How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love – Chapter 274

Author: Chewyy

“You say they created an artificial monster called a chimera using bloodstone.… So, the monster that attacked the capital a while ago was also a type of chimera?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“At the time, Karl had not yet appeared in the capital, and it was concluded that you were the one who brought that monster in.”

The emperor looked at Julius with stern eyes.

“How do you explain that incident?”

Marquise Calvin did not miss the flicker in Julius’s eyes at that moment.

‘No. He mustn’t prove his innocence here. If he does, Kairos will be in danger.’

She jumped up from her seat and shouted at the emperor.

“Your Majesty! Now, the second prince dares to use his words to cloud Your Majesty’s wisdom and cover up his own sins!”

“Marquis Calvin! Do you realize where you are, daring to speak out like this?”

“The Second Prince is trying to cover his crimes…? What do you mean by that?”

Unfortunately for Julius, the Emperor had still not escaped Marquise Calvin’s influence.

He was so fascinated by the Marquise of Calvin that he listened to her story first, rather than his son’s, so she was able to make up a story in no time.

“At that time, the Second Prince colluded with Karl to bring the monster into the capital. It was a plot to harm both Your Majesty and Prince Kyle so he could take the throne himself!”

“What nonsense! How dare you tell such lies!”

“Second Prince, silence!”

“Your Majesty, it was the second prince who brought Karl to the palace and helped him forge the symbol of Estroa, and also allowed monsters to invade the capital. He is guilty of plotting rebellion and should be punished along with Karl!”

At this moment, the Marquise Calvin cast a very powerful spell on the Emperor.

The emperor, who had been under her control for a very long time, was unable to resist this time either and moved as she would.

“Utterly… disgraceful. Guards! Throw him into the underground prison immediately, and bring Karl from the detached palace there as well!”

“Your Majesty!”

“I shall personally interrogate those two traitors who dared commit treason!”

The knights waiting inside the audience room looked at each other, not knowing what to do at the sudden order from the emperor.

Without any evidence, it was strange that the Marquise of Calvin accused the second prince of being a traitor, and it was also strange that the emperor listened to her.

“Your Majesty, please reconsider—”

“Did you not hear me?! Take him away immediately! Confine the Second Prince’s wife to the Prince’s palace, and imprison all his close aides!”

As the Emperor lost all reason and raged furiously, even Marquis Calvin realized something was wrong.

The Emperor, completely consumed by her powerful charm, was acting irrationally—even she could see it.

But what could she do?

He was the supreme sun of this empire. No matter what he did, his subordinates had no choice but to follow him.

Unless, of course, they were truly planning a rebellion.

“Your Majesty! Even if you are going to interrogate me, please dispatch the Knights immediately! If we don’t subdue the monsters immediately, the capital will be attacked!”

“Silence! How dare a traitor raise his voice! What are you all waiting for?! Take him to the prison!”

Still unaware that the entire palace was in an uproar due to an unexpected commotion.

Leonhard, after dinner, quietly took Raenel to their bedroom, saying there was something he needed to tell her.

* * *

“Nell, I plan to infiltrate Onyx’s hideout tomorrow with Felix.”

“Tomorrow? Just the two of you?”

“Yes. We hope to find evidence that Karl conducted experiments using Estroa’s blood. And also… to find Duke Khalid’s child.”

Leonhard took my hand and spoke carefully.

“We may… encounter your biological father.”

Biological father.

My heart fluttered at the thought of that word, which had only two syllables.

Leonhard, sensing my unease, came over to me, hugged me, and patted my back.

His comforting embrace came from understanding what I must be feeling— and just that thought gave me comfort.

I leaned my head on his shoulder and held his hand. His warmth made it easier to speak.

“Just in case, you don’t have to go to all that trouble to show me my real father’s face.”

“But if your father is being held by the Onyx wizards, we need to rescue him while we have the chance..”

‘If my father were being held because of his blood, the wizards might move him the moment they realize someone has infiltrated the hideout.’

As Leonhard said, this may be my first and last chance to save my biological father.

but…

“But we don’t know anything for sure yet. We don’t know if my father’s been imprisoned… or if he’s willingly using his blood to do terrible things.”

Actually, I did think about it.

‘Why on earth did Pan give me the teleportation stone?’

Leonhard still seemed suspicious of Pan, who was part of Onyx, but I wasn’t.

The tears Pan shed upon seeing the portrait of my real mother were not fake.

Pan missed my mother and worried about me, her daughter.

So if Onyx’s hideout were truly just a dangerous place, he wouldn’t have told me to go.

“Y-you d-don’t h-have to g-go… b-but, I, I really… h-hope you do. At least once…”

Maybe that’s why I had to go— because someone I needed to meet was there.

‘Someone I could only see if I went myself… because they couldn’t leave.’

‘But this is just my guess.’

I didn’t want my desire to see my father’s face to put the man I love in danger.

I hugged Leonhard’s waist tightly and made him promise.

“Promise me. You’ll only take what you need and get out of there safely. No unnecessary risks.”

“Yes. I would never do anything dangerous. I have a wife and a son to take care of.”

‘Huh. Wasn’t that something I had said before?’

“You remember that?”

“Of course, I should remember it. It’s what my wife told me to do.”

‘That’s right. Good things happen when you listen to your wife, even in your sleep.’

I playfully ruffled his hair, and he leaned in as if asking for more praise.

So I cupped his face with both hands and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

But Leonhard pulled me close and deepened the kiss with a passionate embrace…

At that very moment, a knock was heard on the door.

“Captain, we’re in big trouble!”

I was startled by the knock and pushed Leonhard’s shoulder away.

Then I opened my eyes wide and looked at Leonhard at the urgent voice I heard from beyond the closed door.

“Something’s happened. Go, quickly!”

“Hah….”

With a deep breath, Leonhardt moved away from me and responded.

“What’s going on?”

He glared at Robert as if he’d kick him out if this wasn’t urgent.

Fortunately for Robert, it was urgent—something truly serious had happened in the Imperial Palace.

“We’ve received an urgent message from the Imperial Palace—His Highness the Second Prince has been imprisoned!”

Leonhard, whose expression changed in an instant, immediately asked Robert.

“What’s the reason?”

“I don’t know the full details. But I heard that a guest from the detached palace was arrested along with the Second Prince, and there are rumors going around that the two of them were plotting a rebellion together.”

“A rebellion? Based on what evidence…? Wait—what about the dispatch of the knight order to Count Gordon’s territory? Was it approved?”

“No. His Majesty the Emperor is said to be furious and has gone personally to interrogate the Second Prince….”

That was all Robert knew. Leonhard fell silent with a heavy sigh.

“What on earth is going on in the palace?…Nell, I think I should go to the palace immediately.”

“Yes. go quickly.”

“I’ll send someone as soon as I hear any news, so try not to worry too much. Please stay here at the mansion with Noah. No matter what happens in the Imperial Palace, this mansion won’t be in any danger.”

Leonhard, who had calmed me down with those words, immediately changed his clothes and headed to the palace with several knights, including Robert.

By then, the servants had heard the news and the atmosphere in the mansion was chaotic.

After I had cleaned up the atmosphere in the mansion with Logan, I lay down on the bed with Noah to calm him down.

“Mother, what is happening in the palace right now?”

“Hmm, your father went to find out. Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”

“If Father went… then I guess it’ll be okay.”

I wasn’t sure when Noah’s trust in Leonhard had grown so strong, but thanks to that, he fell asleep easily, even before we finished a single storybook.

The only one who couldn’t fall asleep as the night wore on… was me.

No, to be exact, it’s not just me.

– Nell. Nell. Hey…

“Huh?”

– How long are you going to stay by my side?

“Of course…”

Until the day I die?

It didn’t seem like a good answer to give to a one-year-old.

Wondering why Rake was suddenly asking this, I gently placed the little bird, who had fluttered over to me in the dark, on my pillow and whispered a reply.

“Until you become independent and don’t need a guardian anymore?”

– What if you die before I become independent?

Whether or not she understood the weight of those words, Rake spoke of my death far too lightly, leaving me momentarily speechless.

But as if my answer never really mattered in the first place, Rake moved his beak and continued.

– When Nell dies, Leon dies, and Noah dies and I become alone, who will be by my side then?

“Then… you’ll have new friends, and a new family.”

– What’s the point of making new ones? They’ll die before me anyway. They can’t live as long as I do.

‘Where on earth did she hear that and what made her act like this?’

Unable to give Rake the answer she wanted, I just quietly stroked her round head.

But my warmth didn’t seem to be of any comfort to Rake.

– I also want to make friends who can live a long life like me.

“Yeah. It would be nice if our Rake had a friend like that.”