How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 75

“Nell?”

 

“Oh, I guess I’m drunk. sorry. I have a bit of a drinking habit. When I’m drunk, I just cry for no reason.”

 

I don’t know why it’s suddenly like this. I couldn’t control the tears that burst out in tears, so I raised my arms and covered my eyes.

 

‘What is really so sad?’

 

I was embarrassed to even make a whimper sound, so I bit my lower lip so hard that it hurt.

 

But suddenly something touched my lips. It was Leonhard’s lips that had touched me a little while ago, and that I couldn’t have known.

 

“ah…”

 

His lips overlapped with my lips that were parted in surprise.

 

Even his kiss was soft and affectionate, as if he was coaxing me not to hurt myself. I didn’t know that tears were welling up even more because of that.

 

“I may not be aware of it since we haven’t been together for long, Nell. My wife’s drinking habit is smiling. Not crying.”

 

“Uh…How did you know?”

 

When I opened my tear-filled eyes and looked at him, I saw Leonhard smiling with a sad face in my vision that was blurred like water.

 

“How can I not know? Whenever you are drunk, your facial muscles relax like this and you smile endlessly.”

 

Leonhard’s hand cupped my cheek. 

 

The hand was very careful, as if it were touching snow that would melt with its own hot body temperature.

 

“You know what? My wife even smiled when she saw the snow leopard statue installed on the staircase handle of Cloud Castle.”

 

“No, I don’t want to know. Please forget about Leon too.”

 

However, Leonhard, who had always been kind to me, shook his head very firmly at this moment.

 

“I don’t like it. My wife promised me that she would only have three drinks with me, so I will never see this face again. I will remember it forever.” 

 

“no. I’m a bad person, so there will definitely be days like today where I forget and break my promise.”

 

“But what you showed me today was a crying face.” 

 

Leonhard’s thumb gently brushed the area around my eyes. I could feel his hands getting wet through my skin.

 

“If this was really my wife’s drinking habit,….No matter how much my wife missed her hometown, I would never have brought this wine with her. You probably can’t imagine how upset these tears make me. Just do it, Nell.”

 

“yes?”

 

“I don’t regret my actions then. Even if I could turn back time, I would give you the flower that changed your life once again. If I don’t have it, even if it means taking it from someone else.”

 

He had a very noble and pure face but said indecent words like plunder. As if to say it is justice.

 

“It wasn’t a meaningless act of kindness. You stood out more than any other lady there that day, and I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Who else should I have given the flowers that I gave to someone who deserved them?”

 

“……”

 

“Besides, now that I know that the flower brought you here, I can turn back time, no matter how many times. My flowers will be yours.”

 

He took my left hand, kissed the pearl on my ring finger, and let me cup his cheek with my hand.

 

Then, as he looked down at me lazily, I held his face down with my hands as if I was possessed by something.

 

The kiss that followed was a little different from before. It was deeper. I thought as I hugged his back tightly as he placed his weight on top of my body. ‘Is the reason you couldn’t take your eyes off me because you had to give me that rose?’ 

 

The words ‘book’ and ‘fate’ are mixed up in my head. 

 

But soon, I have decided not to think about that anymore.

 

‘A lot has changed anyway. Both I and Leonhard are living people, not characters. Let’s completely erase the story I knew.’ 

 

I fell in love with Leonhard because he was sweet, not because he was like that in the book.

 

So that’s not why Leonhard gave me flowers.…I decided to think so.

 

Anyway, the reality here is starting to go in a completely different direction from what I knew.

 

“Nell, What are you thinking about while kissing me?” 

 

Leonhard, who had moved away just enough for my trembling breath to hit my cheek, whispered to me in a heated voice and asked.

 

A firm thumb gently presses and rubs the wet lower lip. I blinked and looked into quietly burning blue eyes and answered without thinking. 

 

“Our first night…Do you think it’s okay to spend it here?”

 

As soon as I finished saying those words, Leonhard’s expression collapsed like Jenga.

 

TL: Jenga is a game of physical and mental skill. Built on the simple premise of stacking blocks, Jenga engages players of all ages, across all cultures.

 

He was coughing like crazy, as if he had swallowed his saliva incorrectly and was in trouble. I burst out laughing as I saw his neck turn red in an instant.

 

“Of course we can’t do it, right? We will arrive at the castle tomorrow, so just wait one more day.”

 

“Yes… We can’t have our first night in a place like this.”

 

 But please sleep with me tonight.”

 

“yes?’

 

I slightly pushed Leonhard aside and moved to the side. This bed, made by turning a chair backwards, was slightly larger than a single bed. It was comfortable for me to sleep alone, but it was obvious that sleeping with Leonhard, who was tall and bulky, would be extremely uncomfortable for both of us.

 

Still, I forced myself to stay. Or, more accurately, I caved in to his sweetness

 

“Please lie down here and put your arm as a pillow.”

 

Leonhard looked hesitant for a moment, but eventually laid down next to me as I wished.

 

He couldn’t straighten his long legs, so he had to bend his back and fold his knees, as if he were taking a nap. However, without saying a word or even frowning, he gave me his arm and asked.

 

“Isn’t it narrow?”

 

“It’s narrow. So, please come closer and hug me tighter.”

 

I felt his hands smoothing my long hair behind my back. He now knew how to use his hand comb quite well.

 

My eyes slowly closed as his hand slowly stroked my hair.

 

“You don’t need a goodnight kiss, Nell?” 

 

“Ugh, of course I need it.….”

 

His lips fell on my cheek as he wished me a good dream. In my sleep, I must have muttered, “Lips are fine,” because his feverish lips were soon on mine.

 

“Leon, have a nice dream too…”

 

When I muttered like that, I heard Leon say, “I don’t know if I can sleep.…”

 

I think the answer came back. Or It only must be an illusion, right? 

 

Because I heard it while I was falling asleep.

 

* * *

 

Tweet! tweet!

 

“Okay…Is it already morning?”

 

Robert reached over to the bedside, picked up the stuffed sparrow enchanted with the alarm and closed its beak tightly.

 

The fire in the tent had already gone out. The air was somehow chilly.

 

Robert yawned long while rubbing his shoulder with his hand, and tilted his head when he saw the sleeping bag neatly folded right across from him.

 

“Is he awake already?”

 

‘It would be okay to leave a little late today.’

 

Even while thinking that, Robert hurriedly made his bed and came out.

 

Although it was still early, there were three bonfires burning here and there.

 

In one of them, people on duty were sitting around boiling water in a kettle, and around the other two campfires, people on morning duty were grilling meat and boiling soup.

 

As if it had already reached the completion stage, the smell of savory corn and fatty meat pierced his nose.

 

Robert, who had been helplessly being dragged there as if under a charm spell, reflexively turned to the side when he heard the click of the carriage door opening. 

 

“what? Captain, Why are you coming out of there?”

 

Leonhard, who was roughly running his hands through his hair, which was as disheveled as a bird’s nest, turned his head towards Robert.

 

At that moment, Robert gasped in surprise.  This was because there was a black shadow over Leonhard’s eyelids to the point where it seemed like he was under some kind of curse.

 

“why? Is it strange to come out of  my wife’s carriage?” 

 

“Oh, no, it’s not strange.”

 

“Build a fire. I need to warm up some honey milk for my wife.” 

 

“There are a lot of bonfires over there.…Yes, I will quickly make a bonfire.” 

 

“Oh, and…”

 

“And…?”

 

Robert, who was pulling out a rod from his belt, looked nervously at Leonhard.

 

At the same time, something heavy flew toward him. Robert shouted, and reflexively memorized the wind magic spell and caught the things flying in succession.

 

“No, if I’ve done anything wrong, you can tell me by say—!”

 

And Robert’s mouth dropped when he belatedly confirmed the identity of the items.

 

“Uh, gold bars, four of them. Why are you giving this to me?” 

 

“Howard’s wine, you said you had four bottles left. Give me all of them.”

 

“yes?”

 

“Is one gold bar per bottle not enough?”

 

As Leonhard said that, he searched the magic bag as if he was going to take out more gold bars, and Robert screamed that it was enough.

 

“I didn’t even intend to receive a gold bar each—”

 

“Just take it. And if anyone has any wine from Howard, tell them to bring it to me. I’ll buy it for one gold bar.”

 

“What…?”

 

Crazy, crazy. A bottle of wine is worth a gold bar? There was still one cart left to buy. 

 

‘Should I buy two bottles of wine for one gold bar and sell them back to the Captain? If I did that, my colleagues would beat me to death.’

 

‘Instead, it would be better to send someone to Howard Territory to buy wine.…Yes, I should!’

 

Robert was excited to send someone to Howard Territory in a hurry and started a bonfire.

 

‘This is the fire that will heat the honey milk that I will give to the Marquess, so take care and work hard.’

 

One month later. 

 

‘Why did wine, which used to sell for ten silver coins a bottle, suddenly jump in price and now sell for three gold coins?’

 

It was only Oliver who was confused because he didn’t know what was going on.

 

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