How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love – Chapter 253

Author: Chewyy

“Ma’am, may I come for a moment?”

I was so bored just sitting on the bed that I took over Layla’s embroidery frame and started embroidering.

Logan entered my bedroom with a hardened expression and relayed the news with clear displeasure.

“The Count and Countess of Dilas visited the mansion just a moment ago.”

“Count and Countess Dilas?”

‘The name sounded vaguely familiar… or maybe not…’

‘Ah!’

‘Wasn’t the Countess of Dillas the one who brought Julia in as a maid?’

In short, she was the one who spread false rumors about me, Leonhard, and Noah in social circles.

‘Why on earth did that person come here? And she even brought her husband with her.’

It is not known whether the two attended the palace banquet or not.

But even if that weren’t the case, rumors about what happened at the palace would have already spread.

‘You came to visit me even though you knew what I had been through?’

‘Are you trying to spread rumors about how terrible I look now?’

Maybe he noticed the way my expression had darkened, because Logan added, in a soothing tone:

“I told them at the door that you weren’t well enough to receive guests and sent them away. However, I came to tell you because I thought you should know.”

“Yeah, you did well. I wasn’t feeling well so I only ate soup for breakfast and lunch. Guests, seriously… Did they leave without a fuss?”

Logan answered with a distorted expression.

“Thick-faced doesn’t even begin to describe them. They weren’t invited in the first place, but they made such a scene, saying they’d collapse and die on the street if they couldn’t meet with His Highness or you.”

He said they finally left after he threatened to call the capital city guards if they kept making a commotion. But apparently, they said they’d return tomorrow and insisted on meeting me then.

“They said they’d come back tomorrow after being treated so rudely? Why? Why would they want to come see me like that?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but it seems there’s some trouble with their merchant group.”

“Merchant group?”

“They begged us to tell you that if you don’t want to starve them to death, please show mercy. The Countess also apologized, said she was in the wrong.”

If the Countess was apologizing, I could guess what for. Probably for spreading those rumors in high society.

But if she was going to apologize like this, she shouldn’t have spread them in the first place

‘Did Leon do something…?’

“What should I do if they come again tomorrow?”

“Hmm, I’ll talk to my husband later and let you know.”

I half-heartedly continued my embroidery as time passed.

Then, not long after, a truly welcome visitor appeared. No, not a visitor.

“Mother, are you okay?”

Noah stood hesitantly at the door, not daring to approach, while Rake fluttered from his shoulder and landed gently on my palm.

– Are you okay? Yesterday, I thought you were going to die.

“No, humans don’t die that easily.”

– But you almost did, right?

The image of Rebecca falling to the floor flashed through my mind as I watched Rake’s bean-sized eyes staring up at me.

For a moment, my mind became dizzy, so I closed my eyes tightly and opened them. Surprised, Noah ran towards me in one go.

“Mother, are you feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor?”

“No. I’ve been sitting for too long, so my head hurts a bit. I want to go for a walk. Can you escort me?”

Noah looked down at my outstretched hand with wavering eyes.

“A walk… Are you sure you can manage? Father said you needed more rest…”

“I won’t overdo it. Just a short walk with you, okay?”

Noah, who had been frowning and thinking, nodded his head slightly.

The child escorted me as if he were on a very important mission.

Though in truth, all he did was hold my hand while we walked, his seriousness was no less than that of a knight protecting his lady.

I desperately swallowed my laughter.

“There are many flowers blooming in the garden, Mother.”

“That’s right. There are definitely more flowers blooming here compared to the north. They’re pretty.”

It’s summer now, so I wonder if flowers are in full bloom at Ajas Castle?

I don’t know about other places, but there must be a lot in bloom in the greenhouse.

Brown, who loved my greenhouse even more than I did — was surely tending to it well.

“Oh, it snows a lot in the north.”

“Huh?”

‘Why bring up snow all of a sudden?’

“When it piles up, it looks really white and pretty. It’s soft when you touch it, and fun to step in… and…”

The voice that emphasized the beauty of the snow felt desperate for some reason.

I don’t know why he suddenly said this, but I took Noah’s words seriously.

“Oh, right. I was busy last winter, so I couldn’t play properly, but this winter, how about we make a snowman and go sledding together? And we can have a snowball fight too.”

“A snowball fight?”

“You’ve never done one before? You roll snow into balls like this and throw them at each other for fun.”

I mimed shaping snowballs, and Noah replied that he’d never heard of it before.

“Then I want to be on your team, Mother. I’ll protect you.”

“Really? Our Noah is so dependable!”

As I picked up Noah in my arms like I always did, I felt my arms shaking.

Noah must have noticed. His amber eyes quivered like water.

“Please put me down, Mother…”

“What? Why? You don’t like being held by your mom?”

“No, it’s just that Mother seems to be having a hard time.”

“N-no, it’s not…”

I couldn’t meet Noah’s gaze.

‘Honestly, my arms were sore…’

If I kept denying it, I’d only hurt him with lies.

With a bit of regret, I lowered Noah back to the ground.

“Come to think of it, you’ve grown a lot since we first met.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. When I first saw you, you were about this tall.”

I exaggerated and lowered my hand to the middle of my thigh, and Noah shook his head with a serious expression.

“No, I wasn’t that small.”

“Really? That’s strange. The Noah I saw seemed to be this small?”

“I wish I could be that small. Then Mother wouldn’t have a hard time.”

His eyes, heavy with sadness, dropped to my arm.

I bent my knees, embarrassed at how thin my arms had become after only eating two bowls of soup in two days.

“There’s no need to be that small. As you grow, I’ll just hold you like this.”

I pulled him into a hug while crouching, and he wrapped his arms tightly around my back.

His tiny hands clutched me with surprising strength.

Though I was the one hugging him, it felt almost like he was the one holding me.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, Noah let out a clear, joyful laugh.

“I think this one is better.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Mother doesn’t seem to have a hard time at all.”

“Then our Noah needs to grow up fast. That way I won’t have to bend my knees to hug you like this.”

Noah nodded vigorously at my words.

His face was filled with a surprisingly solemn resolve.

“I will eat carrots well from today.”

“It’s okay, Noah. You don’t have to eat anything you don’t want.”

After hesitating for a while, Noah said he would eat just one, so I patted his head and finished my walk.

Leonhard, who had gone out, returned just before dinner.

“You’re back?..… Oh my? What’s with the flowers?”

I didn’t even get a chance to go out and greet him after hearing he was back—he entered the bedroom almost as if he were passing a baton to the servant who’d delivered the news.

In his hand, he was holding a bouquet of pink roses, the same color as my hair.

“Where did you get this?”

The flowers were very attractive and pretty, but no matter how I looked at them, they didn’t look like they were bought with money.

Roses like these are usually wrapped in layers of colored paper with other small flowers for decoration, but these stems were simply tied together with a ribbon.

“Don’t tell me…”

I was about to ask, Did you make them yourself? When Leonhard lowered his gaze with a hint of embarrassment.

“I went to the palace to check on the progress of the investigation, and wouldn’t you know it—the roses were in full bloom in the garden of the Iris Palace, where the Second Prince resides.”

“The Iris Palace garden… Isn’t that the one personally tended by the Second Prince’s wife?”

“That’s what they said. The roses reminded me of you… I asked if I could take some, and she readily gave her permission, so I brought them back for you.”

The bouquet of roses I received had a strong fragrance. Moreover, the stems, from which the thorns had been meticulously removed, gave off a faint scent of grass.

“I trimmed the stem, but just in case, it might be best not to touch it too much.”

“Okay. Hmph. I’ll put them in a vase in the bedroom.”

Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I received flowers as a gift.

I remembered the pot of moonflowers in Ajas’s greenhouse and clapped my hands, saying, “That’s right.”

“Oh! Earlier today, the Count and Countess of Dilas came to visit.”

“Count and Countess Dilas?”

“They apparently made a scene, saying they’d die if we didn’t meet them.”

Leonhard’s footsteps, as he carried me to bed, suddenly stopped.

“Don’t tell me—they barged into the mansion?”

“No. The guards at the gate kicked them out. They said they’d be back tomorrow… Did something happen to them?”

“They did it first.”

“Yes?”