How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 270

Julius, who had brought Leonhard into his office, crossed one leg as soon as he sat down.

 

“My wife prepared that tea early this morning to welcome the Marquise. Are you doubting her intentions?”

 

“I’m not doubting Her Highness. I’m doubting that someone with access to her tea might have tampered with it.”

 

Raenel thought Leonhard drank tea to relieve her anxiety, but the truth was different.

 

Leonhard drank before Raenel, suspecting that the tea might actually be poisonous. He had a high tolerance for most poisons.

 

“That’s why I ask—how’s the investigation into the attempted poisoning going?”

 

“It’s complicated. In many ways.”

 

Julius frowned, clearly showing that he was having a headache.

 

“Do you know what happened yesterday? A witness has come forward, claiming to have seen the culprit.”

 

“Who is that witness?”

 

“Two Red Lion Knights who were patrolling near Queen Rose Hall at the time.”

 

Leonhard frowned.

 

“But no one reported seeing anything suspicious back then.”

 

“That’s what I’m saying. Sir Alexander clearly remembers it. On the day of the incident, the two of them clearly testified that they didn’t see anyone suspicious.”

 

“So why have they changed their words now?”

 

“They claim they were too shocked at the time to recall it properly. But after thinking it over carefully, they remembered seeing someone suspicious.”

 

It was a testimony that did not seem to have even the slightest bit of credibility.

 

“Can’t we just ignore it?”

 

“No. His Majesty knew.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I didn’t even report it separately.”

 

Is it possible that information was leaked during the investigation?

 

It’s not that there aren’t any. But in this case, the person who obtained the information was the emperor.

 

‘He could have called Julius and heard his report at any time. So why would he have planted someone secretly to steal information?’

 

“Then did the witnesses go and report to His Majesty in person?”

 

“No, I think it’s a much more serious situation than that.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“His Majesty is the one who sent the witnesses to me.”

 

If so, it would explain why the Emperor knew about the witness who suddenly appeared yesterday.

 

But…

 

“Why would His Majesty do that?”

 

“Have you forgotten? There is, unfortunately, someone in this palace who can sway His Majesty to act as she pleases?”

 

Julius’s sarcastic tone immediately brought one person to mind for Leonhard.

 

Marquise Calvin.

 

“Is this a situation where that woman is trying to frame someone for attempted poisoning?”

 

“I don’t know if it’s a false accusation or an accusation, but the witnesses pointed out that Karl was the culprit. Okay, let’s raise the issue here.”

 

Julius held up one of his index fingers.

 

“One: The Marquise of Calvin is so eager to get rid of Karl from the detached palace that she created witnesses and sent them to me.”

 

He raised a second finger.

 

“Two: Now that witnesses have appeared, His Majesty is pressing me to arrest Karl immediately. But if I name a culprit based solely on witness testimony with no physical evidence, and the testimony falls apart in court, my reputation as lead investigator will be ruined. It’s a trap.”

 

Julius playfully wiggled two fingers and asked Leonhard.

 

“What do you think the Marquise of Calvin’s plan is?”

 

Leonhard thought for a moment.

 

‘Surely those two know each other.’

 

Karl appears to bear the symbol of Estroa, and it seems that the two are currently enemies, as Marquis Calvin is trying to strike him down.

 

But according to what Laenel had said, the two had once worked together.

 

So, the Marquise of Calvin must know the truth about Karl. Yet if she couldn’t reveal it to the Emperor, then she must be being blackmailed.

 

‘If I look at it that way, it seems like Marquise Calvin’s purpose is closer to the first.…’

 

But all of that is just speculation. There is no evidence.

 

So Leonhard replied:

 

“If I had to choose between the two, I would say the latter. To be honest, from the Marquise of Calvin’s perspective, Your Highness would be a bigger thorn in her side than Karl.”

 

Julius nodded readily, as if he agreed with that thought as well.

 

“The witnesses have too many flaws. Whatever the Marquise Calvin’s intentions, their testimony cannot be accepted as evidence.”

 

Those same witnesses had already said, on the morning of the incident, that they saw nothing suspicious.

 

And every servant and guard at the detached palace had testified that Karl never left.

 

So, unless they could prove how Karl had slipped out unnoticed, they couldn’t point to Karl as the culprit.

 

Although that was Julius’s judgment as the investigation commander, the Emperor immediately pointed to Karl as the culprit and demanded that Julius arrest Karl immediately.

 

“His Majesty ordered me to quickly catch the culprit in order to comfort the two ladies, knowing how much psychological shock they must have suffered.”

 

“Did you send an invitation to Paul Herbina immediately afterward?”

 

Julius smiled at Leonhard.

 

“I told my wife to treat the Marquise with great care. I’m sure they’re enjoying themselves right now.”

 

“…….”

 

Leonhard let out a small sigh.

 

If word gets back to the Emperor that Raenel came to Iris Palace in good health and had tea with the Second Prince’s wife, he won’t be able to keep using the emotional trauma excuse.

 

In the end, Raenel’s worries turned out to be somewhat correct.

 

‘Even if it went in a different direction than she was worried about.…’

 

“I’ll count this as a debt.”

 

“Yes. Be sure to tell the Marquise that.”

 

Leonhard frowned at Julius’s words, which made it clear that Julius owes Raenel, not him.

 

‘So he finds my wife easier to deal with than me.’

 

He’d be sure to tell Raenel to charge proper interest on that debt.

 

Leonhard took a sip of the tea the servant had just brought out and asked Julius.

 

“So is that why you called me here?”

 

“Actually, there is one more thing.”

 

Julius wiped the smile from his face and ordered everyone out of the room—his aides, attendants, even the guards.

 

Leonhard waited for him to speak, feeling nervous inside as the atmosphere seemed serious.

 

If it had anything to do with Pan or the mirror—and if he demanded Raenel’s involvement—Leonhard would immediately use the debt Julius had just incurred.

 

“When I first visited Duke Khalid’s residence, you told me that you were suspecting the entire royal family because the authenticity of the Symbol was in question.”

 

“Yes, I did.”

 

“At the time, I thought it made sense. If a symbol can be artificially created, then it’s only natural to question whether the ones the three of us possess are real. But tell me….”

 

Julius stared at Leonard with a complex expression that was hard to read.

 

“Me, Kyle, and Marie are undoubtedly His Majesty’s children and of Estroy’s bloodline. So why did you suspect the three of us?”

 

Leonhard could tell by his voice—there was a sense of resolve in it. Julius had clearly heard something.

 

Which meant the source was obvious.

 

Leonhardt rubbed the back of his neck and asked,

 

“What did you ask Felix and what did you hear?”

 

Julius’s hesitation was brief.

 

“I asked about Marie’s condition and got an answer.”

 

“What did Felix say?”

 

“There is a high probability that she is suffering from side effects from some magical experiment…”

 

Julius added with a troubled sigh that Felix had examined Mariette without her knowledge and had strictly told him not to mention it to anyone.

 

“He said that if I wanted to know more about the experiment itself, I should ask you. He was worried that saying any more might throw the Empire into chaos.”

 

More precisely, not the Empire, but the Estroa royal family.

 

‘So the First Princess… as I suspected.’

 

Julius let out a long sigh at Leonhard’s confident expression.

 

A faint regret appeared in his eyes.

 

“I worried that even asking this question might be seen as accusing Marie of wrongdoing… I debated for a long time whether to bring it up. Do you know why I called you anyway?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Because I was worried that maybe she found herself cornered and chose to ruin herself instead of relying on me or someone else.”

 

“…….”

 

“I swear I won’t use your answer for political gain or succession-related matters. So please—be honest. I’m asking you, as a favor.”

 

Coming from Julius—who even treated that wild brother of his with genuine care—it was enough for Leonhard to trust him.

 

‘He’s worried about his family, after all…’

 

After much thought, Leonhard opened his mouth.

 

“Do you know what’s needed to artificially manifest a symbol?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“You need the blood of someone with that symbol.”

 

Julius’s eyes widened.

 

“A blood?”

 

“You heard the story about Onyx from Duke Khalid. How much do you know?”

 

“They knew how to make bloodstones from the blood of those with the symbol, and there is even a story that they used bloodstones made from the blood of Sesto, whose lineage is now said to have died out, to control monsters and create things called chimeras.”

 

‘So he had gotten that far—but apparently, the method of artificially creating a symbol hadn’t been part of the explanation.’

 

‘Well, it is a shocking story.’

‘Since even Felix had examined the First Princess, there was no longer any point in hiding it.’

After organizing his thoughts, Leonhard began to explain.

 

“Then, I will begin the explanation by adding to that.”

 

He spoke of the distant past, of the story Felix had told him—why Felix had created a medicine to erase false symbols.

 

Then he shared how he’d later heard the news from the capital via the Duke of Khalid and began to suspect someone.

 

“The one who likely gave Estroa blood to Karl, so he could manifest a symbol… is the First Princess.”

 

“Why would she do that…?”

 

“Don’t you find the timing of her symbol manifestation… a little too convenient?”

 

“…….”

 

Julius couldn’t answer—neither with a lie nor with the truth.

 

At the time, the Emperor had been looking for a suitable marriage match for Mariette. Had one been chosen, she would’ve been married off and forced to leave the palace.

 

But when a symbol appeared on Mariette’s body, the talk of marriage disappeared.

 

“Because she’s of Estroa blood, it would’ve been easier for her to undergo an artificial symbol manifestation. Karl then used that experimental data to succeed in manifesting the symbol on his own body. And…”

 

Leonhard hesitated, unsure whether to say more, but Julius motioned for him to continue, as if nothing he could say now could shock him further.

 

But that thought was soon shattered.

 

“Before the First Princess… the First Prince may have also manifested his symbol using the same method.”

 

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