Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

As I left the room to see Helios off, Escal, who was walking in the hallway, hid behind a closet.

I called Escal looking at his bump.

“Escal, you have to say hello to your father because he is going out.”

“Hello.”

Escal, with his face crooked, placed his hand on his navel and bowed his head.

Helios was still a blunt father who would not even pat his child’s head, but he did not ignore the child’s greeting as before.

“Don’t make trouble.”

“Yes.”

The trouble is when he makes more.

I looked at the bruise that had not completely disappeared, then lifted it and sent him off to the carriage.

“Have a safe trip.”

“I’ll be back soon. Even if you want to see me, hold it.”

“Alright, just go.”

Helios, who could hardly move, got on the carriage after a while.

The carriage began to move slowly. Helios poked his face out the window and couldn’t take his eyes off me until the carriage left the mansion.

I also lowered my shaking hand after the carriage had completely disappeared.

With such a sad face, I don’t say that I want to go together.

I’m not saying it, but it seems that taking custody of Escal is not an easy task.

For the Marquis of Melks, losing custody would be like cutting off the bond with the Duke of Anthemion, so he wouldn’t give it up easily.

I’m sorry to put a heavy burden on him, but it was unavoidable for Escal.

As we returned to the mansion after wiping away my regrets, Escal, who was watching us from the window, ran to me.

“Has the Duke gone?”

“Yes. In the meantime, he told me to get along with Escal.”

The child’s face lit up brightly when he heard that we had talked about him.

It’s lovely.

“Shall we eat something delicious without the Duke?”

“Yes!”

****

When I collapsed after eating a cookie with shrimp, I couldn’t even see the sea food in the mansion.

I know it was a consideration for me, but I felt sorry for Escal, who likes shrimp.

I asked Helios if it was okay to feed him shrimp dishes with Escal, but I couldn’t make it.

So, now was the perfect time for Helios to go out.

“Mary, ask if there are any shrimp hidden in the kitchen.”

“Shrimp? The Duke told them to throw it all away, How could there be such a thing?”

“Shrimps are so expensive that they may have not thrown them all away. There must be something hidden, so go ahead and ask.”

“I don’t think so…. I’ll ask them first.”

Mary sighed and left.

Escal, who was listening to the conversation, opened his mouth with a serious face.

“I hate shrimp.”

“What?”

“I like meat better than shrimp.”

“Really? You don’t like shrimp anymore?”

“Yes. I won’t eat it.”

Escal clenched his fists and answered resolutely.

He has a pretty heart that thinks of me, I patted his ass and asked mischievously.

“I was going to give you something delicious with shrimp, but since Escal doesn’t eat it, I have to tell Mary to eat it.”

“…….”

“It’s delicious, but what should I do? Are you really not going to eat it?”

“A little bit, a little bit.”

“Really?”

“Just a little… I will eat.”

Puff. I barely contained the burst of laughter.

Mary returned just in time to bring the good news.

“Yes, they have shrimp.”

****

The sound of bubbling, boiling oil was pleasant.

Deliciously cooked shrimp croquettes floated above the oil.

“It’s done.”

I put the finished croquettes on a plate and took them to the table. Escal raised his fork, his eyes lit.

“It’s hot, so eat carefully.”

“I will enjoy the food.”

Escal, who greeted it warmly, shoved the croquettes into his mouth.

The well-fried croquettes sounded very tasty.

I watched the child frantically devouring the croquettes, and opened my mouth only when the plate was exposed.

“What do you think? tasty?”

“Yes! It’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten!”

Well. It’s worth the hard work.

The back of my hand was a little itchy due to allergies, but Escal eats it well, and that tickle is nothing.

“What you ate is a secret from the Duke. Shh…”

“Okay, shh…”

The boy followed me and put his oily fingers in front of his mouth.

It would be nice to eat with Helios together.

He doesn’t hate shrimp because his eating habits are similar to Escal, but he’s someone who will say he doesn’t like it because of me.

‘Really, even if the love is too deep, that’s a problem.’

I smiled bitterly as I thought of Helios, who was overly caring.

“I really enjoyed the meal!”

Meanwhile, Escal, who had eaten up a mountain of croquettes, put down his fork.

I looked at the child with a proud feeling, tapping on his convex stomach and breathing hard.

“What shall we eat tomorrow?”

****

It’s been two days since Helios left the mansion.

After eating with Escal, reading a book, and taking a nap, I returned to my room and picked up the needle.

I carefully ripped the bloodstained thread so as not to leave any marks, and threaded a new thread, but the thin thread broke.

“Mary, give me some more gold thread.”

“Have you used it all already? The gold thread is all gone….”

“You don’t have one?”

“Yes.”

I was going to finish it while Helios was away.

I pondered, fiddling with my eyes and the rim embroidery.

If you order from the merchant, it will take two days, and it is possible that Helios will return before that.

Merchants come and go on a regular basis to bring the mansion’s goods, but knowing that they came at a time other than the set date would make the surprise gift you prepared for so much meaningless.

‘Don’t go anywhere while I’m away, just stay in the mansion.’

Helios’ words were interrupted, but wouldn’t it be okay to go out for a while?

I’m moving in a carriage, so it’s not dangerous.

With that in mind, I hid the embroidery deep in a drawer and called Mary.

“Mary, I’m going out in half an hour, so prepare for the carriage.”

“Where are you going?”

“I want to go to Kingston.”

“Why are you going to Kingston?”

“To buy a thread.”

****

Ignoring Mary’s complaints about going all the way to Kingston to buy some thread, I got into the carriage.

Mary, who followed me saying she couldn’t let me go alone, was excited as if she had never complained.

“This is your first visit to Kingston. They say it’s such a bustling area? There are a lot of pretty things and a lot of delicious things!”

“I’m only going to stop by the cloth shop and the blacksmith shop.”

“Hey, you’re going to Kingston, so you need to do some shopping.”

“I bought so many dresses a while ago. What else do I shop for?”

“Still. It would be nice to buy one as a gift for the young master.”

I replied with a smirk at Mary’s soft, teasing words.

“You’re quick-witted.”

“Are you going to buy the young master’s present? What are you going to buy?”

“You will find out soon.”

It is true, but the real purpose of this outing was to buy a present for Escal.

I couldn’t just let him swing a branch all the time, so I thought I’d give him a sword that fits his hand.

Knowing the length of Escal’s arm and bringing a broken branch, an experienced blacksmith would make a good sword.

I grinned while fiddling with the money bag that I had been carrying.

“Welcome!”

Upon entering the store outside Kingston, the blacksmith ran out barefoot.

As if a noble lady’s visit was rare, the blacksmith who looked naughty asked with wide eyes.

“What did you come here for?”

“What are you going to do when going to the blacksmith? I am going to order a sword.”

“Are you going to use it yourself?”

I shook my head and held out a piece of paper with a branch and Escal’s arm length written on it.

“It’s a sword for a child to use. It should be about the length of this twig. It doesn’t matter how much money it costs, so please make it well.”

“Sorry, but we don’t make swords for kids.”

The blacksmith returned the paper and said.

“Why? The amount doesn’t matter.”

“Even if you give me a million dollars, I won’t make a sword for kids. Come back.”

“Hey.”

The blacksmith no longer answered my words and went into the smithy.

What, why are you doing this?

Apparently, this was the blacksmith that supplies swords to the Dillua Academy.

Is it because it’s hard to make a sword for kids, if it’s not about money?

Standing blankly in front of the blacksmith in an absurd mood, a young man moving molten iron noticed the blacksmith and came out.

“You want a sword for children?”

“Yes, my 6-year-old son will use it.”

“Master will never make it for you, so it would be better to find another place.”

“Is it difficult to make for small children?”

“It’s not like that… Actually, my Master’s son…”

“Ken! this punk! What are you doing there when you’re so busy!”

“Geez, don’t hit me and I’ll go back.”

The man went into the blacksmith’s forge.

“Son?”

What’s wrong with not making swords for sons and children?

The blacksmith, who was supplying to the Dillua Academy, suddenly stopped making swords for children, and the reason is his son?

Suddenly, Baron Rockefeller’s face came to mind.

I caught the blacksmith coming out with a water basket.

“Hey there, wait a minute.”

“You haven’t gone yet? It’s disrupting business, so please go back.”

“If you are greedy in business, you have to take my request first.”

“Didn’t I say I didn’t make it? If you don’t want to see me look rough, don’t ask a child for a sword.”

It was blunt but sincere advice.

Convinced that there was something, I decided to try the man.

“My child is going to enter the Dillua Academy, so I want to give him a present. So—.”

“Dilua Academy?”

The blacksmith’s eyes glowed like molten iron in a furnace.