How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 285

Logan, Layla, Robert, and Sage, who each took charge of their own area, took the lead and led the people.

 

“Everyone! Please line up and move inside!”

 

“Paul Herbina’s garden is spacious! Rest assured, there’s plenty of room for everyone to sit and relax!”

 

“Injured! Any injured, please come this way! The temporary infirmary is over here.”

 

People were naturally unaware that there was a magical barrier set up by the dragon throughout Paul Herbina’s estate.

 

Even so, crowds continued to pour in, drawn by the reputation of the Marquis of Ajas and the famed knights and wizards of Ajas under his command.

 

“What on earth is going on? Please, someone explain!”

 

“We—we evacuated like we were told, but what’s attacking the capital?”

 

“Is it safe to stay in this mansion?”

 

With so many people flocking in at once, it was only natural that the entire Paul Herbina would fall into chaos.

 

Paul Herbina’s servants, guards, and the remaining knights and wizards diligently ran around, encouraging people and easing the tense atmosphere.

 

What helped the most, quite unexpectedly—

 

“Never imagined I’d ever cast a calming spell over this wide area in my life.”

 

“Master, don’t talk to me right now. You’re breaking my concentration…”

 

“If the spell breaks, it won’t be because I spoke to you, but because your skills are lacking.”

 

“Oh, come on!”

 

The calming magic performed by Felix and his disciple Marilyn was very helpful in calming people who were shaking with fear.

 

Marilyn looked down from the rooftop at the people who had become much calmer, and let out a voice of surprise.

 

“But really, Master, what’s gotten into you?”

 

“What about me?”

 

“I mean, this isn’t like you. You’re not the type to get involved in stuff like this.”

 

It was an urgent situation.

 

But if Felix had been the type to step forward in an urgent situation, he would have already flown to the eastern wall and slaughtered the monster himself.

 

Compared to that, a calming spell was minor.

 

Which made it all the more unbelievable that Felix had personally stepped in to cast it.

 

“Have you received any request from His Excellency the Marquis or the Marquis’s wife?”

 

“.….”

 

“Ah, I knew it! How much did they pay you? Did you get a lot? I want to go check out the auction house here, so I need some pocket mone—ouch!”

 

“If you’ve got time to blabber, focus instead. You’ll mess up the magic circle.”

 

“Once it’s complete, it doesn’t break that easily, you know.”

 

Marilyn pouted, but she carefully examined the magic circle two or three times, as if she were concerned about Felix’s words.

 

Felix took his eyes off her and sighed softly as he looked at the building where Noah was.

 

Why had he stepped up, out of character?

 

“Please help me.”

 

Well, because his son asked him to.

 

“All right, I will.”

 

The wide eyes, as if Noah hadn’t expected him to nod so readily when Noah had asked him to do something, were a little annoying rather than cute.

 

But Felix didn’t take back what he had said.

 

Not that he hadn’t wanted to…

 

“Really? Thank you!”

 

The way the boy beamed with genuine gratitude—looking absolutely nothing like his mother—was enough to stir some mixed feelings.

 

‘If anything, does he resemble his foster mother?’

 

Now that he thought about it, where were the Marquis and Marquise in all this mess? What were they doing while the capital was in such turmoil?

 

Felix, now firmly resolved to demand a good number of magic stones as payment when they returned, noticed the servants bustling around in a flustered manner.

 

‘What now?’

If some filthy little rat had gotten into the mansion, he’d better deal with it before Noah found out.

Unless something like that happened, Felix didn’t care what happened in the mansion.

 

That was his mindset when he moved—

 

“Oh, my goodness! Young Master! This is a disaster! We have a distinguished guest visiting the mansion!”

 

“Distinguished guests? In this situation?”

 

“You won’t believe it. His Highness the First Prince… has come, escorting the Second Prince’s wife!”

 

Even Felix couldn’t ignore that.

 

* * *

 

The First Prince and the Second Prince’s wife had come to Paul Herbina alone, without an escort or even a maid.

 

Fortunately or unfortunately, Paul Herbina was currently bustling with hundreds of people.

 

So, no one noticed their visit.

 

“I came to see the Marquis. Where is he now?”

 

Escorted in secret to the living room, the First Prince bluntly demanded that the Duke be brought to him.

 

Even for royalty, dropping by unannounced like this was discourteous.

 

Demanding to see the head of the family immediately was outright rude.

 

But no one could call him out on it. He was the First Prince, infamous for his recklessness.

 

What’s more, the fact that he had brought along the Second Prince’s wife threw Logan into confusion.

 

‘Why is the First Prince with her…? Is she a hostage? But even if she is, what’s the point of using her as leverage here?’

 

Even Logan, who is quick on calculations and well-informed, cannot do it based on the current situation.

 

He couldn’t guess the first prince’s purpose.

 

‘Of all times, they show up when Marquis and Marquise are away.’

 

‘Surely, they hadn’t planned it that way…’

 

Even though he knew that Leonhard and Raenel’s absence was an accident and therefore impossible to predict, Logan couldn’t hide his uneasy feeling.

 

“What should we do, Young Master?”

 

“Two members of the royal family are looking for my father. What choice do I have?”

 

“Anyway, those two didn’t announce their visit in advance. Furthermore, given the current chaos in the capital, we could stall them for a few hours.”

 

If they can’t stand it for a few hours and go back, that’s for the best.

 

If Leonhard and Raenel return while they’re waiting, that’s fine too.

 

But if they waited several hours and the couple didn’t return, things would get complicated.

 

Or worse. If the First Prince were to harm the pregnant Second Prince’s wife within Paul Herbina…

 

Even Marquis Ajas cannot leave the capital without consequences.

 

“So, in short, it’s best to get them out of here as soon as possible?”

 

“If possible, yes.”

 

“Okay….”

 

Noah nodded after much thought.

 

“As the next Marquis, I will go and greet them both in my parents’ place.”

 

He was just five years old—soon to be six in a month—and yet he carried himself with remarkable composure.

 

‘As expected, there was a reason why the master personally chose him as his successor.’

 

If he were Logan’s child, he would’ve patted the boy on the head out of sheer pride.

 

Logan helped Noah prepare himself before heading to the living room.

 

“Young master, I don’t know what the First Prince is after, but if you sense any danger, just flip the table and run.”

 

“What?”

 

“His Highness the Marquis will take care of the aftermath.”

 

With a wink from Logan, the tension in Noah eased.

 

The child, who had only then realized that he had been nervous, nodded, muttering, “That’s right.”

 

“If anything happens, Father will take care of it.”

 

The presence of someone he could rely on gave the child courage.

 

Thanks to that, Noah was able to confidently and politely greet the two royals.

 

“Noah Ajas greets Your Highness, the First Prince and Your Highness, the Second Prince’s wife. May the light of the sun shine upon you.”

 

The lowered head and bowed waist were courteous without being servile, and the polite voice and calm gaze showed a perfect understanding of the status of the two people seated across from him.

 

His composed and serious demeanor was so unbelievable for a five-year-old that the princess couldn’t help but let out a soft “Oh my.”.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Young Master of Ajas. You must’ve been surprised by our sudden visit, but thank you for welcoming us so kindly…”

 

“Where are the Marquis and Marquise of Ajas, and why are you the one greeting us?”

 

Unlike the Princess’s admiring and affectionate gaze, Kairos looked Noah up and down with clear disapproval. There was even a hint of hostility in his stare.

 

A typical child might have burst into tears looking for their mother—but Noah calmly met his gaze without flinching.

 

“I apologize, but both of them have stepped out for a while.”

 

“They’ve stepped out? To where? The Marquis, maybe, but I can’t imagine the Marquise leaving the estate under these circumstances.”

 

“They both left the Mansion before the bell rang at the city walls.”

 

“When are they expected back?”

 

“I’m not sure. I can’t waste your precious time without any promise of return. If you tell me your business, I’ll be sure to pass the message along to my parents.”

 

Unlike Kairos, who always spoke in a harsh tone, Noah chose each word carefully and answered.

 

At this point, it was hard to tell who was the adult and who was the child.

 

The servants, though inwardly shaken, couldn’t bring themselves to speak up, so the Princess gently stepped in to mediate.

 

“It can’t be helped. After all, we came here without any notice—”

 

“They didn’t run away, did they?”

 

“Your Highness!”

 

The Princess’s eyes widened in shock, but Kairos kept his gaze fixed intently on Noah, his eyes narrowed sharply.

 

“Answer me. Didn’t the great Marquis Ajas, terrified by monsters, run away with his wife?”

 

“Your words go too far, Your Highness.”

 

“If my father and mother had been scared by monsters and run away, they would have taken me with them.”

 

Noah’s eyes were filled with trust, and his voice didn’t waver in the slightest.

 

“My parents will come back here because I’m here.”

 

* * *