How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 358

“Honestly, I’d like to give up the bookmark, but Noah gave it to me as a gift. Noah, would you make Titi a similar bookmark later?”

 

“Yes, Uncle!”

 

“Well then, to sum it up: Miss Titiana has chosen the bookmark. It seems she’ll grow up to be an intellectual who loves reading very much.”

 

At Robert’s conclusion, Sage raised a hand and objected.

 

“But she picked up all sorts of things. Shouldn’t that mean she chose everything?”

 

“That’s right, that’s right. It’s like a blessing—there’s no reason she has to receive only one.”

 

“Exactly! Miss Titiana will definitely become an outstanding wizard!”

 

“No, she’s an Ajas. Before that, she’ll become a swordsman of incredible skill. After all, the first thing she picked up was the sword.”

 

“You remember how the brush was barely hanging on the edge, right? Maybe she’ll become an incredibly famous artist. Both the Marquis and the young master are good at drawing.”

 

“Uh, well, but the captain’s drawing skills are, um…”

 

—Titi will definitely like cake too. So from now on, I think we should make twice as much cake as usual. What do you think, Noah?

 

“Titi’s still little and won’t even be able to finish one slice, so I don’t think that’s necessary.”

 

—…You mean big brother! Titi hasn’t even tried cake yet, so how would you know?!

 

“Don’t be too angry. I’ll give her my share of cake.”

 

—Really? Wow, as expected, Liv is the best! The eldest really is different!

 

Watching everyone chat noisily, I quietly giggled to myself.

 

Then I asked Leonhard, who was gently patting Titiana’s back,

 

“What kind of person do you hope Titiana becomes when she grows up?”

 

“Well…”

 

He thought for a moment.

 

“I hope she grows into a child who always smiles brightly and happily.”

 

Ah, that’s important.

 

I nodded.

 

“What about you, my lady?”

 

“Hmm, I just hope any trouble she causes is still manageable.”

 

Black hair and blue eyes. Titiana had been born exactly as she appeared in my dream.

 

In other words, the dream I had during pregnancy really had been something like a prophetic dream…

 

“Everything else is fine, so please just don’t destroy the castle…”

 

At my earnest prayer, Leonhard let out a short laugh.

 

“Don’t worry too much, my lady. No matter how much trouble Titi causes, she won’t destroy the castle.”

 

“Right?”

 

But somehow, the thought that a child of both Leonhard and me might actually be capable of it made me uneasy.

 

“Ugh…”

 

As if unaware of my worries, Titiana slept soundly in Leonhard’s arms, making little sleepy noises.

 

‘Just looking at her sleeping face, she’s like an angel.’

 

‘Goodness, who did she take after to become this adorable?’

 

I took Titiana from Leonhard, held her in my arms, and kissed her soft cheeks over and over.

 

‘Everything else is fine—just grow up healthy.’

 

And then, exactly one year later.

 

On Titiana’s second birthday, with two candles on her cake, I found myself making a slightly different wish.

 

‘Being healthy is great, but please stop playing hide-and-seek!’

 

* * *

 

“Then we’ll handle this matter like that…”

 

As Leonhard handed documents to Lucius, he suddenly looked toward the door.

 

Lucius could easily guess why.

 

“Did the young miss… again?”

 

“Looks like it.”

 

Chuckling briefly, Leonhard stood up and went outside.

 

Sure enough, the servants and Titiana’s nanny were running noisily through the hallway.

 

“Miss! Where are you?!”

 

“Miss Titiana!”

 

A few years ago, this kind of commotion often happened because of Ruby.

 

After Raenel, who possessed Sesto’s authority, firmly taught Ruby what she should and shouldn’t do, Ruby hardly caused trouble anymore.

 

Who would have thought Titiana would inherit the baton instead?

 

Leonhard called over the nanny and asked where Titiana had disappeared from.

 

“It was her nap time. I’m sure I saw her sleeping in bed, but I only looked away for a moment and she disappeared…”

 

Whatever talent she had been born with, Titiana had a habit of vanishing in an instant whenever her nanny or guards looked away briefly.

 

And then she would be found in the most unexpected places. Holding Titiana in her arms, Raenel would often mutter,

 

“She’s not some kind of Hong Gil-dong…”

 

Apparently, Hong Gil-dong was someone who appeared here and there in an instant.

 

“I’ll look for her myself.”

 

At those words, the nanny let out a small sigh of relief.

 

Titiana wasn’t only talented at disappearing—she also squeezed herself into tiny places adults would never imagine and fell asleep there.

 

Whenever that happened, only Leonhard, a Swordmaster, and Rake, a dragon, could find her.

 

‘If she disappeared during her nap, there’s a high chance she’s on the third floor…’

 

But there was still a chance she could be elsewhere.

 

The guards were clearly watching the stairs, yet somehow she moved between floors. Sometimes she disappeared from the third floor and was found on the second, or vanished from the first and appeared on the fourth.

 

‘She’s my daughter, but she really is extraordinary.’

 

If taught swordsmanship, wouldn’t she become an exceptional knight? Maybe even a Swordmaster.

 

Thinking that, Leonhard expanded his sensory range.

 

He remembered perfectly the small aura of Titiana, who had only just turned two.

 

He sensed it near the stairs on the second floor.

 

‘How in the world did she get downstairs—? Hm?’

 

At that moment, the aura that had been on the second floor suddenly appeared on the fourth.

 

As if she had teleported.

 

‘Teleportation? …No way!’

 

Leonhard hurried toward the teleportation magic circle installed by the stairs.

 

As expected—

 

“Titi, you…”

 

“Papa!”

 

As if proudly saying, ‘Look, I can do this too!’, Titiana used the teleportation circle right in front of Leonhard and the servants—

 

—Whoosh.

 

She disappeared.

 

“M-Miss used the teleportation circle!”

 

“That’s possible?!”

 

It wasn’t impossible. Magic stones had been installed so even servants without magic could use it conveniently.

 

But to activate the magic circle, one first had to press the magic stone that powered it, then press another button corresponding to the destination floor.

 

A two-year-old had understood how it worked and had been teleporting around repeatedly?

 

“She really is a genius…”

 

Murmuring in admiration, Leonhard immediately moved to the third floor, where he could sense Titiana’s aura.

 

“Oh, Father?”

 

Near the stairs on the third floor, Titiana was in Noah’s arms. It seemed Noah had also come out looking for her and found her first.

 

“Titi was using the teleportation circle.”

 

“Huh? Titi did?”

 

“Yes. She wasn’t secretly using the stairs to avoid people’s eyes after all.”

 

Compared to a two-year-old using teleportation circles, sneaking around the stairs seemed far more believable. Everyone already knew Titiana appeared and disappeared like a phantom.

 

“She’s already activating magic circles… If Titi properly studies magic, she might become a sage in the future.”

 

“It seems your mother recognized Titi’s talent very early.”

 

That must be why she had asked Felix to become Titiana’s magic teacher.

 

“As expected, Mother is amazing.”

 

“We should hurry and acquire multi-attribute magic stones before Felix changes his mind.”

 

While father and son spoke, Raenel’s voice came from above.

 

“Titi—huff, huff—have you found Titi?”

 

“Yes, Mother. We found her.”

 

When Noah lifted up Titiana in his arms, Raenel hurried down the stairs.

 

“My lady, running on the stairs is—”

 

“Titiana! Are you going to keep disappearing and making everyone worry?”

 

“Mama, ma!”

 

“Acting cute won’t save you. Titi, you’re getting scolded today.”

 

Though she said that, the way she kissed the child’s forehead and cheeks after taking her into her arms was full of affection.

 

Titiana knew that fact better than anyone.

 

The child giggled and waved both hands around before grabbing Raenel’s hair.

 

At that moment, Leonhard slipped his finger into her grasp.

 

“Titi, you shouldn’t do that. Mommy gets hurt.”

 

“Hurt, hurt.”

 

“Yes, hurt.”

 

The way she seriously pronounced *hurt* was so adorable that Raenel burst into laughter without realizing it.

 

Soon, she hugged Titiana, who kindly let go of her hair, and sighed softly.

 

“What a mess in broad daylight. Maybe I should make squeaky shoes.”

 

“Squeaky shoes? What are those?”

 

“Shoes that go squeak, squeak whenever you walk.”

 

“Every time you walk… Ah, that’s a good idea.”

 

Wouldn’t they be able to find Titiana quickly even if she suddenly disappeared?

 

“Should I make them?”

 

“You, Noah? Can you?”

 

“Yes. Hmm… They just need to make a sound whenever pressure is applied, right? It doesn’t sound difficult.”

 

Noah said ‘it doesn’t sound difficult’ far too easily.

 

Leonhard was deeply moved.

 

Both of his children were geniuses.

 

“I really am blessed.”

 

From Noah’s perspective, the comment seemed random, and he looked puzzled.

 

But Raenel, who had been thinking the same thing, giggled.

 

“Then Noah, I’m counting on you.”

 

“Yes, Mother. Leave it to me.”

 

And one week later—

 

Noah easily created the squeaky shoes.

 

From that day on, Titiana’s elusive games of hide-and-seek finally came to an end.

 

* * *