How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 322

“Marquise Ajas.”

 

As soon as I parted ways with Leonhard, who was going to meet the second prince, and entered the living room, the Second prince’s wife welcomed me with a warm hug as if she were reuniting with a separated family.

 

It all happened before I could even offer proper greetings. I let out a startled sound and carefully managed a bow.

 

“Hello, Your Highness… How are you feeling?”

 

“There’s no problem at all. The baby, too. It’s all thanks to the care you gave me, Marquise.”

 

“That’s really fortunate. But just in case, I brought some good medicinal herbs for you…..”

 

“Why did you bring that? I called you today because I have something to give you. Come, sit here first. You’re the one I should be asking—nothing troubling you, I hope?”

 

Not only did the Second Prince’s wife seat me beside her, but she also clasped my hand firmly as she began talking.

 

At first, I froze, unsure what to do with myself. But as time passed, I felt my tension gradually ease.

 

By the time I’d emptied half my teacup, I finally managed to bring it up.

 

“Your Highness, you asked me before if there was any good news, didn’t you?”

 

“Good news… Oh my, don’t tell me—?”

 

“Yes.”

 

With my free hand, I gently rested my palm over my lower belly.

 

“Oh my, oh my! Congratulations! You must be receiving the blessings you deserve after doing so many good deeds.”

 

After showering me with well-wishes for quite some time, she summoned her head maid and instructed her to prepare medicinal herbs good for pregnant women for me to take home.

 

“No, really, you don’t have to—”

 

I declined twice, but her resolve was unwavering. In the end, I could only bow my head and accept with thanks.

 

“Hehe. Our two children will be born just a few months apart. Perhaps they’ll become good friends.”

 

There was no way she didn’t know that Ajas stayed out of capital politics and kept its distance from the imperial family.

 

And yet she still said this—wasn’t that proof that she held me in genuine affection? Perhaps Noah as well.

 

“I hope so.”

 

“When the children grow a little, would it be all right if I sent an invitation?”

 

“As long as it’s not an official one, of course.”

 

‘Making a show of Ajas and Estroa being close wouldn’t be wise…’

 

When I hinted at that, the Second Prince’s wife nodded readily, clearly understanding.

 

“They might end up like the First and Second Princes. I’m already looking forward to seeing the two children grow close.”

 

‘Hmm, I wonder how close my daughter, who grew up in the North, and the prince, who grew up in the capital, will become.…’

 

“That would be nice. Having many friends is a good thing.”

 

‘If my daughter and the prince become close, our Noah will naturally be included among them, right?’

 

‘And if April and Kana joined in as well…’

 

‘Wait a minute, isn’t this a gathering of the main characters?’

 

The male and female leads of the novel I once thought was a romance, the scheming dark sub–male lead, and even the villainess.

 

Imagining my daughter mixed in with all of them made a smile spread across my face.

 

‘Ah, I can’t wait to see it.’

 

‘’Just like in the future Hyella showed me, would Siegfried and April fall in love? And which girl will Noah fall in love with?’

 

‘Is it really April? Or will he start liking another girl?’

 

Since Noah and April’s first meeting—and everything surrounding it—had changed completely, I couldn’t be certain of anything anymore.

 

But I can say this for sure.

 

Unlike the future Hiyela had shown me, Noah would grow up to experience a truly healthy love.

 

‘Yes, yes. Noah would never set secret traps behind the scenes just to win over the girl he likes.’

 

‘If the woman he loved already loved someone else, he’d surely wish for her happiness and let her go graciously—’

 

‘Wait.’

 

‘Isn’t that the textbook sub–male lead?!’

 

‘It was good that the “dark schemer” part had fallen away, but a sub–male lead? A sub–male lead?!’

 

‘The girl Noah likes has to like Noah back!’

 

“Marquise, what are you thinking so seriously about?”

 

“Ah—s-sorry. I was suddenly wondering what kind of partner the children might bring home once they grow up.”

 

“The young Marquis is only five years old, and you’re already worrying about that?”

 

At the Second Prince’s wife’s teasing laughter, I gave a small, awkward cough to hide my embarrassment.

 

As if she’d sensed my mood, she added in a quieter tone,

 

“I’ve had similar worries myself. His Highness says it’s far too early, but still—this child is royalty. It wouldn’t hurt to start thinking about potential matches early, would it?”

 

“Do you have any candidates in mind?”

 

‘For example, April…!’

 

“I didn’t really have a specific plan. I just looked to see which families had recently had wives who were pregnant or had given birth. There were quite a few more than I expected.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes. And now Ajas will be included in that too.”

 

Seeing her smile with her eyes curved warmly, I felt oddly shy and could only smile back.

 

“Can I go to the break room for a moment?”

 

“Sure.”

 

She assigned a maid to accompany me and gave a playful wink.

 

“I’ll make sure to prepare something cute for you to see when you get back.”

“Something cute?”

“It’s a secret. So hurry back.”

“Yes. I won’t run away and I’ll definitely come back.”

 

At my joke, the Second Prince’s wife burst into laughter.

 

Seeing someone so quiet and composed laugh out loud like that made me feel oddly proud.

 

‘What exactly counts as ‘cute,’ anyway?’

 

‘It must be really cute since it was prepared by the second prince’s wife, right?’

 

I headed to the break room with my heart pounding with anticipation, but a voice from around the corner of the hallway stopped me in my tracks.

 

“There’s a guest here? What on earth is going o—”

 

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Of all moments, it had to be now—running into the First Princess out here in the hallway.

 

Since our eyes met, I couldn’t run away.

 

“Greetings, Your Highness the First Princess. May the sun shine upon you.”

 

“You can raise your head….”

 

The one small comfort was that she didn’t look particularly pleased to have run into me either.

 

“So you’re the guest my brother invited?

 

“Strictly speaking, I was invited by the Second Prince’s wife. My husband is the one who received an invitation from the Second Prince.”

 

“For what reason?”

 

The First Princess spoke as if there were absolutely no reason the Second Prince’s wife would ever invite me.

 

‘What, does she think I snuck in here on my own? Why did she act like she owned someone else’s palace?’

 

I smiled even brighter as if I was being rewarded.

 

“She said she had something to show me.”

 

“To show you… What?”

 

“Would you like to come along? She said everything would be ready by the time I got back.”

 

If the two of us returned together, just who would the Second Prince’s wife ask, What brings you here today?

 

‘Wait—don’t tell me what Her Highness mentioned was… No. That couldn’t be it.’

‘She definitely said it was something “cute.”’

‘There was no way she’d secretly invited the First Princess as a surprise just for me.’

 

“I’ll decline…. The person I came to see is my brother.”

 

But at this very moment, the Second Prince should be meeting my husband.

 

‘Surely he didn’t make overlapping appointments…’

 

‘So was the one who showed up without an invitation actually her?’

 

‘Whatever.’

 

Either way, it had nothing to do with me.

 

“I see. Then I will take my leave now.”

 

I bowed lightly to the First Princess and turned away.

 

I moved before being told I could go—but I did so confidently.

 

Honestly, I think it’s okay to treat the first princess this way.

 

“Marquise.”

 

But maybe the first princess thought differently.

 

As I walked a few steps, I heard a voice calling me from behind.

 

I flinched inwardly, but didn’t show it at all, and turned around.

 

“Do you have anything left to say?”

 

As I smiled brightly, the First Princess looked at me with a strange expression.

 

It was the kind of “strange” that defied description—too many emotions mixed together, leaving only a murky chaos behind.

 

What was that dark, soot-tinged emotion called?

 

Unable to guess, I simply blinked. After a long pause, the First Princess finally spoke.

 

“…Before.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I was sorry.”

 

Leaving only those words behind, she turned away.

 

Unable to hold back, I called after her retreating back—almost as if she were running away from me.

 

“What are you sorry about to me?”

 

Unlike me, the First Princess couldn’t take a single step. Slowly, she turned around.

 

Once again, I couldn’t read the emotions on her face. It was as if she’d wiped them all away, like putting on a mask.

 

“You know already, don’t you?”

 

“I don’t.”

 

“Then forget it. Pretend you didn’t hear anything.”

 

I was dumbfounded.

 

‘You call that an apology now?’

 

She might as well not have said anything at all.

 

If no one had been watching—if this weren’t the imperial palace—I would’ve shouted, Hey! and screamed at her, asking if she had any idea how much I’d cried because of her.

 

‘Hold on, hold on…No—why should I have to?’

 

If not now, I might never get another chance to face the First Princess.

 

I spoke toward her profile as she started to turn the corner.

 

“By the way, Your Highness—it’s still summer. Aren’t you hot?”

 

The first princess’s steps stopped abruptly.

 

The eyes she turned on me were sharp with anger.

 

Funny—she never hesitated to hurt others with words, yet she seemed to ache when the blade turned on her.

 

I knew why she wore a dress that climbed all the way up her throat.

 

Because beneath it, something that should have been there was gone.

 

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