How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

“Do you like Marquis Ajas that much?”

“uh? Oh no, I don’t mean that…but yes! How could you dislike such a handsome man?”

Then my younger Brother made a pathetic face.

“How many times have I told you that a man’s face is not everything, huh?”

“Even though I put up with everything else, how many times have I told you that I can’t stand ugly things? Anyway, that’s what happened, I’ll go upstairs to pack my stuff!”

“Okay. Don’t be late for dinner.” 

“There’s no way I’ll be late for dinner!”

In fact, there was no luggage that I had to pack in a hurry just because my schedule was pushed back.

I don’t need to bring anything like furniture, and other small necessities in Howard Territory.…

Even clothes and accessories were more in Paul Herbina than here.

The only things to bring here are the accessories that my older sisters and brothers gave me and the needles, rings, and violins I used to use.

So why did I hurry up to my room after packing my things?

“Mmm….Are you sure you can get this done in time?”

I hid it in my room and worked on it without my siblings’ knowledge while I was busy preparing for my wedding.

If I’d known this was going to happen, I would have started at Paul Herbina, where I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone coming into my room.

‘Now I can’t move there…’ 

No problem.

The day we leave for Ajas territory has been accelerated, so I have no choice but to speed up!

“Then, lady, I’ll be watching from outside.”

“Yeah….Oh, By the way, have you thought about what I told you?” 

“Ah, that’s it.…”

Helen, who was about to go outside, stood with her hand on her elbow and rolled her eyes as if she didn’t know how to answer my question.

Seeing that hesitation on her face, I didn’t urge Helen further. There was still time.

“Think about it. You only need to tell me a few days before the wedding.”

“Hmm…Lady, but no matter how much I think about it, I don’t know. It is a very difficult decision for me.”

Did you have a lot of trouble with that? Helen approached me and sat on her knees in front of me.

I never thought Helen would worry this much. Confused, I patted Helen on the back, who looked like she was about to cry.

“Whatever you feel comfortable with. I respect whatever decision you make.” 

“This isn’t a decision I can take lightly. I’m leaving my hometown.”

Yes, Helen’s worries now were purely because of me. I said, “Would you like to go to the Ajas with me?”

“Of course, Besides, you have your parents and siblings in Howard Country.… If you’ve already made up your mind, but you’re doing it because of me, you really don’t have to. Of course, I would like you to come with me….” 

No. Do you feel burdened by these words?

I looked into Helen’s eyes and quickly changed my words.

“But I heard it is very cold in the north. There is a legend that an ice dragon once lived in the Hiyella Mountains. Because of that, Hiyella’s winds still cover the north in the middle of winter. It’s really terribly cold and you get cold easily”

“If you think about it, Howard is also part of the north. But it’s not as cold as Howard’s?”

“I guess so. The snow in the Hiyella Mountains only melts briefly in summer.…” 

By the way, Aias Castle was at the beginning of the Hiyella Mountains. 

‘Come to think of it, I don’t think it’s time to worry about others.’

“It must be very cold…I need to ask my sister Lily to bring more magic tools to keep warm.”

“Are you sure you are okay, my lady? You are more sensitive to the cold than I am.”

“hmm…it will be fine! It’s a place where people live too!” 

There was no way I was going to tell her it wasn’t okay.

I only believe in magic tools and go. Or well, Howard’s housekeeper becomes Ajas’ housekeeper.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think you need to go there and suffer. Pretend you haven’t heard what I said before, Helen.”

“But lady…”

“Okay, this story ends here! I have to do this quickly, so go outside and watch over me.”

When I lifted Helen from the floor and pushed her back, Helen went out because unable to win.

‘This is natural.’ 

It was Helen, who was born in Howard Country and has lived in Howard Country.

It would be selfish of me to ask her to come with me to the Ajas when the rest of her family was here.

“Let’s focus, focus!”

Every second counted. I shook my head to clear my mind and move my hand.

* * * 

If you process one document, two more pile up, and after meeting two people, three more are waiting behind you. The work that was going on incessantly was finally beginning to come to an end.

Based on the list written by Leonhardt and my older brother, I sent an invitation and received a reply confirming their attendance.

At the same time, meals and gifts to be served to guests invited to the wedding were decided, and dresses and accessories sets to be worn at the wedding and reception were all completed.

And today, a day before the wedding.

At Howard’s last dinner with me, my older brother invited Leonhard, and he gladly accepted.

“I don’t know if the food will suit your taste.”

“Everything is great. In particular, this grilled trout with butter is so light and refreshing that you wouldn’t even think it was fish. Indeed, it is a skill that Nell can boast of many times.”

“Because my younger sister is so picky. the chef at the castle will probably have a hard time.”

“Brother! If you say that, it sounds like I’m complaining about side dishes!”

“Who said that? you’re just stabbing yourself.” 

“Is that what you do after having guests?”

If it weren’t for the person sitting next to me, I would have stretched my leg out under the table and kicked that nasty Younger brother in the shin!

My little brother, too, was grinning more grumpily than usual when he realized that I couldn’t help myself because I was looking at Leonhard.

“Guest? Now he is family. Isn’t that right, Marquis Ajas?” 

“That’s right. It would be better if you call me by my first name.”

“If you speak comfortably first, I will do so. Even if you are my younger sister’s husband, it’s a little burdensome to call you by your first name.”

Come to think of it, my younger brother was only a year younger than Leonhard.

Moreover, as a fellow knight, Leonhard was the Captain of the Heilang knight and a knight with the title of Nolan, so it was natural that it would be burdensome for my younger brother, a common knight of the Knights of the Red Lion.

“If you say so….I will, Alex.” 

“uhuk…uhuk!”

“What’s wrong?”

‘What do you mean? It’s just a sudden nickname.’

However, Leonhard looked at my younger brother with a worried expression on his face as if he really didn’t know the reason, and then ordered an attendant to bring him water.

After drinking the water, my younger brother finally came to his senses, looked at Leonhard with tears hanging from the corners of his eyes, and sighed lightly.

“Well, I look forward to your kind cooperation, Leon.” 

“Me too.”

I watched as my younger brother’s face collapsed with another sigh as Leonhard nodded his head kindly, even looking very satisfied. It was a little funny, so I secretly giggled.

You must have thought that Leonhardt would be surprised if you called him by a nickname like that, right?

‘fool. You must have forgotten that Leon gave me permission for his nicknames when I first met him.’

I can’t believe my younger brother and Leonhard are calling each other Alex and Leon…

If no one was around, I would have grabbed my stomach and burst into laughter, but since the food was available, I quietly sliced the beef steak.

Hmm, is the meat tough today? Why can’t I cut it?

“More than that, brother, what happened to Sophia? Did you meet her this time?” 

“Who is Sophia?”

Leonhard, who took my plate and sliced the steak, asked me quietly.

As I put the piece of meat he had cut into my mouth, I told him that she was a woman who was going to meet my older brother

“By the way, Duke Daphnen arranged for it.” 

“You mean uncle?”

“Uncle?”

Was Leonhard related by blood to Duke Daphnen? 

“He is a distant relative of my mother. And he had a good friendship with my father.”

“I see.”

I see what you mean. I guess it was one of those “auntie, auntie, auntie” moments with my friend’s child in the first life.

“Come to think of it, I forgot to tell you about it.”

My older brother put down his fork and knife and took a sip of cold water.

Oh, that’s what you do when you’re talking about something serious.

‘Don’t tell me…Was the atmosphere good? So, you got married at once…!

“Baron Vincent sent me a letter asking me to cancel the meeting”

Eh? What?

“He has already postponed the meeting once. Do you mean he wants to postpone it again?”

“No, He didn’t mean to postpone it, He said to cancel it. He said he would tell Duke Daphnen, who arranged this meeting.”

“No… If he is going to do that, why doesn’t he say it from the beginning, why now? Didn’t the Duke of Daphnen arrange a meeting because he was willing to do so?”

“So what’s the deal with the Duke Daphnen?”

“What’s the reason? He didn’t tell you the reason?”

After me, Lily and my younger brother asked and the older brother waved his hand at us to calm down.

“That’s embarrassing to be so honest. The debt that Baron Vincent was carrying was actually Baron Vincent’s business debt…” 

My brother’s explanation was as follows.

Baron Vincent, who couldn’t come to his senses after ruining his business several times, finally got his hands on the gamble, and as a result, the entire land was in danger of being taken over. Now that he has no one left to borrow money from, the path he chose is the marriage business.

Upon learning of this, Sophia asked Duke Daphnen to arrange a marriage before her father came looking for a ridiculous marriage.

However, Baron Vincent was not very happy with Count Howard, whom Duke Daphnen had introduced, so he canceled it.… 

“But we have a connection with Ajas…” 

“Oh, no way.”

“Yes.”

The older brother let out a small sigh.

“He’s already thinking of reaching out to the Hermen Merchant Guild thanks to his son-in-law.”

Hermen Mercantile Guild.

It has a wide distribution network not only to the empire, but also Kanel and Lebrecon in the west, and beyond, the Syracum Desert tribal territories and Eldwarf, including the Aries Island Kingdom, and in fact, Hermen’s true value was elsewhere.

That is, high trust and credit.

It is said that if Hermen’s seal is stamped on it, buy it without asking or arguing.

Items sold by the Hermen Commercial Guild are famous for their high quality, and if they are not, they are immediately refunded or exchanged, and if the same happens several times, the guild member is immediately kicked out.

Hermen, who takes great pride in the value of his guild’s name for more than a hundred years, never allows anyone to join the guild. 

‘You’re going to count on a son-in-law’s name for that great commercial guild that even a famous merchant is rejected all the time?’

‘You have no conscience!’

“Well, at least Baron Vincent knows the case. I think it’s best we pretend it never happened, brother.”

“Yeah. I’ll take Sofia’s side if I can… This isn’t right.” 

“Sorry. It’s just because of me.”

“no! How could this be because of Leon? It’s because of Baron Vincent, who has absurd greed.”

Fu** Baron Vincent!

“No, I did send someone to meet just once.”

“what? why!”

“Because my brother is lacking something!”

That’s right! My brother is lacking somewhere, so he has to hang on! 

“A messenger came from the imperial palace yesterday afternoon.”

“Imperial Palace…what? why?”

“Why?”

My older brother’s gaze shifted to Leonhard, a hint of gratitude and sympathy in his eyes.

“I arranged a meeting with the second princess.”