How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 351

“I heard. That idiot, seriously….”

 

Lily clearly looked like she knew something as she sighed and shook her head.

 

I quickly pulled a chair next to her and asked,

 

“What happened? What went on between Alex and Lady Violet?”

 

“He dug his own grave. Honestly, that guy said something he absolutely should never say to someone he likes.”

 

“What did he say?”

 

Lily let out a dry laugh, as if even she thought it was hopeless, and began to speak.

 

“What he said was….”

 

* * *

 

Fortunately or unfortunately,

 

Alexander didn’t have time to dwell on the words “date” and “interest” that Violet had said.

 

They belonged to the Red Lion Knights, responsible for maintaining order in the capital, and with the chaos that had erupted there, there was far too much to do.

 

Urgent recovery efforts came first, then helping the poor, and taking advantage of the unstable atmosphere, petty criminals kept committing crimes and getting thrown into prison—before they knew it, autumn had deepened.

 

Only after things finally calmed down could Alexandro recall what had happened at the last family gathering.

 

‘Come to think of it… what happened with that?’

 

Alexander placed the sword he had been maintaining on his lap and looked at Violet sitting across from him.

 

“What is it?”

 

Sensing his gaze, Violet looked up at him.

 

There was a hint of curiosity in her eyes, but otherwise, she looked no different than usual.

 

That is—just like before the words “date” and “interest” had come out of her mouth.

 

At that moment, a thought crossed Alexander’s mind.

 

‘Did she mess with me?’

 

Of course, he knew Violet wasn’t the type to say such things lightly or as a joke.

 

But if she meant it, then it was basically a confession…

 

Could she really act this unchanged?

 

“You called me over, so why aren’t you saying anything?”

 

Violet tilted her head.

 

Even as she held his gaze for a while, her expression remained calm and clear. Without thinking, Alexandro suddenly blurted out,

 

“You said you liked me.”

 

And the moment he said it, Alexander nearly bit his tongue in shock. He hadn’t meant to say it so directly!

 

He hurriedly waved his hands, trying to take back what he had said.

 

But Violet spoke first.

 

“I did.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I said I did. So what about it?”

 

Her gaze didn’t waver. Her voice was dry. Her face was pale.

 

…Alexander suddenly felt wronged.

 

Sure, he had been too busy to think deeply about her feelings, but it’s not like he had completely forgotten.

 

‘She likes me?’

 

‘For real?’

 

‘Since when?’

 

Even when he was so tired he could fall asleep instantly, he still tossed and turned thinking about it.

 

In the end, he hadn’t reached any conclusion, nor had he thought about it for that long.

 

But still—he felt wronged. And the more he thought about it, the stronger that feeling became.

 

So he said something he shouldn’t have.

 

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken about something?”

 

“…Mistaken?”

 

Only then did Violet’s expression change slightly.

 

Even someone as clueless as Alexander could tell that wasn’t a good sign.

 

In fact, seeing her face go completely blank made him feel a bit nervous—almost scared. So he started rambling.

 

“I mean, a date is supposed to be… you know, bringing flowers to someone’s house, giving them as a gift, escorting them to a nice place, spending a good time together, then taking them home and promising to meet again—something kind of sweet like that, right?”

 

Of course, it was Raenel who had taught Alexander what a “date” was supposed to be.

 

He had even personally seen Leonhard give Raenel flowers and ask her out.

 

So in Alexander’s mind, that definition of a date had become absolute truth.

 

“But what we did was just… training together outside work, reviewing afterward, eating meals—that’s it.”

 

That wasn’t something exclusive to people who liked each other. Friends and colleagues could do that too.

 

Sure, they spent more time together than others, but they were partners, after all…

 

“Alex, I want to kiss you.”

 

“Huh? …Huh? What?”

 

Alexander, who had been replying absentmindedly, froze with his mouth wide open.

 

“W-what did you say you want to do?”

 

“Every time you said it was hot and took off your top, I stared pretty openly. Didn’t you notice?”

 

That had been last summer.

 

Instinctively covering his upper body with both arms, Alexander stammered as he recalled it.

 

“I—I knew, but! Weren’t you just… admiring it?”

 

After finishing training and washing up, every time he stood in front of a mirror, Alexander would sometimes think,

 

‘These are my muscles, but they’re really well-shaped.’

 

The reason he fell into that self-admiring mindset was because of the recognition from his comrades.

 

There wasn’t a single knight in the order without abs. But even among them, Alexander was the one with especially well-defined muscles.

 

Honestly. It feels good when everyone envies and admires you.

 

So last summer, using the heat as an excuse, he would deliberately take off his top.

 

And the one who watched those muscles he proudly showed off the most was his partner, Violet.

 

Naturally, Alexander assumed the reason Violet stared at his body was because she wanted muscles like his.

 

“I was looking because I wanted to touch.”

 

…He had never imagined she was thinking that!

 

“Y-you, you…!”

 

His face flushed bright red from the embarrassment that hit him late, and Alexander covered his body with both arms.

 

Watching all of this, Violet delivered the final blow.

 

“I’ll say it clearly. I feel desire for you.”

 

“D-de…! Just say it’s affection instead!”

 

“I did say that, and now you’re the one talking nonsense about it being a misunderstanding.”

 

Violet stood up and walked toward Alexander.

 

As if facing a predator licking its lips, Alexander instinctively stepped back.

 

“So, Alex—don’t ever talk about me being mistaken again.”

 

Before he knew it, the distance between them had closed. A low voice filled with warning slipped from her lips, now so close they were almost touching his ear.

 

“If you keep doing that… I might just have to show you, with my body, what kind of things I imagine about you.”

 

With only those words left behind, Violet turned sharply and walked away, leaving Alexander behind.

 

Left alone, Alexander blinked blankly, then his legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground.

 

“Oh my god….”

 

The heat in his flushed face wouldn’t go down.

 

Slowly, Alexander brought his hand to the left side of his chest. The way his heart was pounding… it definitely wasn’t normal.

 

But since he didn’t understand why his heart was racing like crazy, he just sat there for a while.

 

* * *

 

A month later.

 

Tormented by the memory of Violet’s gaze and voice whenever he closed his eyes, Alexander received a letter.

 

[To Brother Alex, Do you remember the secret base we made in the forest when we were kids?

I went to the forest for the first time in a while and happened to find it again. And do you know what was there…]

 

“A letter? Who’s it from?”

 

“Huh? Oh, uh… my sibling. Looks like they stopped by home on the way back to the North and found something.”

 

“The Marquise? What did she find?”

 

“Well, you see…”

 

Thinking about it, it was a relief that Violet had continued acting the same as always.

 

Even though he suffered every night, it allowed Alexander to treat her as if nothing had happened.

 

“So your parents hid a gift there in advance in case you came back one day… They really are kind people.”

 

“Yeah. They really were.”

 

With a nostalgic expression, Alexander opened the bundle Raenel had sent.

 

It felt heavier than expected—inside were two daggers.

 

And a small note.

 

[Alex, I thought a lot about what to get you. Unlike the others, I felt your spouse’s gift would depend a lot on personal taste…

But no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine you bringing home a lady who dislikes swords.

If that does happen, then just use both yourself. And get your lady’s gift on your own.]

 

“…That’s strange.”

 

‘Why does this feel like I’m being scolded to stop obsessing over swords so much?’

 

As Alexander chuckled while holding the note, Violet spoke in a casual tone,

 

“Your parents gave you a pair of items to give to your lover, didn’t they?”

 

* * *