How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

‘No way!’

“Really? With the second princess? You said it wouldn’t happen!” 

“I knew that wouldn’t happen. however….”

My older brother’s eyes turned to Leonhard once again. Receiving that gaze, Leonhard also smiled bitterly as if he noticed something.

“That’s also because Ajas had a relationship with Howard.” 

“I feel it every day. They say our youngest is getting married into a great family.”

My older brother’s tone wasn’t particularly sarcastic, but a small sigh came out of Leonhardt’s mouth as if it sounded like that.

His expression didn’t change much, but somehow I felt that he was depressed, so I raised my voice for no reason.

“Honestly, I thought it was just a matter of time. I mean, she doesn’t have anyone to talk to except Liv’s brother, and she can’t take away a man who has a fiancee.”

“Even so, Howard Country is closer to the countryside. I thought it was not a suitable place for a princess who grew up in the capital city.”

“But, wouldn’t they think it was more appropriate?” 

The principle of firstborn inheritance.

Except in very special cases, all titles and property owned by the father are inherited by the older son.

This was the same for the Estroa royal family, the difference was that they favored the pattern manifester, not the firstborn son

Princes and princesses who do not display the pattern, even if they are of the emperor’s lineage, are not eligible. 

No, not only that but when they reached a certain age, they were expelled from the imperial palace.

Of course, even if the emperor’s favorite child is sent away from the imperial palace, he will arrange a mansion in the capital, but the emperor who is obsessed with the mistress, didn’t pay much attention to the first princess and second princess.

The second prince also wanted to favor the princesses without patterns.

“Considering the fact that he sent the First Princess to the Kingdom of Canel, the similar place between Ajas and Howard, I’m sure the Emperor doesn’t want the Second Princess to set foot in the capital.”

“Nell.”

“hmm….the steak is delicious. Leon, have some too.” 

“I am eating enough.”

It was extremely disrespectful to dare to guess the emperor’s intentions. 

Leonhard helped me, who pretended not to know about my older brother who frowned.

‘Did she think it was okay to pretend she didn’t hear?’

My older brother, who sighed lightly, turned around, saying,

“Anyway, I refused because there was a lady I had to meet through Duke Daphnen’s arrangement. So I should meet Baron Vincent at least once.”

“I’m afraid you can’t do that.… how did you meet? He said he wanted to cancel the meeting.”

“I can go find it.”

“Without contact?”

“I know that’s rude, but wouldn’t he also be rude to cancel the appointment twice unilaterally?”

Well, that’s not wrong.

I nodded my head saying that my older brother was right, then let out a small sigh.

So, how does my older brother’s marriage end up? 

At that time, my little brother said something surprising. 

“I’m getting a lot of similar offers these days.”

“A similar offer? Like what?”

“Wouldn’t you like to meet my daughter, nephew, sister, someone I know, etc.?”

“Really?”

My eyes opened wide at last.

No, was it true that you couldn’t get engaged, let alone get married because of me? How can you get so many offers when I’m getting married?

“so? Who were you planning to meet with?”

“None of them. I rejected them using my brother as an excuse.” 

“Why do you refuse? what are you going to do when you become an old bachelor!”

“There’s nothing he can say in front of his older brother.”

“Ah, no, I’m not saying you’re an old bachelor.”

As I giggled, Leonhard said, “This is delicious,” and sliced up a plump turkey and put it on my plate.

My older brother was making a strange face when he saw Leonhard like that. 

Seeing Leonhard, who would now be my husband, do what he usually did, he seemed to be soaked in some kind of emotion.

“Anyway, I want to focus more on swordsmanship training for the time being. So hold on for as long as you can, brother. So I can make excuses.”

“Then, what if your brother is really an old bachelor and can’t get married?” 

‘Mmm, turkey legs are delicious.’

“Don’t worry. I will give birth to the successor of the Howard family.” 

“Yeah, that’s very reassuring, Lily.”

“Oh, but…”

“What?”

Benjamin is…in a few years he will be Marquis Theord… My older sister should have given birth to the successor to the Theord, not to the Howard…

“Come to think of it, when are you going to get married?”

“When the Clover Wizards become more stable and It seems that the Marquis Theord family is also having a bit of a complicated situation.”

“What’s wrong with Theord family?”

All I knew was that Benjamin’s older brother, the successor to the current Marquis Theord family, would die in a few years. Then why does he die?

“I don’t know exactly either. Anyway, both of us agreed to take it slow since we are not in a hurry to have children.…. Does Howard need a successor? Shall I hurry up, brother?”

“No, it’s all right. I’ll take care of it.”

“Tell me anytime if you need help. I will help you wholeheartedly.” 

At Lily’s playful voice, my older brother eventually put his hand on his forehead, sighed, and called the butler to bring more alcohol.

Leonhard, who blushed as if he were not used to this joke, asked for vodka, not wine.

Did the alcohol feel sweet today? Or did he have something to say about the wedding tomorrow?

After the dinner, my older brother and Leonhard said that they would drink more separately, and had the attendant set the table for them, and they went into the study room.

* * * 

“Come to think of it, I forgot to return it.”

Saying he almost forgot, Leonhard took the notebook out of his magic bag and returned it to Oliver. 

It’s his diary, borrowed the other day.

The old leather notebook hadn’t changed much since Oliver had lent it to Leonhard.

It’s not a very rare item in terms of worldly value, but it showed that he handled it with great care, and a small smile was drawn on Oliver’s lips.

“I don’t know if this diary would have been helpful.”

“It was helpful enough. The whole time I was reading the diary, I was imagining what it would be like if I had a younger sister.”

“What was it like imagining?”

“To be honest…I don’t know. Even if I had a younger sister, I don’t think she would have been as lovable as Nell.”

“Do you think it’s lovely…even after seeing what I wrote in my diary?” 

Oliver’s eyes, looking at Leonhard, were saying, ‘Even if you have a bean pod in your eyes, it’s not normal.’

The sight felt unprecedented, and Leonhard let out a laugh without even realizing it.

“Certainly, when I saw the story about the kid, who was barely ten years old, hiding in the wine cellar and eating all the grapes, I couldn’t help but sigh.” 

“If you had seen it in person, it wouldn’t have ended with a sigh. She lies down on the cold stone floor and gets drunk. So, never give strong alcohol as an accompaniment. Don’t let her drink more than three glasses of wine or champagne.”

Oliver sternly advised that if he didn’t follow his words, he would see for himself what a tomboy Howard boasted was.

Leonhard nodded solemnly, saying he would be happy to take that advice to heart.

Laughter flowed between the two men, followed by the sound of pouring alcohol into an empty glass.

The biscuits with cheese gave off a savory smell, but neither man particularly touched the snacks.

As they sipped their drinks with the sound of a crackling bonfire, it was Oliver who broke the languid silence.

“When I first invited Marquis Ajas to this house, I think I expected it a bit.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have already used honorifics to the count, who has a small country in the countryside. It was so natural that I recognized it later.”

“That…”

Come to think of it, it was. It was he who complimented the duke. Of course, it was not necessary to honor the count who didn’t even carry Estroa’s blood.

He is not a person who was old enough and experienced enough to need honorifics as a sign of respect.

It was only after hearing Leonhard’s words that Oliver realized that he was using honorifics naturally.

“Have you already picked Nell as your fiancée since then?” 

“It is true that I had her in mind as a candidate, but…” 

‘Was it just one of the candidates?’

Leonhard, who was idly retracing his thoughts, finally shook his head. 

What is one of the candidates? It’s not like there were other candidates. 

“I think I had only her in my heart in the first place…” 

“Okay, I’ll marry you….”

He said it with a dreamy, mesmerized look on his face, and he couldn’t help but laugh along with her as she playfully laughed at Alexander.

‘When I was with her, I often found myself laughing without realizing it.’

Maybe that’s why his eyes would move aimlessly after her.

“When I’m with Nell,….It’s amazingly relaxing.” 

‘That’s why even more, I feel her smile is lovely.’

Oliver smiled at Leonhard, who quietly murmured quietly while stroking the surface of the empty glass.

“That’s the best thing about her, and I’m glad I was able to give Nell to a man who recognizes it.”

“I will never forget that oath. and I’ll bet my name on it… No, not by betting on anything…I will do my best so that Nell doesn’t come back here crying.”

“I believe you, Leonhard.”

With green eyes embracing warmth, Leonhard thought he could understand why Raenel liked green the most.

She was loved by such a loving family, so she must have grown up lovingly.

‘I am…What kind of family was it to Noah so far?’

The night before the wedding day. 

Leonhard, deeply intoxicated by the thought, drank some more.

It was a night when the cold wind of Hyella came to mind because the warmth of the bonfire that heated the body was so warm.