How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 313

Leonhard and I went out together to visit the Duke’s residence.

 

Leonhard also said he had something to discuss with Duke Khalid, and I was worried about Rebecca.

 

‘I thought it might be a waste of time to come and stir up trouble in someone who’s already upset.’

 

“Nell…!”

 

The moment Rebecca saw me, she burst into tears before she could even properly sit down.

 

Unlike me, who was flustered, the butler and maids left the room as if they were used to it.

 

Even Layla, Leona, and Sage, who had followed me, left.

 

The door closed, and soon the two of us were left alone in the living room.

 

“N–Nell… uhh…!”

 

As I watched Rebecca cry and hug me, I began to understand why everyone else had left.

 

I hugged Rebecca tightly, feeling the tip of my nose tingle as well.

 

“Yes, yes. You’ve had such a hard time, haven’t you?”

 

“I— hic— I—uhhhhh…!”

 

Come to think of it, Rebecca was a duchess. When would someone like her ever break down like this in front of others?

Would she even cry like this in front of her husband? Or go to her family home instead?

‘Since rumors spread everywhere that Kana came home…’

I understand that he spread the rumor to make it clear that Kana was his child, so that the child would not get hurt by false rumors.

 

But because of that, the eyes of the people of the capital and the socialites were all turned towards Rebecca.

 

How will the current duchess treat the biological child, who is not an illegitimate child, but rather the child born to the former duchess?

 

‘Duke Khalid wouldn’t have just spread those rumors without telling her… right? Or is that it?’

 

‘Just because Rebecca says it’s okay, does he really think it’s okay and just proceed with everything?’

 

“Sorry, Nell. I must look so pathetic just now.”

 

After crying for a while, Rebecca barely managed to wipe her soaked face and smiled at me.

 

But anyone could see she was clinging to the last scraps of her strength.

 

I gently fixed her messy hair.

 

“Pathetic? Not at all. Do you feel a little better now?”

 

“…No. hic… I don’t…”

 

Even after crying like that, Rebecca hugged me again and cried for a long time, as if her tears hadn’t dried yet.

 

I worried she might get dehydrated at this rate, so I pressed cups of water to her lips every so often as she sobbed.

 

“Now— hiccup! Now I r-really— hiccup!—finished crying. S–sorry— hiccup!—sorry, Nell”

 

“You don’t have to apologize. Here—open your mouth.”

 

As I said, I put the chocolate in Rebecca’s mouth, who opened her mouth and said, “Ah.”

 

“Isn’t it delicious?”

 

“Mmhm. hic!”

 

Rebecca munched on the chocolate and biscuits I put in her mouth, even as she sniffled and hiccupped.

 

“Crying takes stamina. If you want to cry again later, you need energy.”

 

“Hey— I said I’m done crying!”

 

I meant it seriously, but Rebecca seemed to take it as a joke and snorted with laughter.

 

I meant it seriously, but Rebecca seemed to take it as a joke and snorted with laughter.

 

“How’s April? Is she healthy and doing well?”

 

“Yes. She’s grown a lot. She even babbles now.”

 

“Really? Does she talk?”

 

“Not yet. The babbling is… well, just noise.”

 

“That’s what babbling is! Can I see her? It’s been a while.”

 

“Of course. But she’s probably taking a nap right now…”

 

“Oh—then don’t wake her. I’ll see her later.”

 

“Haha, you won’t have to wait long. She’s been eating well lately, so she wakes up right away and cries for food.”

 

As if to prove the truth, it wasn’t long before April’s nanny knocked on the door to let her know that the child was awake.

 

Rebecca and I went straight to the child’s bedroom.

 

As soon as I entered the hallway, April’s loud wailing echoed through the halls.

 

“She’s got some strong lungs!”

 

“She takes after her father. I’m so relieved. If she took after me, she’d have been such a weak baby.”

 

April, who took after her father and was energetic, sucked her mother’s breast while her mother was holding her.

 

Even just by watching from the side, I could tell that the child was very healthy and energetic.

 

After a soft burp, April beamed happily and reached a tiny hand toward me.

 

“Ouah—ahh.”

 

“Oh my goodness—she’s really babbling! At this rate, she’ll start talking soon!”

 

“Maybe… but I think that’ll still take time.”

 

“She looks so healthy. Who knows? Maybe she’ll talk early.”

 

Rebecca gently handed her to me, and I bounced the child lightly, playing peek-a-boo.

 

“Hey little one, I’m your godmother. Can you say ‘godmother’?”

 

“Uah!”

 

“Goood–mother.”

 

“Aaah!”

 

When her tiny hand twitched, I gave her my finger. She grabbed it tightly—surprisingly strong.

 

I wiggled my finger playfully, making her scrunch her nose and squeal.

 

“Uwaaah!”

 

“Huh? Should I just stay still? Do you want to keep holding Godmother’s finger?”

 

“Aaah!”

 

“Here, here. Should I give you another?”

 

April played with my fingers until she felt sleepy and yawned with her mouth wide open.

 

It was so cute how she yawned with a frown on her face, her tiny mouth still toothless. I almost begged her to yawn just one more time.

 

“Let me take her. Time for another nap.”

 

I watched from the side as Rebecca skillfully held the baby in her arms, soothed her, and sang her a lullaby.

 

She had only been a mother for a few months, yet she already seemed natural—calm, sure, practiced.

 

‘I don’t think I’ll ever see myself treating Noah like that.’

 

‘Maybe that was the difference between giving birth and not.’

 

Rebecca herself put the child, who had fallen sound asleep, to bed. We quietly left the bedroom so as not to wake the child.

 

“Thank you, Nell.”

 

“Suddenly?”

 

I don’t think I did anything particularly worthy of a thank you. Is she referring to the brief time I spent with April?

 

“I suddenly cried, but you comforted me without saying anything and treated me like you always did.”

 

In the middle of the hallway leading back to the living room, Rebecca took both of my hands.

 

“Actually, I’ve been feeling so suffocated lately. I want to cry out loud, but I wonder if it’s okay for me to cry. I want to pour my heart out to someone, but there’s no one I can do that with.”

 

“You should’ve called me sooner. We’re friends. When else are we supposed to lean on each other if not at times like this?”

 

“Nell…”

 

Tears welled up in Rebecca’s eyes again.

 

Even though this was the duke’s residence, leaving Rebecca to cry in such an open space could have led to rumors spreading.

 

I quickly led Rebecca into the living room.

 

“It’s not exactly the same, but… I’ve experienced something similar already. I understand how you feel, Becky. Really. So you can say anything. It’s okay.”

 

“Nell….”

 

Finally, Rebecca buried her face in my arms and began to cry again, as if she had never said she was done crying.

 

“If—if I had known from the beginning the child existed, maybe it would be different—but she just appeared out of nowhere, and my husband said she was his child, and…!”

 

“I understand. If my husband suddenly brought home a child I’ve never seen before and said, ‘This is mine,’ I’d be shaken too.”

 

I keep worrying… that my husband might care about that child more than he cares about my child. And then—then I worry that the fact I’m thinking like this already makes me a terrible person and—and—!”

 

“If you’re worrying about that, then you’ll definitely be a good mother.”

 

“A good mother? Me? I… I…”

 

Rebecca poured out her heart to me, pouring out stories she probably wouldn’t have told anywhere else.

 

“I thought—why should I be the one raising her?”

 

Her voice completely crumbled at the end. She looked disgusted with herself just for saying it.

 

I didn’t know what to say to comfort Rebecca, so I just rubbed her back silently.

 

It must have helped somewhat, because through sniffles, she asked me:

 

“Nell, have you… Ever thought like that? Honestly. The young marquis isn’t your biological child either.”

 

“I knew from the beginning that I would have a child when I got married.”

 

If Leonhard suddenly brought home another child now, saying ‘This is actually my biological child. Please raise them together with Noah.’

 

Honestly, I think I’ll be out of my mind for a while. No, not to the point of being out of my mind.

 

‘I think I’ll run away with Noah…’

 

Not because of the child, but because of the thought that Leonhard loved another woman enough to have a baby with her…

 

Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.

 

“Nell? Are you crying?”

 

“Because Becky is crying….”

 

I tried to secretly wipe it and pretend not to notice, but the moment Rebecca caught me, tears welled up uncontrollably.

 

We held each other and cried for a long time. After we finally stopped, we teased each other about our red and swollen eyes.

 

“Your eyes look just like a rabbit’s.”

 

“You mean cute?”

 

I felt a little better because she smiled even though her eyes were wet.

 

Having finally calmed down, I recharged with tea and snacks and asked Rebecca.

 

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