How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 230

– How did they know of my greatness and already make something like this? Humans are truly amazing.

 

“Shh, shh!”

 

By the time we returned to where Leonhardt and Noah were, Noah had already made his choice and was holding a long toy sword in his hand.

 

Judging by the blush on his chubby cheeks, he seemed to like the sword.

 

“Have you chosen everything?”

 

“Yes, Mother. What is that doll?”

 

“Rake said she wanted it.”

 

“Peep, Peep!”

 

Rake sat between the horns on both sides of the dragon’s head, puffing up her chest fur proudly.

 

While Noah was giggling at Rake’s cuteness, I asked Leonhard.

 

“You haven’t chosen yet?”

 

“Me?”

 

Leonhard blinked, then let out an “ah” as if he had just remembered I had said I would buy him something.

 

“Opportunities like this don’t come every day, you know. You should hurry and pick one while I’m offering.”

 

“You’re right. Then I have to choose one quickly.”

 

The castle’s armory was filled with various weapons, so Leonhard didn’t even pay attention to the toy weapons.

 

Instead, he went to the display case of stuffed animals and started looking at them one by one.

 

‘Is it really something you need to look at seriously…?’

 

Still, since he mentioned it was his first time visiting a shop like this, I couldn’t bring myself to stop him.

 

I told Noah to pick one too while Leonhard was picking out a doll.

 

“But I already picked one.”

 

“It’s fine. Your mom’s got this. Not just one—go ahead and pick ten more if you want.”

 

“Peep!”

 

The one who responded to my words immediately was Rake.

 

“Peep, peep, peep!”

 

The doll that Rake chose was a round doll that looked just like her.

 

The doll’s fur was yellow, but that didn’t seem to matter to her.

 

“Phew… Alright, fine. But only up to this one.”

 

“Peep, peep!”

 

As if two were more than enough, Rake chirped happily.

 

Noah chuckled as he looked at Rake and stretched his hand out over the display case.

 

“Then I’ll take this one.”

 

“Sheep doll?”

 

“Yes.”

 

The moment Noah nodded, Leonhard also finished.

 

“Then I’ll take this.”

 

The one he chose was a sky-blue cloud doll. Sheep and clouds. It was a combination that made it obvious why they chose that.

 

Looking at the father and son holding their dolls, I nodded with satisfaction.

 

“Okay, I’ll buy them all!”

 

This was one of the most satisfying purchases I’ve made in recent times.

 

* * *

 

– Mmm… mmm…

 

Between the chubby dragon doll and the round chick doll, Rake had long since fallen into a deep sleep.

 

However, Noah, who had difficulty falling asleep and was tossing and turning in bed, eventually got up.

 

“Huh? Young Master, you’re still awake?”

 

Janet, who was Noah’s personal escort while he was in the capital, opened the door and looked at Noah with surprised eyes.

 

“I couldn’t sleep… Where’s Father?”

 

After dinner, Raenel said she was tired and went to bed early, and Leonhard said he had some work to do after reading a storybook to Noah and then went to the office.

 

“I believe he’s still in his office. Would you like me to take you there?”

 

“No, there’s no need for that..…”

 

Noah, whose words trailed off, soon nodded.

 

“I want to go to my father.”

 

“Alright, I’ll escort you.”

 

The lights were still on in Leonhard’s office.

 

At the unexpected knock, Leonhard looked puzzled, but his expression quickly turned to surprise when he saw Janet had brought Noah.

 

“Noah? You’re not asleep yet?”

 

“I can’t sleep…. Can I come in?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Leonhard immediately ordered his servant to bring him a glass of warm milk.

 

“Aren’t you tired? We walked around a lot today.”

 

“Not at all.”

 

“Yeah, that’s just like Ajas.”

 

Both of them simultaneously thought of Raenel, who had dozed off and gone to bed early, saying she was tired.

 

“Mother… seems a bit weak physically.”

 

“I think so too. But don’t mention that to her. She’ll probably….”

 

Leonhard couldn’t help but laugh as he recalled Raenel’s face, who said that just walking up and down to the dining room for three meals a day was considered exercise at Ajas Castle.

 

“Father?”

 

“Well, we probably benefit from our bloodline.”

 

“Yes. I think I know what you mean.”

 

Just then, a servant, pulling a trolley, knocked on the office door.

 

On the trolley were warm milk, cookies, cake, and chocolate.

 

“Want to eat?”

 

“No thanks. Just milk is enough. If I eat something alone, Rake will definitely get upset.”

 

“Yeah, Rake probably would.”

 

Noah chuckled slightly as he looked at Leonhard, who nodded with a serious face.

 

‘It’s comfortable…. To feel this way while being alone with Father—I would’ve never believed it if someone told me this a year ago.’

 

Holding the warm mug with both hands and sipping the milk, Noah glanced over at Leonhard, who was about to eat a chocolate chip cookie.

 

“Do you have anything to say?”

 

“That’s…..”

 

He hadn’t come to see his father because he had something specific to say. But being asked made him want to open up.

 

As he savored the rich aftertaste of the milk, Noah began to speak quietly.

 

“I overheard people talking at the toy shop earlier.”

 

“You heard that?”

 

Leonhard frowned slightly.

 

‘It seems like father heard that too.’

 

Well, there’s no way Leonhard didn’t hear the voice he heard.

 

“Oh my, isn’t that the Marquis and Marquise of Ajas? And with them… is that the heir? The rumored illegitimate child?”

 

“Illegitimate? I heard the child’s real father is the master of the Silver Frost Tower. Didn’t you get the academy notice? Everyone’s talking about it!”

 

“The master of the Silver Frost Tower gave a firm warning, didn’t he? He said that if anyone dared tarnish the honor of the successor of Marquis Ajas, who is his own flesh and blood, he would personally make them pay for it.”

 

Such talk no longer had much effect on Noah. So, it was fine.

 

But…

 

“The Marquis and Marquise of the Ajas… they seem to get along better than I expected.”

 

“Right? I heard they came to the capital to get divorced. Was that just a baseless rumor?”

 

“You said you wouldn’t divorce Mother.”

 

“That’s right. Never.”

 

The short answer, without adding anything here and there, actually reassured Noah.

 

However, the anxiety that had not been completely erased was still coiled in his small chest.

 

“Then why do people keep saying Father and Mother are going to get divorced?”

 

“They just… want others to be unhappy. It’s more like they’re cursing us with words.”

 

“But why? Why would anyone wish unhappiness on others?”

 

“Because they’re unhappy themselves. Those who lack happiness can only smile by taking comfort in other people’s misery.”

 

“I don’t really get it.”

 

Noah shook his head, looking a little glum. It looked like he was feeling discouraged from not understanding something.

 

“Those teachers were wrong. Of course, a five-year-old doesn’t know everything, but those people made it so Noah couldn’t even say he didn’t know something!”

 

As Leonhard recalled what Raenel had once said, he stood up and lifted Noah into his arms.

 

Noah, surprised, quickly grabbed the hem of Leonhard’s clothes with his hand.

 

“Father?”

 

“It’s okay. You don’t need to understand things like that. You don’t have to listen to what people who don’t know you say. No matter what others say, we love you.”

 

“But I don’t like it when people say weird things about you and Mother.”

 

“Don’t worry. I’m going to make sure they stop.”

 

“Really?”

 

Noah asked with wide eyes in Leonhard’s arms.

 

Leonhard nodded, patting the child’s head.

 

“Just trust me.”

 

“Okay. I’ll only trust you, Father.”

 

Noah now understood—he wasn’t the only one who could protect his mother.

 

Since his father said to trust him, all he had to do was wait.

 

Leaning comfortably against Leonhard’s chest, Noah let out a small yawn.

 

It seemed like he could sleep well if he went back to the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Invitations arrived at Paul Herbina’s mansion every day without rest. Ten at a time, twenty at a time.

 

Even though polite refusals were sent in return, people still sent new invitations starting with, “Please reconsider.”

 

In the midst of all that, Leonhard and I went around the busy streets—sometimes just the two of us, sometimes with Noah.

 

When Leonhard was too busy, I went with Marilyn, Layla, my sister Lily, or my brother Alex.

 

The Pegasus Park, Clocktower Street, restaurants, the theater…

 

I also bought new clothes for Noah, bought gifts to send to Ajas, and sent a letter to my older brother in Howard’s territory.

 

One day passed, then two, then three.

 

After five days in total, I asked Marilyn and Layla, who were out in the city with the escort knights, to gather rumors for me.

 

And that evening.

 

“Just like you said, people were talking about you two everywhere we went.”

 

“I think since the nobles keep talking about it, everyone else just hears it and spreads it too.”

 

After Layla and Marilyn spoke, Sage chimed in:

 

“Most people said that the rumors that had been spreading in the capital for a long time were wrong, but there were still people who were spouting absolute nonsense.”

 

“The main argument from those people was: if there’s no divorce, then why did the Marquise of Ajas come to the capital in the first place?”

 

Leona, choosing her words more directly than the careful Sage, pointed straight to the heart of the issue.

 

Startled by her bluntness, both Sage and Marilyn looked at Leona in shock.

 

* * *