How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 296

“I also know where your aides are being held. Let’s get them out and leave together.”

 

“Those guys would be better off here. If they get caught escaping prison on their own, they could be charged with a serious crime.”

 

“There won’t be a problem. I can handle it.”

 

“You? How?”

 

He would expose his mother’s crimes.

 

The proof that she had colluded with Onyx to let monsters into the capital, and that his own symbol had been forced into awakening, was already secured in secret.

 

However, if he reported her, he would no longer be able to remain in the palace. For that reason, he had delayed it again and again.

 

But now he had to do it.

 

Because of his mother, Julius was falsely accused of being a traitor and dragged to prison.

 

“When this is resolved, I’ll tell you everything. Please trust me, brother.”

 

“Okay.… If you say so.”

 

Julius was about to say something to Kairos, but he withdrew his outstretched hand and turned away.

 

“Let’s get out of here first.”

 

Julius and Kairos took Eric, Rosaline, Cain, and the other servants who were imprisoned in the underground prison and went up to the surface.

 

Originally, once they left the underground prison, they were faced with a very high wall that was difficult to climb over.

 

But more than half of the wall had collapsed, along with countless other buildings that had already collapsed.

 

“What is this…”

 

“Is this really the Imperial Palace…?”

 

Beyond the collapsed wall, black smoke rose above dozens of flames, and the sky where the smoke reached was covered with ominous red clouds.

 

Behind the roar of the monsters that matched it, the screams and shouts of the people continued, and the sight flashed with an unidentifiable magic.

 

If hell truly existed, it would look like that.

 

And in the middle of that horrifying scene, what stole everyone’s gaze above all else was—

 

“That dragon thing has grown bigger since before. I think it’s probably due to the effects of its rampage.”

 

“Does a monster that goes berserk actually grow that big?”

 

“I’ve heard that it happens rarely. It seems like it grew that big because it was already big.”

 

The dragon, now grown to a size comparable to the majestic Imperial Palace itself, trampled the palace halls beneath its claws and unleashed its acidic breath without aim.

 

It is so acidic that it melts everything it touches, including walls, roofs, and trees.

 

Arrows and magic were seen flying everywhere to stop the rampaging monster, but not even a scratch marked its thick hide.

 

In fact, the dragon didn’t even seem to care about their attacks, as if they were no threat at all.

 

“I see now… why they gave it the name ‘dragon.’”

 

“I don’t think now is the time to say that, Your Highness.”

 

“That, in my opinion, doesn’t seem like it would be possible to solve it even if the Imperial Knights intervene.…”

 

“That’s what the bearers of authority are for. Whether it’s a Marquis or a duke, with something so big running wild, they’ll rush to the palace immediately.”

 

Honestly, even if all five authority-bearers struck at once, Julius wasn’t sure they could bring it down.

 

“Your Highness, what can we possibly do?”

 

“You must find the survivors and evacuate them. With such a large body, restraint seems pointless, so tell the knights to retreat.”

 

“Will the knights even listen to us? We’ll be lucky if they don’t just try to throw us back into prison.”

 

“Even better if that happens. Tell everyone, if they can’t make it out of the palace, to take shelter in the underground prisons. That place will be safer.”

 

“You might as well have left us locked in the prison, then, Your Highness.”

 

“Did you like it there? Once this is over, I’ll send you back.”

 

“That is going to be a really great vacation.….”

 

The two men, who had exchanged serious words that were clearly meant to be jokes, parted ways in front of the entrance to the underground prison.

 

“Your Highness, will you be all right alone? You should at least take Sir Eric with you…”

 

“Why am I alone? Kyle is here.”

 

Julius, not knowing whether he knew that his aides were worried because of Kyle, quickly sent them off to go and save the people.

 

Even as they reluctantly withdrew, his aides looked back at him with suspicious eyes.

 

Kairos, however, showed no such hesitation. Without blinking, he asked,

 

“Where are you going, brother?”

 

“To stop that monster and at least lessen the damage… but first, there’s somewhere I must go.”

 

“Where is it?”

 

Kairos asked, sticking close to Julius’ side as if he would follow him anywhere.

 

Instead of being puzzled by such a Kairos, Julius answered.

 

“Rose Quartz Palace.”

 

“Rose Quartz….”

 

Realizing Julius’s intention, Kairos looked at him with a sour expression.

 

“You must be worried about the First Princess.”

 

Julius, who knew how bad the relationship between the two was, looked at Kairos with a soothing gaze.

 

“Mother has probably already left the palace. But Marie isn’t in good health right now.”

 

Even if someone was looking after her, he couldn’t help but worry whether she had escaped safely.

 

Kairos almost told him not to concern her—that the woman surely had fled already. But he knew that if by some chance she hadn’t, the grief would crush Julius. So he kept his mouth shut.

 

‘If he cares about someone like me, of course he’d worry about his sister.’

 

He didn’t like it. He never imagined he would even think such a thing.

 

But for Julius’s sake, he too hoped Mariette was safe, and quickened his pace.

 

* * *

 

My vision is blurry.

 

As I was staring up at the familiar ceiling, my consciousness completely lost, I heard a startled voice coming from nearby.

 

“Marquis! Ma’am has opened her eyes!”

 

‘Whose voice is that? It’s definitely familiar.’

 

As I was thinking about that, Leonhard’s face came into my field of vision.

 

“Nell, are you awake?”

 

“Huh…?”

 

Once, twice, three times.

 

I only came to my senses after blinking exactly three times.

 

I sat up with a start, and even after realizing that I was lying on the bed in Paul Herbina’s bedroom, I looked around.

 

“Home? We came back to our house? What about Kana? And Rake? While we were away, the capital…”

 

“Please calm down. I’ll explain everything one by one.”

 

Leonhard, who had been gently stroking my back to soothe me, handed me some water.

 

It was lukewarm water, easy to gulp down.

 

Only then did I realize how thirsty I was. I lifted the cup to my lips and listened to his explanation.

 

“Kana fell asleep, exhausted from the long-distance teleportation. The maids are watching over her, so there’s no need to worry. Rake has gone to reinforce the mansion’s barrier.”

 

“What’s wrong with the mansion’s barrier? Is it damaged?”

 

“Yes, we were attacked by rampaging monsters. Felix dealt with the rampaging monsters before the barrier was broken, but just in case.”

 

A rampaging monster?

 

‘Come to think of it, before I lost consciousness…’

 

The Onyx wizards had panicked, shouting that the bloodstone had shattered. Those monsters were going berserk.

 

‘So, is that why the monsters that attacked the capital went berserk?’

 

‘But why? Why did a perfectly good bloodstone suddenly break?’

 

“Ah….”

 

“Nell….”

 

The cup slipped helplessly from my hand, but Leonhardt quickly caught it.

 

Still, the spilled water had already soaked into the sheets, leaving dark stains.

 

“I… I think I inherited the power.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“No… not think. I know it.”

 

It was certain.

 

If you ask me how I know that, I can’t answer, but I just, I just knew.

 

My real father had died. And the power he carried had come to me.

 

“Nell, are you okay?”

 

I just blinked once and tears fell down my face.

 

Leonhard, with a puzzled look on his face, sat on the bed and hugged me.

 

That warmth only made the grief swell inside me. I bit down hard on my lips, trying to hold back the rising sobs.

 

“Why… Why on earth?”

 

‘What had happened in the Tower?

 

What could have happened that my father had to die at that exact moment?’

 

I thought there was still time. I thought it would be all right. Why had I believed that?

 

I had already lost the parents who raised me so suddenly, without warning. I knew too well that goodbyes came without notice.

 

“Because of me, because of me…. If only I had been a little wiser…”

 

“No, Nell. It’s absolutely not your fault.”

 

Leonhard tried to comfort me in a desperate tone, but the hollow hole in my heart refused to close.

 

It’s not your fault. I had already heard those words countless times—at my parents’ funeral.

 

Yet just like back then, I couldn’t shake the thought: If it weren’t for me…

 

My biological mother, who gave birth to me, my parents, who raised me, and even my biological father, whose life and death I didn’t know until recently, all of it, all because of me.…

 

“Father! Mo…ther?”

 

Just then, the door burst open and Noah came into the bedroom.

 

The child who looked like he was about to run towards us stopped in surprise when he saw me.

 

“Mother, what’s wrong? Did you get hurt?”

 

“Noah…”

 

Looking at my child’s anxious face, a flood of thoughts surged through me.

 

At the same time, my already damp eyes suddenly became even wetter.

 

“Noah, come here.”

 

When I shifted aside to make space, Noah hesitated only a moment before climbing onto the bed and coming between us.

 

I pulled both Noah and Leonhard tightly into my arms and sobbed.

 

“I…. I will live a really long life.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I’ll live until I’m an old grandmother and die of old age. I’ll never, ever… leave you suddenly, Noah.”

 

There’s a saying: the greatest unfilial act a child can commit is dying before their parents.

 

But does that mean losing one’s parents first is any less painful? Especially when the farewell comes without warning, striking without mercy?

 

The sorrow, the anguish, the emptiness I felt now—I never wanted Noah to know them.

 

“I’ll make sure… you never have to blame yourself or regret anything, ever.”

 

“Mother….”

 

Noah, who had no idea why I was suddenly saying this, only clutched at our clothes in silence.

 

Instead, Leonhard tightened his embrace around both of us, as if to say he fully understood why I had spoken those words.

 

* * *