How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 333

“But it’s something I have to do.”

 

If Raenel’s dream was truly a prophetic dream, then Titiana, like Raenel, was likely to manifest the symbol of Sesto.

 

In that case, unless they had another child, Noah would still be the only one qualified to succeed Leonhard as the Marquis of Ajas.

 

And even if another child were born, there was no guarantee that child would manifest Ajas’s symbol.

 

“I’d be happy if I had lots of younger siblings. But I don’t want them to be born just so they can take over my responsibility.”

 

“Of course, I have no intention of that,” Leonhard replied. “But if you look at the old records, there were once more symbols than there are now. The six that remain today… Someday, they too may disappear.”

 

If that future simply came a little sooner—

 

“Does the heir absolutely have to be someone who bears a symbol?”

 

Noah’s eyes widened as if he had never thought of such a thing before.

 

“But then… a lot of people would surely criticize you, Father,” he said anxiously.

 

“Criticize? Me?”

 

Leonhard let out a scoff, as if such criticism wouldn’t hurt in the slightest.

 

“If they want to, let them. That is, if they dare to say it to my face.”

 

He wasn’t afraid of the criticism of those he did not love. He believed that the people he loved would stand by him.

 

Noah blinked as he took in the sight of the man standing there so confidently, as though nothing in the world could wound him.

 

Once, Leonhard had felt distant—difficult to approach. Noah had thought he would spend his life chasing after his back, following his shadow.

 

And yet now, from the lips of that man who stood tall like steel, came words promising to be his support.

 

Rolling the now-familiar word “Father” more comfortably on his tongue, Noah spoke honestly.

 

“In the past, I thought I had to repay the favor of raising me.”

 

“…And now?”

 

“Not long ago, in the capital, I helped people and received a medal. At that time, I was able to help them because I’m the young Marquis… so I think I want to keep being the young Marquis from now on.”

 

“To help people?”

 

“Ah, um… not something that grand. I was just happy when Father and Mother praised me and said they were proud of me.”

 

Whether those words came from pure honesty or a shyness that masked deeper feelings—

 

Leonhardt found Noah, cheeks flushed red as he fidgeted with his fingers, unbearably adorable. He gently stroked Noah’s head.

 

“Even if you never save anyone, even if you’re not the young Marquis—you will always be my proud son.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Leonhard kissed Noah lightly on the cheek.

 

“Thank you for being my son.”

 

“…And thank you for becoming my father.”

 

Noah hugged Leonhard’s neck and returned the kiss to his cheek.

 

His face turned as red as a radish from embarrassment, but there was no hesitation in the way he reached out to him.

 

Remembering clearly what Noah had been like around this time last year—and how he himself had treated the boy—Leonhard held him tighter, making up for all the affection he hadn’t given before.

 

‘It’s literally a miracle.’

 

‘Sometimes it all felt like a dream.’

 

‘A beloved wife. A son. And a daughter to be born next year.’

 

A kind of happiness he had never once expected in his life now surrounded him completely.

 

If this isn’t a miracle, then what is?

 

“Leon! You said you were going to get Noah—what are you doing? Dinner’s ready!”

 

“I’m going now!”

 

Leonhard started walking toward Raenel, who was waving at them from around the corner of the building.

 

Even the gentle autumn breeze pushing lightly at his back felt cool and pleasant—almost as if the whole world were blessing him.

 

* * *

 

[In the end, we never found any trace of the secret base Mother had supposedly built with Uncle when my mother was young. Instead, I found a squirrel—the kind I had only seen in storybook illustrations—under a chestnut tree.]

 

After writing that much in his diary, Noah set down his fountain pen and glued a photo he had taken in the forest onto the empty space on the right-hand page.

 

The squirrel ran away so quickly that all that was captured in the photo was its thick tail.

 

He regretted not being able to take a full-body photo of the squirrel during the day, but after pasting it onto his notebook, he realized it wasn’t so bad.

 

He could just draw the parts he couldn’t capture.

 

‘The head was small… Were the hind legs bigger than the front legs?’

 

Noah, holding a colored pencil in his hand, drew a small head and body, recalling the squirrel he had seen.

 

The picture of a small, plump squirrel following the tail photo looked more like an illustration from a storybook than a real one.

 

‘I think I can draw better if I look at it one more time.’

 

Maybe he should beg to go to the forest again tomorrow?

 

Noah’s legs swayed back and forth pleasantly on the chair as he colored the squirrel’s plump body with a brown crayon.

 

– I’m back!

 

Just as Noah finished the drawing, Rake fluttered in through the half-open window.

 

In her beak, she carried one pink and one white cosmos flower. Watching Rake land on the desk, Noah picked up a cookie from the dish.

 

“You took a while. How far did you go?”

 

– I don’t know. I just flew away and then came back.

 

After placing the cosmos flowers on the desk, Rake hopped onto the cookie bowl as if it were her rightful seat.

 

Having predicted that move, Noah munched on the cookie he had taken for himself and picked up the two cosmos flowers.

 

“They’re pretty. Thanks for going, Rake.”

 

– Don’t mention it! But you have to take a really pretty and cute picture of me in return!

 

After arriving in Howard County, Noah received a camera as a gift from Raenel.

 

“Whether it’s people, objects, or scenery—take pictures of the things you want to remember while you’re here. Got it?”

 

The first photo Noah took was of Oliver.

 

Though Oliver had been awkward about the camera, he sat beside Noah and let him take six shots until he managed a natural expression.

 

After that, Noah took pictures of the scenery from Raenel’s bedroom window, the grapevines hanging in clusters of ripe grapes, the forest path with rolling chestnuts, and even the roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes cooked over fallen leaves.

 

Rake became interested in the camera after dinner, when Noah returned to his room to organize the photos for his diary and expressed disappointment at the picture that had captured only the squirrel’s tail.

 

“If I had taken it just a little earlier, I could’ve gotten the perfect shot.”

 

—What’s a perfect shot?

 

“Um… one that gets everything. From its head all the way to the tip of its tail.”

 

– If you’re that disappointed, just take a picture of this great Lord Rake! I’ll sit still so you can capture me from my head to the tip of my tail!

 

“Really?!”

 

 – Ah, wait! If we’re going to take it, shouldn’t it look pretty? Hold on. I’ll go pick some flowers

 

And so, without a moment to stop her, Rake flew out the window.

 

That had been about thirty minutes ago..

 

“Okay. It’s done.”

 

– What is it? …Whoa! A crown!

 

Rake, who had been busily pecking at a cookie, flapped her wings excitedly when she saw the small flower crown Noah had quickly made.

 

In an instant, Rake shifted, grabbing the stem with her beak and tossing it over her head.

 

Noah clapped in amazement at Rake’s acrobatic display of wearing the flower crown.

 

– How is it? Does it suit me?

 

“It suits you. There’s no bird in the world as cute as our Rake.”

 

– I’m a great dragon!

 

“Yeah. Rake is the cutest dragon in the world.”

 

As Noah giggled, Rake chirped along happily.

 

Noah lit two lanterns to illuminate the area and took five photos of Rake, wearing a flower crown.

 

Thanks to Rake’s active spread of wings and various poses, all the photos turned out well.

 

– I’ll pick some new flowers tomorrow. Make another crown with them.

 

“Okay. But don’t go too far. You might get lost.”

 

– Don’t worry! Even if I get lost, I can always teleport back.

 

Rake seemed to like it quite a bit, as she continued to wear the cosmos crown on her head even while pecking at the remaining cookies.

 

Even though the cosmos flower crown tilted and fell every time Rake bowed her head, she continued to raise it above her head.

 

Meanwhile, Noah wrote a new diary entry, pasting a picture of Rake on the back of the notebook where he had pasted a picture of a squirrel.

 

[Rake picked flowers for me because I was disappointed I couldn’t take a pretty picture of the squirrel.

I made a flower crown out of pretty cosmos flowers that suit Rake, the cutest dragon in the world.

We promised that if Rake brings more flowers tomorrow, I’ll make another crown.]

 

‘Ah.’

 

“Rake, do you want to go pick flowers together tomorrow? I want to make a crown as a gift for Mother, too.”

 

– For Nell? Sure, let’s go together! I made sure to remember where there’s a field full of cosmos.

 

“What color cosmos flowers bloomed the most?”

 

– Hmm, what was it again…

 

Even after finishing writing his diary and lying down in bed, Noah was constantly discussing with Rake what kind of crown to make for tomorrow.

 

‘Mother will be happy, right?’

 

Since they were at it, he might as well make one for Father and Uncle, too.

 

If Rake remembered the flower field correctly, there would surely be enough to make three crowns for the adults.

 

‘I want to go to the forest again, too. Will there be time?’

 

Noah’s heart pounded with anticipation that no matter what he did, tomorrow would definitely be another enjoyable day.

 

And so, until the very moment he stepped into the land of dreams, Noah never imagined— that the tomorrow awaiting him would be nothing like the one he had hoped for.

 

* * *