How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 246

“Seeing it with my own eyes, I can’t help but laugh at the rumors I’ve heard. The Marquis has a mistress? Please, what kind of man would travel all that way just to attend his wife’s sister’s wedding—if he didn’t adore her?”

 

“You can tell just by looking at it. He followed his wife around because he didn’t want to be away from his wife even for a day.”

 

“What did they say back then? Did they say that the Marquis bought his wife with money, legitimized only his son, then locked her away in some remote room?”

 

“If that room came with a ten-billion-gold blue diamond, I’d lock myself in voluntarily!”

 

After a few joking exchanges, cheerful laughter spread around them as if they had made a promise.

 

Of course, the previous conversation was meant to be heard, and the laughter that followed was mockery towards Countess Dilas, who had been acting like the ruler of high society for so long.

 

Even if she wanted to respond, she had nothing to say. After all, how could she argue if no one even bothered to talk to her?

 

‘Just wait till I get back… Julia, you’ll regret this.’

 

She was already locked in the room.

 

‘When the banquet was over and I returned, I would beat her myself.’

 

As she bit her lip so hard behind her fan that it nearly bled—

 

“Oh my goodness, you gave the Marquis a new wedding ring?”

 

It wasn’t a very loud voice, but it was loud enough to attract the attention of people seated throughout the spacious Queen’s Hall.

 

If stares were needles, the Duchess of Khalid would’ve been a porcupine.

 

But she seemed oblivious to the attention, her eyes fixed admiringly on the Marquis approaching his wife.

 

“So it wasn’t the Marquis who bought the blue diamond—Nell did? I just assumed he was the one who won the auction!”

 

At Duchess Khalid’s words, shock spread like wildfire among the gathered nobles.

 

“The one who bought the blue diamond was not the Marquis but the Marquise? With what money?”

 

“Maybe she sold all the jewels she got as a proposal gift… that’d be enough to get one billion.”

 

“But why spend it all just to bid on a diamond? What for?”

 

“Don’t tell me—it was to take revenge on Her Highness the Princess….”

 

“What?!”

 

“You don’t know? When she first debuted in society, all those nasty rumors—that was all the First Princess’s doing…”

 

Did he hear them whispering? The Marquis slipped his arm around his wife’s shoulder and addressed the Duchess of Khalid.

 

“Please don’t be too harsh on my wife. We had no idea the gem was to Her Highness’s taste.”

 

“Oh, of course—not surprising, really. You’ve only just arrived in the capital. I only heard about it recently myself, while I was still recovering at home.”

 

Duchess Khalid smiled broadly and sighed deeply, resting her chin on her left hand.

 

“Come to think of it, I’ve received plenty of gifts from my husband, but I’ve never thought to give him one. Maybe I should visit the auction house like Nell. You’ll come with me, won’t you, honey?”

 

“Anything you give me as a gift makes me happy.”

 

“Oh my god.”

 

Her shy blush drew a few nobles’ glances, but most eyes were glued to something else entirely—The Marquis’s left hand.

 

There it was. A magnificent blue diamond on his ring finger, so stunning it was hard to believe no one had noticed it before.

 

“No way… is that the diamond?”

 

“She really bought it herself? One billion? How?”

 

“Someone said she sold all the jewels she got when they got engaged….”

 

“Sold them just to buy her husband a ring? That’s insane!”

 

It was such an incomprehensible story that some people raised such doubts.

 

“Maybe it’s just a show. A show of affection. I bet that ring goes straight into her jewelry box after tonight.”

 

“What’s the point of putting your husband’s ring in a jewelry box? You can’t even show it off—people would just mock you!”

 

Even the most glamorous jewel would become a laughingstock if it were broken down to make other accessories.

 

Why? Because that would mean you were too poor to buy new ones, or worse—that your marriage had fallen apart.

 

“Nell bought a blue diamond, so I want to buy a red diamond that looks just like your eyes.”

 

“Red diamonds would be easier to obtain than blue diamonds. I’ll look into it.”

 

“No! It’s a gift for you, You can’t look into it yourself!”

 

The Duchess of Khalid playfully smacked her husband’s shoulder, and he just laughed, delighted.

 

The Marquis and his wife laugh together next to them.

 

It was truly a picture of wedded bliss.

 

Normally, such a scene would’ve drawn envious glares. But tonight, everyone’s eyes were still on that dazzling blue diamond.

 

“So a marriage she supposedly entered for money ended up costing her one billion. This is a really profitable business.”

 

“Exactly. No matter what reason, I’d never spend that kind of money on a man’s wedding ring.”

 

“Honestly, what’s the point of making an expensive wedding ring for your husband?”

 

“You have to admit, the Marquise is bolder than we thought. Didn’t the First Princess’s agent bid 500 million? And she doubled it?”

 

“She wouldn’t have done it unless she had something to gain from it.”

 

“Still, 1 billion?! I could never.”

 

“Me neither. He’d better have done something amazing to earn a ring like that.”

 

“You sure it’s not just that you don’t have 1 billion?”

 

“Excuse me? What did you just say?”

 

“Oh my, why are you so upset?”

 

Just as a sudden argument was about to begin, like a stone hitting a carriage wheel, the sound of a horn announcing the entrance of the royal family overwhelmed the air in Queen Rose Hall.

 

“Your Highness the second Prince, Your Majesty the Empress, arrived!”

 

The Empress would be offended if she found out there was an argument before the banquet even started.

 

Everyone quickly straightened their attire and bowed as the central doors on the second floor opened.

 

The Second Prince entered, escorting the Empress into the hall.

 

From their vantage point, the upper lobby offered a clear view of the nobles below.

 

The Empress scanned them all with ease and greeted them all with elegant speech.

 

“Thank you for gathering here today to celebrate a joyous occasion for the Imperial Family. As you’ve surely heard, a new royal heir will be born early next year.”

 

As if rehearsed, the audience replied in unison: “Congratulations.”

 

The Empress smiled, clearly pleased.

 

“Of course, the one who deserves the most praise is the Second Princess for this wonderful news… but she couldn’t attend due to needing rest, so I ask for your understanding.”

 

It was only natural that she didn’t attend, considering the circumstances. But still, some nobles exchanged discreet glances:

 

‘Since His Majesty won’t be attending, I suppose they needed someone else to escort Her Majesty—and so the Second Princess was quietly sidelined.’

 

Fortunately, the shameless laughter did not reach the Empress’s ears.

 

She expressed the hope that everyone would pray for the safe birth of the imperial heir and delivered a few commemorative remarks as if reading from a script, before officially declaring the start of the banquet.

 

* * *

 

The Empress, citing trouble with her knees, announced she would not be dancing. The Second Prince also refrained from dancing to stay by her side.

 

Thus, the opening dance that marked the beginning of the banquet was led by the Duke and Duchess of Khalid — and by us.

 

“This is the moment you’ve been waiting for.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Have you forgotten? When you were in Ajas, you said you wanted to go to a banquet or ball and dance.”

 

As the music began, Leonhard wrapped an arm around my waist and took my other hand.

 

At my words, he nodded as if suddenly remembering.

 

“Now that you mention it, I do recall saying something like that.”

 

“And wasn’t there a specific flower you said you wanted to wear…?”

 

‘I think it was black…’

 

“It’s the flower you’re wearing now.”

 

“Huh? Lisianthus?”

 

“Yes. Do you know the language of flowers?”

 

“Huh….”

 

‘No, I don’t know.’

 

‘What is the meaning of lisianthus flowers?’

 

‘I’ll have to look for it when I get home.’

 

‘But since Leonhard brought it up like that, it must mean something nice… right?’

 

“What’s on your mind, when your husband is right in front of you?”

 

Leonhardt, who had pulled my waist with his large hand, whispered while moving his feet to the beat of the dance music.

 

“I was thinking of the man who awkwardly held me and danced when we first met, and the one who didn’t know the first thing about flower meanings.”

 

“Are you saying there are two men occupying your thoughts besides me?”

 

“It’s not two, it’s three. There’s another man I met after receiving a white rose and sneaking out.”

 

“Which man among them left the greatest impression on you?”

 

“Hmm… Probably the one who climbed over the wall to meet me late at night, without my family knowing?”

 

A short laugh burst out from Leonhard’s mouth as he raised his hand high and spun me around.

 

Realizing where we were, he quickly controlled his expression, but I didn’t miss the subtle tremble at the corners of his tightly pressed lips.

 

Watching that, I nearly laughed out loud myself. I lowered my gaze and pressed my lips together to hold it in.

 

‘We have spent enough time together now to look back on these memories like this. Someday, we’ll smile and laugh about this moment too.’

 

For that time, I focused on dancing with Leonhard so that the present memory would remain vivid.

 

* * *