How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

I pretended to be indifferent and lightly touched his forehead with mine. 

 

Leonhard’s body stiffened slightly at the friendly skinship. I just felt ticklish at the sensation of our bangs touching together.

 

“You know that well enough. Do that for Noah.” 

 

“You want me to do that to Noah?”

 

“Yes. Make time to be by Noah’s side somehow. Smile at him often, hug him, pat his head. Love is actually not a big deal, so don’t think about it too grandly.”

 

“….”

 

“If you’re not ready yet, I think it’s okay to start slowly and gradually without pushing yourself too hard. Don’t love out of obligation because you have to love, but, um, how about starting with interest first?”

 

“Interest?”

 

“Yes. I think love starts with interest. It starts with learning little things that you wouldn’t know if you didn’t pay attention. For example…”

 

I put my arm around Leonhard’s shoulder and put some distance between us.

 

Next to his right eyebrow, which narrowed his forehead disapprovingly as to what he didn’t like, I pointed my index finger at the area near his temple.

 

“Here, there’s a scar.”

 

Then Leonhard wrapped his hand around my hand, placed his index finger over mine, and lightly touched the spot I had rubbed.

 

An exclamation of “Oh” escaped from his mouth as he rubbed the small scar with his fingertips.

 

“It’s a scar I got when I first practiced with a real sword when I was young. It was so small that I almost forgot about it.” 

 

“I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t seen it this close. I wouldn’t have even noticed the mole inside your ear cartilage.…You know? There’s a mole here.”

 

I moved the hand that had been resting on his temple to caress his ear, along with his hand that had been wrapped around mine until then.

 

I grabbed his index finger and placed the tip inside his ear. Now, a small mole, as if it had been poked with a fountain pen, entered my field of vision, inside his ear, which was red and flushed. However, Leonhard, who obviously couldn’t see the dot himself, shook his head slightly.

 

“I didn’t know. There’s a mole there.”

 

“There are more if you look for them. In places you can’t see Ah—!” 

 

Even though I was a little farther away, Leonhard’s face was close enough that I could barely swallow the pitiful sound.

 

As if he had no idea about my circumstances, Leonhard was running his index finger along the intersection of my shoulder line and the nape of my neck, which was revealed above my collar.

 

“Do you know that there is a mole here, Madam?” 

 

“Yes, that is where I can see it when I look in the mirror.…” 

 

“Then what about here?”

 

Leonhard’s fingers slid over my skin, caressing my back beneath my collar.

 

Even if he touched it, it was only the tip of his finger. But my cheeks turned red from the heat that spread from where his fingertips touched me. 

 

“Here…you have a mole.” 

 

‘When did you see it?’

 

“I saw it when I was drying and combing your wet hair. Your nightgown shows a little of it.”

 

His strong index finger brushed the spot where the mole was. I shivered without realizing it, and at that moment, our eyes met.

 

Meeting his gaze as if I was caught in his gaze, I tried to think back on what we were talking about that led to this.

 

“Raenel.”

 

“yes yes?”

 

I was lost in thought for a moment and stuttered without realizing it. 

 

Leonhard pressed his lips against mine as if to reprimand me.

 

It was a different kind of kiss than any kiss I’d ever had with him before. 

 

It’s similar to the feeling of a pet rubbing its head against the palm of its hand, asking for affection from its owner.

 

I burst out laughing because it didn’t make sense even after thinking about it, but Leonhard pressed his lips against mine again and asked in a hot, hoarse voice.

 

“What kind of love do you think love is…. may I ask?” 

 

The feeling of Leonhard’s lips moving against my skin was vivid.

 

I couldn’t hide the heat growing all over my face, so I lowered my head as if I was running away. My forehead touched his shoulder.

 

“Well, Hmm….When they are hurt, you take care of them. When you have something delicious, you want to share it with them. When you see beautiful scenery or an interesting play, you want to watch it together…”

 

“Isn’t that something that can be done between family or friends, rather than just love?”

 

“Well, is that so? But it’s the same thing that starts with family, friendship, and liking.”

 

“Do goodnight kisses and arm pillows also count?”

 

“Huh? Well, I’m not sure. That may be family love, but it’s not friendship, right? I don’t think it’s something that can be done between friends.”

 

‘Actually, isn’t family love a bit ambiguous now that we’re all grown up?’

 

Actually, the last time I got a goodnight kiss from my family was when I was nine or ten.

 

“Family love…..”

 

“Yes?”

 

While I was thinking about that, I didn’t hear what Leonhard was saying. I asked him what he had just said, but he just shook his head. 

 

Then he looked at me with eyes that I couldn’t read.

 

“Well, couples are also family.”

 

“Huh? Of course, a married couple is also family.”

 

Leonhard, who smiled faintly at my words, soon answered with a voice as thin as his smile.

 

“I don’t know how lucky I am that you are already my wife.” 

 

“Didn’t you tell me that earlier?”

 

But I think the nuance is a little different.

 

It’s clearly the same thing, but the meaning behind the words just now and before feels different. I don’t know exactly what the difference is.

 

“Raenel.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Raenel.”

 

“why—-!”

 

Just like the first time he held me, he suddenly picked me up. I was so surprised that I hugged his neck, but he started walking away. Out of the room.

 

“Wait a minute, where are we going now?”

 

“We are going to your office. You said you had something to do.”

 

“Oh, no, I can go on my own two feet.…Let me down. I can walk.” 

 

“I’m expressing love to my family. Is that wrong?” 

 

“What?”

 

“Didn’t you tell me to hug you often?”

 

Meanwhile, Leonhard was walking briskly with his long legs.

 

As a result, I made eye contact with the guards guarding the third-floor. Before they could react, I quickly hid my face in Leonhard’s arms.

 

But I realized this wasn’t a good idea when I heard them salute Leonhard.

 

‘This doesn’t make me invisible to them!’

 

“That was meant for Noah. Get me down quickly. Quickly!” 

 

“So the husband’s duties include arm pillows and goodnight kisses, but not hugs?”

 

“I don’t mind hugs, but this isn’t a hug.” 

 

“If it’s not a hug, then what is?”

 

“It’s picking me up and carrying me.” 

 

“Oh, I understand.”

 

Now it looks like he’s finally going to put me down….Oh!

 

“Is this how it should be done, Raenel?”

 

In an instant, my vision flipped upside down, and the hand that had been supporting my hip moved up to my back, while another hand wrapped around the inside of my knee.

 

That is, it ended up in a princess-hugging position! 

 

“Oh, no…”

 

“I won’t forget to kiss you goodnight. If you need anything else, please let me know.”

 

Unlike me, who had kept my voice as low as possible, Leonhard spoke as usual. Naturally, his voice carried through the dark and quiet stairwell and lobby.

 

At the same time, I heard someone coughing. My face turned bright red and I slapped Leonhard on the shoulder.

 

“Speak quietly! And who was worried that you wouldn’t do it?” 

 

“I was worried. I was worried that I would get beaten up for not fulfilling the duty of a husband that you emphasized so much.”

 

“I told you to keep your mouth shut! What’s wrong with you all of a sudden, really?” 

 

‘Should I just cover that annoying mouth with my hand?’

 

He must have sensed my gaze as I glared at his lips with that thought. 

 

We arrived at my office before I knew it. He grabbed the doorknob, opened the door, and then looked at me with his eyes wide open.

 

“Seeing that you said it suddenly, it seems that I have not been putting in enough effort. I will try to fulfill my duty as a husband in the future so that my wife will feel that these actions are natural.”

 

“No, I mean—!”

 

Do it to Noah, do it to Noah!

 

Before I could get those words out of my mouth, the office’s door closed.

 

In conclusion, in the end, I failed to dispose of Mario Polten’s letter. 

 

It was because Leonhard, who had put me down on a sturdy wooden desk instead of a chair, kissed me on the lips as if it were a given. It was a deep kiss, not a goodnight kiss.

 

Before I could protest, I was lying down on the desk in the office, accepting his kiss, and I closed my eyes in exhaustion.

 

The next morning. When I finally opened my stiff eyes, I saw my husband’s face, sleeping soundly with his arm around me, and the familiar scenery of the room.

 

I hadn’t fallen asleep in the master bedroom on the fifth floor, but in my bedroom in the west palace on the fourth floor.

 

I breathed a small sigh of relief, a little disappointed, but also relieved. I glared as hard as I could at the annoying face exhaling quietly.

 

I never thought I’d fall asleep from the exhaustion of kissing.

 

“Seriously, I let him because he was handsome.”

 

Lying down on Leonhard’s arm, looking at his swollen lips from all the torment he had done to me all morning yesterday, I felt my blood drain from my veins.

 

I didn’t think he would misunderstand me for a letter written by someone else, so I just gave the letter written by Mario Polten to Leonhard to use as evidence of his tricks against me.

 

Leonhard read the letter I gave him with a silent face. Then he closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and asked me.

 

“You and Lady Lamberton must have been very close if she could remember such personal and trivial details of your past.”

 

“When she gets engaged, she doesn’t break off the engagement. So we visited each other often. There were many days when she slept over at home. Of course, she slept in a different room from my older brother, liv.”

 

“I want to hear it too.”

 

“Yes? What?”

 

“The pasts that are written or not written in this letter. Things that no one else knows about, I want to hear it directly from your mouth.” 

 

“No, well, it’s not that difficult.…”

 

Even if I say something from the past, I only remember the accidents I had. I hesitated for a moment, but Leonhard kept begging, “Please,” so I ended up nodding.

 * * *