How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 224

“Crazy… So, are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine. But Noah was attacked back then. Fortunately, he didn’t get hurt, and he doesn’t remember anything… but I’m worried he might recall it someday.”

 

“Unbelievable. After causing such a mess there, now she’s down in the capital spreading nonsense?”

 

“I guess she thinks it’s because of me that she became like that. So, for the time being, I’ve decided to go out with my husband to the downtown area every day and go on dates.”

 

“Date?”

 

My sister Lily opened her eyes wide and asked, as if wondering why that word was suddenly coming up here.

 

“They’re saying the Marquise of the Ajas has been crying in her bedroom every day because her husband cheated on her. I need to boldly show that it’s all nonsense.”

 

I’d already made the schedule. I was even planning to take Noah and Rake along to dessert shops and theaters.

 

Especially since rumors were spreading that Noah was Leonhard’s illegitimate child.

 

“But thinking about it again makes me mad. Do you know how many documents I handle in a day! I just want to stay locked in my bedroom!”

 

“Is there that much work?”

 

“It’s not just a lot—it’s insane. Luckily, the former finance minister and butler used to be in charge of most of it, and they’ve been helping a lot…”

 

Just then, Benjamin poked his head out from inside the dining room.

 

“What are you two doing, not coming in?”

 

“Oh, we’re coming. Just talking for a bit.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Leonhard appeared behind Benjamin, holding Noah’s hand.

 

‘Had we really been talking that long?’

 

“Nothing special, just…”

 

Oh right, I had something to give them.

 

I took a box out of my magic bag.

 

“I brought a gift for my sister and brother-in-law.”

 

“A gift?”

 

I placed the box in the arms of my sister Lily, who asked in surprise.

 

“This is a wedding gift for you two.”

 

Honestly, I was planning to give it to them anyway, but the timing worked out perfectly.

 

I pushed my sister Lily into the dining room so she could check it with Benjamin.

 

“By the way, Leon got the materials himself. So it’s a gift from both of us.”

 

“He got the materials himself? What is this even— Oh my God!”

 

“Rod?… Hey, no way, this is it!”

 

While the two people looked inside the box with astonished faces, I linked arms with Leonhard with a proud face.

 

Thanks to my capable husband, it felt like my value went up. It was a nice feeling.

 

Until my brother Alex came home late that night, I answered Benjamin’s question—”Are you sure I can really have this?”—about a dozen times.

 

* * *

 

Dinner started a little late due to the fuss, but it allowed us to all sit together.

 

To take care of Noah, Leonhard and I sat on either side of him, and across from us, my sister Lily, Benjamin, and my brother sat side by side. Rake took her seat on a plate on the table in front of Noah.

 

The arrangement completely ignored things like status, age, and seniority, but no one cared.

 

In fact, my brother looked quite pleased to be sitting directly across from Leonhard.

 

“A siren, huh… Is it a monster? I’ve never seen one. How does it look?”

 

“Its upper body looks human. But the ears are like fins, and the skin is covered with scales. Below the waist, it’s shaped like a fish.”

 

“Like a mermaid from a fairy tale?”

 

“Yes. Although a siren is not a beautiful being like a mermaid from a fairy tale.”

 

As Leonhard explained, Noah nodded along, and Benjamin gently asked,

 

“Do you like fairy tales?”

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

In front of Noah, who nodded, Rake spread her wings and cried loudly.

 

I had just piled a plate with peach slices, but she seemed to have already eaten them all.

 

Benjamin refilled the plate with mango and kept chatting with Noah.

 

“I used to read a lot of fairy tales as a kid. My favorite was ‘Alex’s Adventure.’ Have you read it?”

 

“No.”

 

Noah’s face was full of curiosity as he shook his head.

 

But my brother interrupted with a grumpy voice.

 

“I hated that one. The main character had a name too similar to mine and did nothing but stupid things.”

 

“Stupid things? Don’t belittle Alex’s brave journey like that.”

 

“Brave, my foot! The guy couldn’t even swim, but he jumped into the water to save someone. That’s just plain dumb.”

 

I whispered to Noah, letting my brother continue to babble about how stupid Alex was.

 

“He says that, but he actually read all seven volumes. He really liked it—that’s how he knows it so well.”

 

“Nell, I can hear you, you know.”

 

I pretended not to hear.

 

“When we get to the Howard estate, they should have the whole series. I’ll read it to you there.”

 

“Yes, Mother.”

 

Noah’s cheeks turned rosy, already excited.

 

While I was putting a whole grape on Rake’s plate, which was already crying, Lily asked.

 

“Are you planning to stop by the Howard estate on the way?”

 

“Yeah. Oh, I guess I haven’t told you yet?”

 

I told the three of them the story of my older brother and Layla.

 

The one who was most delighted to hear that my maid was in love with my older brother was none other than my sister Lily.

 

“Thank goodness. I was worried that he would die a lonely old man after working himself to death.”

 

“L-Lily. That’s a bit much…”

 

“Still, he really is at the age to get married. He’s been putting it off for years now.”

 

Luckily, my older brother had a youthful face.

 

But in this world, being 27 with no fiancée meant you were practically considered an old bachelor for life.

 

If he had a fiancée, it would be different, but he doesn’t have one.

 

Moreover, even if you have a fiancée, it is a problem because dragging out an engagement for a long time was usually a story of nobles before they inherited the title.

 

‘But even though my older brother had already become a count, he didn’t have any marriage proposals coming in.’

 

Even if our family was in debt, normally, someone would offer their daughter to marry into the count’s family in exchange for paying it off. But that never happened.

 

I guess it’s probably because of me.

 

‘Was I really that big of an obstacle?’

 

Now that I’m gone, marriage proposals are bound to come in from all over the place.

 

‘Wait, come to think of it, my older brother isn’t the only urgent case, is he?’

 

I narrowed my eyes at my brother Alex, busy carving a roasted chicken.

 

“You know, you need to eat a lot of chicken breast to build stamina—what? Why are you looking at me like that? Do you have something to say?”

 

“What about you?”

 

“What do you mean, what about me?”

 

“Isn’t it time for you to get married too, brother?”

 

Unlike my older brother who at least had a fiancée, my brother Alex who was crazy about swords didn’t even have a fiancée.

 

“Come to think of it, aren’t the men in our family too incompetent? I’m already married, and Lily is getting married too—how is it that neither of you even has a fiancée? At least Brother Liv has a lovely girl begging him to marry her!”

 

When I looked at him with a “What have you been doing?” expression, my brother Alex awkwardly looked around and cleared his throat.

 

“No, you come back after all this time and the first thing you say is… Never mind. I’ll take care of it, so don’t worry.”

 

“You need to give me a reason not to worry. Aside from me and sister Lily, is there any woman you talk to?”

 

In the future Hiyela had shown, he was happily married and had children. So who on earth did he end up marrying?

 

“Of course there is. Do you think there aren’t any women in the Red Lion Knights?”

 

“I’m not talking about work! I mean personally! Have you even been on a date before?”

 

“Already finished eating, huh? Want some more?”

 

I sighed as I watched my brother put chicken on Noah’s plate.

 

At that age, he’s already been appointed as a knight and works in the palace. He’s handsome. Why on earth doesn’t he have a girlfriend?

 

‘Who did he end up marrying?’

 

He didn’t have a title, so it couldn’t have been a political match arranged by the family. It must’ve been a love marriage.

 

‘Not even my older brother, but him, a love marriage?’

 

That alone was hard to picture, so I sighed again.

 

* * *

 

It only took 20 minutes by carriage to get to the Paul Hervina mansion, but we decided to stay the night here.

 

“Noah, didn’t you say you were learning swordsmanship? Let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

My brother, who only knew how to use a sword, was curious about Noah’s skills and went out into the garden with the child on his side, and Leonhard followed them as the guardian.

 

Benjamin disappeared somewhere, saying he wanted to try the rod I gave him.

 

And with a full stomach, Rake perched on my shoulder and went off with my sister Lily to explore the backyard garden.

 

“Wow, the clover field is still there?”

 

“As if they would’ve cleared it out in the meantime.”

 

“If that were the case, I would have just sat here and cried.”

 

I made a mock crying gesture, clenching my fist and holding it to my eyes, and my sister Lily gave me a look—but not an unkind one.

 

“Look at this kid. Don’t you think you’re still a kid?”

 

“That’s how I feel.”

 

I was twenty years old now, married, and even had a five-year-old child.

 

Though I had known since birth that I was reincarnated, I had almost no memories of my past life. So I hadn’t exactly grown up like some mature, all-knowing child. If anything, I’d been more of a troublemaker.

 

Even now, I didn’t feel like I was in my forties or whatever age I might’ve been before. My mental age just matched my physical one.

 

“Actually, it still doesn’t feel real that I’m a mother.”

 

“Of course. It’s only been half a year since you went to the palace and received the blessing drink. Before that, you weren’t even allowed to drink without our permission.”

 

“Well, even now, I’m still not allowed to drink without permission…”

 

“What?”

 

“It’s just that…”

 

When I explained that Leonhard limited my drinking to three glasses a day because I got drunk and got into trouble, Lily nodded.

 

“Well, your husband did the right thing. You need to drink in moderation. Too much is bad for your health.”

 

“I thought I wouldn’t hear such nagging once I got married.”

 

“I didn’t think I’d still be able to nag you after you got married either.”

 

‘Still be able to.’

 

It was a sentence that showed me, plain and clear, the little world of imagination she had nurtured all on her own—without me knowing.

 

* * *