle?”

 

– Of course! Are you doubting me? I’m a dragon.

 

“It’s not that. It’s just that I’ve never heard of teleportation being used on such a large scale before.”

 

Felix managed to teleport us here, but his limit was probably around ten people at most.

 

‘But how many people are here now? It’s definitely more than 60, was it 70? Or 80?’

 

– Huh, this is as easy as pecking at dried strawberries. It won’t take long at all. If I just flap my wings once…

 

Rake flapped her wings once, and after a moment—

 

Like a mirage rising before my eyes, my vision blurred, and the scenery changed.

 

From the White Land, where everything except the sky was white, to the garden of Ajas Castle.

 

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