How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 257

Whispers spread quickly.

 

“Did you hear that? Well, Countess Dilas….”

 

“She’s been going around, admitting she was the one who ran her mouth…..”

 

“Do you know why? The Marquis heard the rumors and got furious…”

 

“Oh my god, they say the Dilas family might go bankrupt….”

 

The Dillas Merchant Guild had been a solid and steadily growing enterprise since the Count’s grandfather’s time.

 

Now people whispered that it might collapse overnight. Seeing the Marquis Ajas finally draw his sword, everyone trembled.

 

“At least it’s just Count Dilas. We shouldn’t have been upset about our meetings being canceled.”

 

What if the Marquis Ajas’s revenge is directed at them?

 

Those who had laughed and gossiped about the Ajas family shut themselves in their homes, watching him nervously.

 

‘Never again… I swear I’ll never utter the name of the Marquis of Ajas again.’

 

No one could help but think that after witnessing what happened to Count Dillas and his wife.

 

That was the moment when the promise the Marquise made to his son that night came true.

 

* * *

 

On the third day, Countess Dilas began to go around to people and collect their signatures.

 

A rather surprising news reached Leonhard’s ears.

 

“Who died?”

 

“It’s Julia.”

 

There was no emotion in Peter’s voice as he delivered the news.

 

Leonhard took the document Peter handed him and frowned as he read it.

 

“She was beaten to death by Countess Dilas?”

 

“It seems that on the day a banquet was held at the Imperial Palace, while the Count and Countess were away, she tried to steal from the Countess’s jewelry box.”

 

Apparently, she was caught by a guard while trying to escape with the jewels, and upon learning of it, Countess Dilas became furious and personally beat her.

 

“The wound was so severe that she suffered for several days, but it seems that no one treated her after she was thrown into the warehouse.”

 

That was probably on the Countess’s orders.

 

Even so, had Julia earned any goodwill, someone might’ve secretly helped her—but it seemed she hadn’t built any relationships at all.

 

“What happened to the body?”

 

“It seems like the Count’s family took care of it roughly. There is no intention of sending her back to her hometown.”

 

Not that her hometown would’ve welcomed her anyway.

 

‘I was planning to bring her in and have her kneel before my wife.’

 

‘It’s a bit disappointing that she died like this, but I also think it’s for the best.’

 

‘Yeah, there’s no need for Nell to see that woman’s face again.’

 

If she’s dead, that’s enough.

 

Leonhard tore up the documents in his hand and burned them with a candle.

 

“Make sure this doesn’t reach my wife’s ears. She’d worry about it.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness!”

 

Peter’s salute was far more natural than before.

 

Leonhard looked at him with a mildly approving gaze and asked:

 

“So what were the results of the investigation?”

 

“Yes. First, please take a look at this map.”

 

Peter took a map out of his pocket.

 

The maps of the empire, which were easily available to the average person, simply showed the capital, the territories of the great lords, and the locations of major cities.

 

The location of the dungeon or detailed terrain is not even described.

 

Still, for reporting purposes, it seemed sufficient. Peter accepted a quill pen and continued.

 

“The assistant Doctor of Duke Khalid left the capital, saying he was returning home, but his actual route was different.”

 

The “hometown” he claimed was within the Duchy of Daphne, which would’ve meant traveling west from the capital.

 

But the line Peter drew on the map went south, toward the Khalid Duchy.

 

“He traveled from village to village using a rented carriage and temporarily joined a merchant caravan in exchange for providing free medical services.”

 

Peter wrote down the names of small villages not marked on the map, detailing exactly which ones he passed through.

 

“When using inns, he didn’t use an alias—he used his real name. Seems like he never expected to be tracked.”

 

“So, he left abruptly, but not because he was afraid of being discovered for what he did.”

 

If he had suspected someone was after him, he would’ve kept changing names.

 

“But then suddenly his movements became strange.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“This is the last place he stayed in.”

 

Peter drew a small circle near the border between the Duchy of Khalid and the Duchy of Kereis.

 

The name Peter wrote near it was ‘Rehimbon’.

 

“Rehimbon? This is the first time I’ve heard of it.”

 

“It’s a village at the base of the Veldain Mountains, which form the border between the Khalid and Cerys Duchies. Technically, it’s part of the mountain range, but the terrain isn’t particularly rough…”

 

If one left early in the morning, they could cross the mountains by evening, but it would take two more days to reach another village after that, so camping preparations are essential.

 

Because of that, many goods were bought and sold there, and over time the village grew—now large enough to be called a small city.

 

“After arriving there, we don’t know where he went. My seniors are still investigating, but since this happened a few years ago and people are constantly coming and going through that area, no one seems to remember him.”

 

“Not even the direction he went?”

 

“No, sir.”

 

Leonhard looked down at the map, stroking his chin with his hand.

 

There are three possible routes you can take from Rehimbon.

 

Cross the mountains to the Duchy of Kereis, or head southwest to the port city, or continue south and take a ship out to sea.

 

‘Or he could have gone back the way he came.’

 

Although it was unlikely that someone who hadn’t taken any precautions would suddenly change a route like that.

 

In any case, if he had gone out to sea, finding him would be difficult—there were many islands along the Khalid coast.

 

‘Unless… If he really did learn of the late duchess’s pregnancy and played a role in her abduction… and if that’s why he came into Duke Khalid’s mansion…..’

 

‘Then their base must be somewhere nearby.’

 

“And there’s one more thing to report.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“While the seniors were investigating the area around Rehimbon, they discovered a dungeon entrance halfway up the mountain, and they said that they found traces of many monsters passing through the area.”

 

“A dungeon break?”

 

“No, it appears the monsters were simply moving in one direction… It’s definitely not a break. If it was, Rehimbon would have been in ruins by now.”

 

Peter was right.

 

Leonhard nodded, thought for a moment, and then asked again.

 

“How long has it been since the traces appeared?”

 

“It seems to have appeared recently. But there’s no way to know where the monsters went.”

 

“That’s strange… Weren’t there any soldiers guarding the dungeon?”

 

“There wasn’t one. Instead, it is said that a magic barrier was installed at the entrance to the dungeon.”

 

“Magic barrier?”

 

“Yes. The seniors only confirmed its existence and didn’t touch it, since they couldn’t determine who placed it or for what purpose.”

 

“Smart move.”

 

Because it was difficult to manage the dungeon due to its location, Duke Khalid may have blocked the dungeon entrance with a barrier.

 

If he didn’t even know the dungeon existed, then clearly some shady group had taken it over.

 

‘I’ll just have to ask him directly.’

 

Leonhard’s heart pounded at the thought that he might have found a lead.

 

Leonhard, trying to calm his excitement, asked Peter in a calm voice.

 

“How many agents are currently stationed in Rehimbon right now?”

 

“There are five people.”

 

“Five…”

 

Too few, if they needed to break the barrier and enter the dungeon.

 

“If anyone is watching the dungeon, tell them to retreat immediately and wait in Rehimbon until my next orders.”

 

“Understood!”

 

Just as Peter was saluting once more, there was a knock on Leonhard’s office door.

 

“Your Highness, the Sage of the Silver Frost Tower has arrived.”

 

“Is that so? Okay, I understand.”

 

After giving Peter a few instructions, Leonhardt handed the map back to him.

 

“Where did you take Felix?”

 

“I tried to guide him to the living room, but he said he wanted to see the young master’s face, so I guided him to the garden.”

 

The reason Noah was in the garden was that he went for a walk with Raenel.

 

‘They said they were going to see the flowers blooming near the lake.’

 

Leonhard hadn’t forgotten how she had admired the little wooden boat she saw on the lake for the first time.

 

Now that she was feeling a bit better and could eat bread and meatballs, he thought it might be a good idea to suggest a boat ride once her health fully returned.

 

‘But what the doctor said still bothers me…’

 

“The Marquise has severely depleted her vital energy. For the next fifteen days, she must absolutely—absolutely—not overexert herself.”

 

The doctor had emphasized complete rest and said he would conduct another examination in two weeks.

 

When asked if her condition was truly that serious, he replied that it wasn’t, so there was no need to worry.

 

“Also, she must refrain from drinking alcohol for the time being. And she shouldn’t take any medicine carelessly. If she has been taking any health supplements or medicinal herbs, I need to review the prescriptions myself.”

 

“We have to go that far, yet you say there’s nothing wrong with her body?”

 

“Yes. It’s just that…” 

 

After a slight hesitation, Paul Herbina’s doctor went on to explain—without pausing for nearly ten minutes—how the loss of vital energy could negatively affect the body.

 

Leonhard, overwhelmed halfway through, ended up nodding and—figuring it was a good excuse—declared that she would abstain from alcohol.

 

“I can’t even have one glass a day?”

 

“Apparently not. The doctor says so.”

 

“That’s ridiculous! I’m fine! I can even eat meatballs now!”

 

“But still, the doctor says no.”

 

“You’re not just using the doctor as an excuse to stop me from drinking, are you?”

 

“Shall I bring him here?”

 

“Fine….”

 

The fact that she had thrown up after getting indigestion from soup had clearly shocked her too—Raenel nodded silently without further protest.

 

Maybe as a reaction to that?

 

Raenel, who had always enjoyed desserts, began indulging in fruit-based sweets with Rake more frequently than before.

 

She used to eat one piece of cake at a time, but now she eats three or four at a time. It seems like it’s because she didn’t eat well.

 

‘Maybe it’s time to serve her steak again?’

 

Leonhard, who entered the garden with a serious expression on his face and pondering such thoughts, found Raenel, Noah, and Felix standing far away by the lakeside.

 

As he drew closer, their faces came into view.

 

Raenel was staring at the lake with a somewhat tense expression, and beside her, Noah was clenching his small fists as if cheering her on.

 

* * *