How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 248

“Does it even matter when I get pregnant? Do they want to believe I had an affair with someone other than my husband, or that I was promiscuous before marriage and should be mocked for it?”

 

“Oh my goodness… They said that while the Duke of Khalid was right next to you?”

 

“He stepped out for a moment. Can you believe it? The moment my husband came back, they all just started congratulating me on the birth of the baby.”

 

Rebecca’s voice grew louder, fueled by frustration.

 

“It’s like they completely forgot what they’d just said! And then they asked me to invite them if I ever held a birthday party for the baby. As if I’d throw one!”

 

“Why not?”

 

“There’s just been too much going on. So for now, we’ve decided not to let any outsiders into the estate. I even kicked out the existing servants and brought in new ones from my family’s house.”

 

“Ah, I see…..”

 

If you are a butler or servant at the Duke’s residence, you are probably a vassal who has worked for the Duke’s family since your father’s or grandfather’s generation.

 

‘However, in the name of avenging the former duchess, they did just that to Rebecca…’

 

If she can’t even trust a servant who has served the Duke for a long time, how could she possibly trust any outsider coming into the house?

 

“No matter what, the child’s health comes first. It’s a good decision.”

 

“You really think so? Everyone keeps saying I’m overreacting…”

 

Tears welled up in Rebecca’s eyes.

 

Of course, a mother would worry about her child.

 

I gently patted her back and pulled out a handkerchief.

 

“Besides, April is Duke Khalid’s successor, right? What’s wrong with protecting the successor in the Duke’s family?”

 

“Successor? But, April’s symbol hasn’t appeared yet.…”

 

“It will appear as time goes by. Who knows? The symbol might appear tomorrow.”

 

In the future I saw, April manifested the symbol when she was in danger.

 

Right now, she wasn’t in any danger like that, so it was hard to say when the symbol would appear—but surely it would, someday.

 

Come to think of it, in a few years, another child bearing Khalid’s symbol will show up.

 

By age, that child should be about three or four years older than April.

 

‘I wonder where that child is now… And who their parents could be, to have passed on the Khalid Symbol?’

 

‘Duke Khalid doesn’t have any brothers or sisters, right?’

 

“Nell?”

 

“Huh? Oh, Brother Alex?”

 

A familiar voice pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see my brother on the other side of the terrace railing, standing with someone.

 

“What are you doing here? On patrol?”

 

Looking closely, I saw that both of them were wearing the uniforms of the Knights of the Red Lion.

 

My brother said something to his colleague, then stepped forward toward the terrace railing.

 

“Originally, we weren’t supposed to talk to guests at the banquet hall while on patrol.…”

 

He trailed off and glanced back at his fellow knight.

 

Fortunately, my brother’s colleague, who seemed not to have any intention of making a fuss, leaned back against a nearby tree and took out a pocket watch.

 

“It’ll be okay if it’s just for a little while,” My brother muttered, then his gaze fell on Rebecca.

 

“Oh, apologies. My name is Alexandre Howard of the Red Lion Knights.”

 

“He’s my second older brother. Now that I think about it, this is your first meeting with him, right?”

 

“No, but we did meet briefly. The day you and I first became friends.”

 

“The day we became…? Oh, right!”

 

There was a time when a monster appeared in the capital, and Leonhard went to defeat it, and I stayed in Rebecca’s room for a while before my brother Alex came to pick me up.

 

Things were hectic then, so I never properly introduced them.

 

Rebecca also seemed to have an excellent memory, as she remembered a face she had seen briefly.

 

“Ah, and I heard from Nell—congratulations on the birth of your daughter, Lady Rebecca.”

 

“Thank you. Nell’s family is truly different.”

 

Rebecca smiled genuinely, touched by the gesture, and Alex gave me a confused look.

 

I couldn’t bring myself to say she’d just been tormented by rude gossip, so I changed the subject.

 

“So when do you get off work today?”

 

“I don’t. I have to patrol the area until the banquet ends.”

 

“Really? Until dawn?”

 

“Patrolling’s better, honestly. The ones stuck on guard duty just have to stand in the same spot all day— How annoying must that be?”

 

Alex puffed up with pride about having drawn the patrol assignment in the lottery.

 

I wasn’t sure that was something to be proud of, but seeing how pleased he was, I nodded along.

 

Kind of embarrassing with his colleague watching… We’re leaking family secrets to the outside world at this rate.

 

‘Oh, but I didn’t notice because you’re tall.… His colleague was a woman.’

 

Her knight uniform was layered with metal armor only over the chest, shoulders, and arms, so I hadn’t noticed at first.

 

‘Come to think of it, April had swordsmanship talent impressive enough to be chosen as a warrior among the barbarians…’

 

It was a shame she didn’t get to show that skill again after losing her memory and returning to the ducal family.

 

I was just about to suggest to Rebecca that she consider having April learn swordsmanship someday, when a knock came from beyond the curtain.

 

“Oh? Is he back already?”

 

Rebecca, thinking that the person who knocked on the door was Duke Khalid, immediately pulled back the curtain and opened the door.

 

But standing outside wasn’t him—it was a servant, holding a tray.

 

Rebecca frowned at the unexpected visit.

 

“What is this?”

 

“A wine, sent by His Highness the Marquis for the two of you.”

 

“A wine? From my husband?”

 

He hates it when I drink. What’s gotten into him?

 

While I was tilting my head, Rebecca took the glass and handed it to me.

 

“Seems like he’s being considerate, asking us to relax while we wait. How thoughtful of him.”

 

“Really? I wonder how long he’s planning to keep us waiting.”

 

As I was sighing and grumbling, my brother spoke from beyond the terrace railing.

 

“Then we should go now.”

 

“Already?”

 

“Already? We’ve wasted plenty of time chatting. Don’t drink too much, and don’t party too hard either.”

 

“Tch. I’m not a kid anymore, you know?”

 

“I’m sorry, but even if you become a grandmother, that doesn’t mean I’ll stop being your brother.”

 

He leaned one hand on the railing and reached over with the other to ruffle my hair.

 

“Ah! Brother!”

 

“I’m going! Give my regards to the Marquis on my behalf!”

 

Then he and his colleague left in a flash.

 

That back view was so annoying. I glared at the back of the person walking away with all my might.

 

“He just saw him a few days ago—what does he mean, say hi…”

 

“Nell… this wine…”

 

“Huh?”

 

—Crash!

 

The glass fell from Rebecca’s hand and shattered on the floor, scattering pale yellow liquid everywhere.

 

“Becky?”

 

As I was about to ask what was going on, I noticed that the magic stone on the bracelet she was wearing was glowing blue.

 

That bracelet is the one I gave to Rebecca a while ago, and it helped her give birth to April safely.

 

That’s right, a bracelet that automatically detoxifies poison injected into the body.

 

“Ugh….”

 

Rebecca let out a faint groan and collapsed limply like a marionette with its strings cut.

 

“Be… Becky?”

 

She didn’t respond to my call.

 

‘Was she just unconscious? Or… or worse?’

 

My mind went blank with anxious thoughts. My legs gave out, and I collapsed on the spot.

 

“Bother! Brother!”

 

“Nell! What’s going on!”

 

Luckily, my brother didn’t go far, as he heard my screams and came back right away.

 

Before I knew it, the glass I was holding fell to the floor and broke.

 

I looked up at my brother while holding Rebecca, who had fallen.

 

“P-Poison… Becky, that servant just now…”

 

Hearing just those few words, my brother leapt over the terrace railing and burst into the banquet hall.

 

The tension he exuded must’ve been intense—screams erupted throughout the hall like warp and weft threads being pulled tight.

 

A sharp whistle sounded through the chaos.

 

“Catch that brown-haired servant who’s leaving through the side door right now!”

 

My brother’s shout sent even more screams flying.

 

The sound of people’s footsteps and commotion all at once gave me a headache.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

At that moment, someone spoke to me.

 

When I finally raised my head, it was my brother’s colleague who came into view.

 

“I, I’m fine. More importantly, Becky, Becky….”

 

I couldn’t even feel whether the body I was embracing was hot or cold. I was afraid to check.

 

My brother’s colleague checked on Rebecca’s condition instead of me.

 

The moments she spent checking her condition felt like an eternity.

 

“Fortunately, she’s only unconscious. Her breathing is steady and calm, so it seems the poison didn’t take effect.”

 

“Thank goodness… Thank you.”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

Even so, my body wouldn’t stop trembling.

 

It was because Rebecca, who didn’t move at all, felt as if she wasn’t breathing.

 

Maybe noticing my anxiety, my brother’s colleague looked unsure of what to do for a moment before speaking to me.

 

“Should I call another knight for you?”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“I just thought… maybe having a more reassuring knight nearby might help you feel safer.”

 

“What?”

 

I blinked in confusion, not understanding what she meant.

 

She hesitated, then added quietly,

 

“Because I’m a woman…”

 

“Why would that matter?”

 

Oh—come to think of it, I had heard something from my brother Alex before.

 

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