How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love – Chapter 208

Author: Chewyy

“I never thought I’d have my first drink with you somewhere other than Howard.”

“Me too. Until I left Howard Territory, I had no idea that I would never return to Howard Territory.”

My social debut was to find a husband.

I left the Howard estate fully aware of the purpose, but even as I arrived in the capital and had dresses fitted, it didn’t feel real.

Honestly, given my circumstances, I didn’t think I’d find a good match, and even if I did, I thought it would end in an engagement at best.

Who would’ve thought I’d get married so suddenly and head off to the Ajas like this—not just me, but my family couldn’t have imagined it either.

‘Actually, I still feel a little strange. The Howard estate, where I’ve lived all my life, and the mansion there—they’re not my home anymore.’

“Do you remember? You told me to take you with me and live with you.”

“Um, uh…? Did I say something like that…?”

Did he realize I was being sarcastic?

Instead of pressing the question, my older brother just smiled with a wine glass to his lips.

“And then, not long after, you suddenly said you were getting married—what a shock that was.”

“Ah, the wine smells really good. Howard Wine is the best.”

“I was wondering why wine sales suddenly increased, and it looks like you bought it all.”

“No, I didn’t drink that much…”

‘Or did I?’

But I don’t think sales would have increased that much?

Maybe it wasn’t me—maybe someone else became obsessed with Howard wine?

As I was pondering this reasonably, my brother called my name in a slightly more serious tone.

“I just wanted to ask… have you ever regretted getting married?”

“Regret?”

Is it strange or sudden?

It was so out of the blue that I blinked in surprise and glanced at my older brother to gauge his intent.

“Why do you ask? Did something about the castle bother you?”

Did someone say something strange to my older brother? Or did the servants treat him disrespectfully?

Was he worried that I wasn’t being treated properly as the Marquise of the border territory?

Thankfully, my concerns seemed unfounded. My brother gently shook his head.

“I just wanted to hear your thoughts. It seems to me that you’re doing fine, but you have a bad habit of pretending to be fine no matter what.”

“Um… I don’t think I’ve ever really done that….”

“And that lack of awareness is part of the bad habit I’m talking about.”

When my older brother said that, I had nothing else to say.

‘Did I really do that?’

Nothing came to mind… I just kept fiddling with the stem of the wine glass for no reason.

“You were the one who first brought up the marriage. And though we were against it at first, you pushed ahead with your stubbornness.”

My older brother continued talking while examining my face.

“So I worried… maybe if you regretted it later, you wouldn’t be able to say it out loud because of that. Even when I read your letters, I was still worried.”

Contrary to his initial worries, Noah turned out to be a kind person, and I looked genuinely happy.

He said he felt relieved seeing me getting along well with everyone.

Even so, he added those words.

“As I said before, there’s still a room for you in our house. That won’t change for decades to come. So if you ever need a place to rest, feel free to come back anytime.”

“I’m really doing well, though…”

I couldn’t finish the sentence clearly—not because it was a lie, but because my heart suddenly swelled with emotion.

I knew, of course, that changing my last name after marriage didn’t make me a stranger to my family. I also believed that my family thought the same.

Still, hearing it said out loud made my nose sting with emotion.

Worried I might start crying in front of my older brother, I cleared my throat a few times on purpose.

“You saw for yourself this time. I’m doing well with my husband and with Noah, too. I admit I got married a bit suddenly… but I have no regrets about my decision. Even if I could go back, I would make the same choice.”

“Even if I tried to stop you?”

“Heheh.”

I just laughed without answering, and my older brother followed suit and laughed out loud.

“Yeah. You’re not the one who would listen to me.”

“Brother, you’re making it sound like I’m some troublemaker.”

“Now that’s words—coming from the tomboy in the Howard family.”

“Tch.”

When I glared at him without being mean, my older brother laughed out loud again.

I poured some wine into his empty glass, telling him to stop talking nonsense and have a drink.

My older brother said let’s have another toast and poured some wine into my glass too.

“Whether you’re inside this castle or outside it, there are plenty of knights to protect you, so you’ll be safe. Still, don’t do anything… too dangerous. Be cautious with strangers, okay?”

“Brother, come on, do I look like a kid? You only need to say that kind of thing to Noah.”

“Really? Strangely, I’m more worried about you than Noah.”

“Brother!”

I didn’t get why he still treated me like a child when I was married and even had a child.

Honestly, he should be worrying about himself, not me. I gave him a sideways glance and opened my mouth.

“Did you know? I got a ton of letters from noble ladies over the past few days.”

“What kind of letters? Invitations?”

“No, not those. They want to be introduced to you.”

“To me…?”

He seemed genuinely surprised, his eyes rippling with emotion.

I found it so amusing that I burst out laughing.

“You don’t have to make that face since I rejected them all nicely. If I weren’t truly ‘Layla’s person,’ I might have considered it seriously.”

But how could I betray my loyalty to my one and only maid?

“So, if by any chance things don’t work out with Layla, please let me know right away. I’ll send a letter to the ladies who wrote to me right away.”

“No… I appreciate your consideration, but there’s no need to do that.”

“Why? What’s the big deal about your younger sister arranging your marriage?”

“As you said, I’m an old bachelor, so it’s embarrassing to hear that kind of thing from my younger sister.”

Although I couldn’t find any trace of embarrassment on his face as he spoke, I swallowed a laugh inside when I saw that the corners of my older brother’s ears were slightly red.

‘Ah, this is nice.’

Saying I’m doing well here wasn’t a lie in the slightest.

But chatting idly like this with my family—nothing else could replace that. I was already starting to miss this time.

‘What if I cry like a child when I see him off tomorrow?’

Fortunately, that didn’t happen.

It was because there was someone who burst into tears before I could.

* * *

His face had darkened noticeably and he spoke less. I wasn’t the only one worried about Noah’s face, which seemed to have returned to the time we first met.

“Are you sick? What’s wrong? Are you having a hard time attending class?”

Noah, who had been shaking his head in response to Leonhard’s repeated questions, eventually burst into tears when he came out to see my older brother off.

“Oh dear… Why are you crying, huh?”

“I can’t see you anymore….”

“What do you mean you won’t see me? I’ll visit again next time. Or maybe later, you and your mother and father can all come visit the Howard estate together, right?”

“C-can I really go?”

The older brother, who had hugged Noah tightly, smiled affectionately while caressing the child’s wet cheek.

“Of course, you can. If you come to Howard, I’ll teach you how to fish. You’ve never fished before, right?”

“Yes, I-I haven’t.”

“There’s a big river that runs beside our estate. Every late autumn, after the grape harvest, we hold a fishing contest there. You can catch rainbow trout really well.”

“Rainbow trout?”

“Never seen one?”

Seeing Noah shake his head, I tried to recall.

“Hmm… come to think of it, I’ve never seen it on the dining table either.”

At my muttering, Leonhard’s face stiffened slightly, then he said to me,

“I’ll have them bring some in.”

“No, I wasn’t complaining.…”

But once I thought about it, I found myself craving the rich taste of that fish again, so I didn’t stop him.

“For the record, I won the competition two years ago.”

“Really? You, Mother?”

“Of course! Without the champion, the competition must have been fierce… Maybe I should go reclaim the title this year?”

“Now that I think about it, I’ve never tried fishing either. Would you be willing to teach me?”

“Really? I’d love to! Noah can learn from my older brother, and you can learn from me—let’s all go to the Howard estate this fall.”

With the Howard trip spontaneously decided, both Leonhard and Noah smiled brightly.

Oh dear, they say if you laugh right after crying, you’ll grow hair on your butt. I hope Noah’s butt is safe.

“Then I’ll go now.”

“Yes, Brother. You must write us the moment you arrive safely at the Howard estate!”

“Of course, I will.”

Because of the attack that occurred on the way here, This time, the knights of the Black Wolf were guarding my older brother who was returning to Howard Territory.

After telling the knights to take good care of my older brother, I sent him off with a heavy heart.

He faded from view in an instant.

Before I knew it, the horse and carriage were so far they looked like dots, and I felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow.

“Mother….”

“Huh?”

Noah, who had been holding my hand tightly, opened his arms toward me.

Surprised by this rare show of affection, I quickly picked him up. He wrapped his arms tightly around my neck and sniffled.

“You won’t leave the castle like Uncle did, right?”

“Of course. This is my home now.”

I reassured him there was no need to worry and kissed his still-wet cheek.

“If I ever have to go far away, I’ll take you with me, so don’t worry.”

“Really?”