How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 249

“Um… Are you Violet, by any chance?”

 

“Do you know me?”

 

My brother’s colleague—Violet—looked at me with wide eyes.

 

I had just recently heard about her, so I nodded quickly.

 

“You’re my brother’s partner, right? He said you’re a colleague he trusts enough to watch his back.”

 

“Oh, you mean Alex?”

 

“Yes.”

 

And then I remembered what else he had said:

 

“Because she’s a woman, she faced a lot of… not just discrimination, more like brainwashing. Even though she’s that skilled, she has such a low opinion of herself… It’s like she can’t perform at her full potential because of it.”

 

Even now, he loses seven out of ten times during their duel, but he said that his goal was to spar with and win against Violet, who had shown her true skills.

 

When I conveyed that story in a slightly softened way, Violet lowered her head deeply.

 

“Ah, no… I’m not nearly skilled enough to be someone like Alex’s goal….”

 

Hearing her mumble like that, I understood why my brother had said what he did.

 

But wait a minute.

 

‘Something is coming to mind….’

 

Ah, the book that Hiyela showed me!

 

There, my brother Alex’s wife was killed first by Noah, who had turned evil, while protecting her children while my brother Alex was away.

 

‘So, she fought with a sword against Noah and died!’

 

‘So that means Alex’s wife must have been trained in swordsmanship too, right?’

 

At that moment, loud footsteps approached, and the terrace doors swung open wide to reveal the Second Prince, accompanied by several Imperial Knights.

 

“Marquise, Duchess! Are you all right?”

 

The one who answered that question was my brother’s colleague.

 

“Please call a doctor. The Duchess has collapsed.

 

At those words, I snapped back to my senses and turned to the Second Prince.

 

“Becky—no, the Duchess has been poisoned. Please call a doctor immediately to check on her.”

 

“Poison? Here?”

 

The second prince looked more bewildered than surprised.

 

Certainly, putting poison in alcohol in the imperial palace was something that only someone with a strong will could do.

 

‘What if Rebecca hadn’t been wearing that bracelet?’

 

I just thought about what would have happened, and it gave me goosebumps.

 

I looked down at the unconscious Rebecca’s face and barely managed to steady my trembling elbow.

 

“She spilled all the alcohol… but it hasn’t dried yet, so please call someone and have them look into that.”

 

“We’ll do that. But Marquise, how can you be so sure the Duchess collapsed due to poison? To me, it simply looks like she fainted.”

 

“The Duchess has a magical tool that automatically detoxifies any poison injected into her body. It just activated.”

 

I pointed to the bracelet on Rebecca’s wrist, and the Second Prince nodded.

 

“If it weren’t for the magic tool, it would’ve been a disaster…. Truly fortunate.”

 

The Second Prince immediately called over a royal guard and ordered them to summon a doctor and block anyone from approaching the area.

 

“Let’s move to the room for now. Marquise, can you stand?”

 

“Yes… I think so.”

 

Rebecca was carefully carried by my brother’s colleague, and I barely managed to stand with the Second Prince’s support.

 

The banquet was, of course, called off.

 

They had tried to send out as many nobles as possible before leaving the terrace, but there were still people remaining in the hall.

 

And the moment someone saw Rebecca being carried in a knight’s arms, the rumor that the Duchess had collapsed from drinking poison spread like wildfire.

 

The celebration turned into a disaster.

 

Someone whispered that it must be a bad omen-and that comment earned them the wrath of the Empress.

 

Not just the Empress’s, but the Second Prince’s anger as well.

 

‘This man… smiles when he’s angry.’

 

I tried to calm myself in the royal room he had provided.

 

Maybe if I’d gone with Rebecca to the medical ward, my mind wouldn’t have been so noisy.

 

I sat there, dazed and absentminded, letting time pass me by.

 

“Nell!

 

The door to the room burst open, and Leonhard rushed in and hugged me tightly.

 

The strength in his arms, the warmth of his body, the familiar scent—I only truly relaxed once those sensations sank in one by one.

 

And the moment I did, the tears I’d been barely holding back spilled out helplessly.

 

“Why… why are you only here now…”

 

“I’m sorry, Nell. I’m sorry.”

 

His large hand urgently stroked my back. I clung to him, wrapping my trembling arms tightly around him.

 

And with my face buried in his chest, I forgot all about pride or appearances and burst into tears.

 

* * *

 

When the Marquise, who had gone to the palace with the Marquis to attend a banquet, returned fainting, the mansion of Paul Herbina was in chaos.

 

Upon learning that Raenel had only fainted, everyone breathed a sigh of relief—but the worry didn’t vanish.

 

“I thought the Imperial Palace was the safest place of all….”

 

“If you think about it, there’s no place more dangerous than that…”

 

Leona said with a bitter smile, while Catherine frowned.

 

“When I gave Nell that bracelet, she said she didn’t need something like that. But look—she ended up needing it after all.”

 

“Still, thanks to that bracelet, they found out the drink was poisoned. At least it wasn’t the Marquise who drank first.”

 

If it had been Raenel who drank first, she would have been poisoned without a fight.

 

Fortunately, the Duchess, who had the magic tool, drank the alcohol first and realized that it was poisonous, so they were both safe.

 

In the end, it was fortunate that the Duchess was given that magic tool.

 

Even so, Catherine couldn’t shake the shadow that darkened her face.

 

Leonhard was no different.

 

A messenger came from the palace at dawn, but he left the messenger in the living room and just kept checking on Raenel’s condition.

 

Only when she woke in the morning, pushed his back, and told him she was okay, did he finally meet with the royal messenger.

 

Fortunately, the messenger had been warned in advance by his master, didn’t complain about being kept waiting for hours.

 

“His Highness the Second Prince sent me. The investigation’s results are in.”

 

“I’ll go soon.”

 

Leonhard sent Noah and Rake to the bedroom where Raenel was resting, and ordered the knights and wizards to stand guard.

 

He also ordered the mansion’s gates locked.

 

“Only let people from the Howard family pass. Never let anyone else pass, even if they are from the Imperial palace.”

 

Anyone who saw it would have thought a war had broken out.

 

Leonhard had raised Paul Herbina’s security level to the highest.

 

Even so, it took him a moment to bring himself to leave for the Imperial palace.

 

“How dare they…”

 

‘Whoever dared poison Raenel’s drink— I will kill them myself.’

 

Leonhard entered Queen Rose Hall as the messenger led him, his eyes turning red with rage.

 

The splendor of the day before was nowhere to be found. Only traces of the banquet were left in Queen Rose Hall.

 

Inside, the Second Prince, his entourage, palace knights, and Duke Khalid were already present.

 

And before them, one man knelt on the floor.

 

Although Leonhard could only see the back of the figure, he could clearly see that the clothes he was wearing were the uniform worn by palace servants.

 

‘It’s that guy.’

 

The symbol of Ajas began to glow brightly on Leonhard’s back, his eyes rolled back.

 

Julius, who was facing the kneeling man and couldn’t see Leonhardt’s expression or aura, was unaware.

 

But perhaps sensing danger from the look on Leonhard’s face, he signaled Eric to step forward and block his path.

 

“Get out of the way!”

 

“You are standing before His Highness. Please restrain yourself.”

 

“Restrain myself? Do you think I can restrain myself right now? My wife nearly—!”

 

“But it was the Duchess who actually drank the poison, wasn’t it? Calm yourself, Marquis of Ajas.”

 

“Your Highness!”

 

Leonhard’s eyes blazed with fury as he asked,

 

“Are you saying that now? My wife almost got poisoned while I was away. While I was away!”

 

Julius swallowed dry saliva as he saw that face.

 

He doubted anything would happen to him right here in the imperial palace, in front of everyone, but when he saw Leonhard’s face—utterly consumed by rage—it didn’t seem entirely impossible.

 

‘Someone stop him.’

 

Julius gave a discreet signal to the only person here who might be able to intervene.

 

Honestly, Leonhard scared him too—but as a man of the palace, what choice did he have when the Second Prince gave him a look?

 

Alexandre Howard stepped forward, a little tense, and faced Leonhard.

 

“Calm down, Your Highness. Is Nell alright?”

 

Leonhard’s eyes gleamed fiercely as he turned toward the voice.

 

He looked like a wild beast reacting to sound, instinctively ready to pounce. It was terrifying.

 

Fortunately, it seemed like he still had enough sense to recognize his wife’s brother.

 

His lips, which looked like they might tear someone apart, pressed together briefly in silence before he finally forced out words in a voice stripped of emotion.

 

“She’s alright. I heard you stayed by her side last night… Thank you for doing what I should have done.”

 

“You don’t have to say thank you. She’s my little sister.”

 

In the language of nobility, this exchange usually carried an undertone of rivalry—something like She’s my wife now, so don’t act familiar VS Even if she’s married, she’s still my sister.

 

But the air between the two was surprisingly gentle.

 

Though he’d been the one to suggest it, Julius was quietly impressed that Alexandre had actually managed to calm Leonhard down.

 

‘I heard he brought up his wife’s sister’s wedding as an excuse for coming down to the capital.…’

 

Apparently, it hadn’t been an excuse at all—Leonhard seemed to get along quite well with his wife’s family.

 

* * *