How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love

[Target hideout discovered. Inside the dungeon. Contact again after confirmation.]

 

‘There were people who had nested in other dungeons, after all.’ 

 

The messengers had returned and reported that there was no trace of any other dungeons in the border area.

 

‘I thought there were no more there. But was there originally a dungeon at this location?’

 

“Robert, bring me a map.”

 

Leonhard fetched the map and checked, and his memory was correct. The dungeon where the Blue Thorn Mercenaries had discovered traces was not recorded on the map. 

 

Leonhard realized he had found a dungeon he didn’t know about.

 

“Iron. Six quick-footed men..…And from among the soldiers, send two to this location.”

 

If they really were going to close the dungeon, it was advantageous to have at least one person on the side attacking the dungeon and many on the side guarding the gate.

 

Losing eight people while clearing the dungeon would be a huge loss for either side, but wouldn’t Leonhard know that?

 

Iron replied that he would do so, thinking that it must have a deep meaning to him.

 

Three days later. Leonhard himself set out to close the gate with his wizards and knights, not realizing what awaited him when he returned.

 

* * * 

 

“Peter, a messenger of Ajas, has just arrived.” 

 

Peter saluted politely, but his voice was not as strong as before.

 

‘I guess he heard what happened at the castle.’ 

 

“I’m sorry. I’m too late…”

 

“Don’t blame yourself. It was a long way to the capital.”

 

“But…”

 

‘Oh my god, if I just leave him alone, he’ll cry.’

 

He’s definitely still young, so I quickly changed the subject.

 

“I’m more curious about the letter. Did my brother reply to it?” 

 

“Oh, yes. Here it is.”

 

The gloom on Peter’s face suddenly disappeared as he took out a letter from his magic bag.

 

“Lady Howard asked me to deliver letters and items, so I received a total of two letters!”

 

“Lady Howard?…Ah, my sister.” 

 

I thought she was calling me, so I was confused for a moment. 

 

‘I’m not ‘Lady Howard’ anymore, but ‘Lady Ajas’.’

 

“By the way, what did my sister send me?” 

 

“I don’t know.”

 

What Peter gave me were two letters and a box.

 

The box, which was about the size of two thick books stacked on top of each other, wasn’t that heavy. 

 

I instinctively shook the box to know what was inside, then told Peter to go rest.

 

“You must have had a hard time coming this far. I’ll give you a vacation until tomorrow, so get some rest.” 

 

“Yes! Call me whenever you need me!”

 

As Peter stepped back after saluting politely, Noah, who had been quietly drawing next to me, asked me with a curious face, 

 

“Did you send someone to the capital?”

 

“Yeah. I have something to ask….”

 

I was about to ask Noah if he wanted to see it, but then I remembered what the letter would say.

 

‘Noah doesn’t know that Mario Polten is a con man.’

 

“Ahem, I wonder what else your aunt sent me? I bet you’re curious, too, aren’t you?”

 

“Yes. I want to see it too.”

 

Noah put down the pencil he was holding, got up from his chair, and came next to me.

 

I quickly picked up the child, placed him on my lap, and opened the box my sister had sent me.

 

“Oh my god…This is a camera!”

 

“A camera?”

 

“It’s a magic tool for taking pictures.…wait for a second.”

 

The camera that Lily sent me had a slightly more rustic appearance than I expected.

 

Of course, there’s no way that objects made with science and objects made with magic can be the same. However since she made it based on my explanation, the overall structure was similar.

 

I checked the lens and shutter of the camera and opened the letter from Lily. 

 

[To my beloved sister, Nell.

 

How are you? From what I heard from the messenger from Ajas, it seems like you are doing well, but it’s hard for me to believe it when I can’t see you with my own eyes. But since our tomboy doesn’t come down crying that she can’t live in the north, I guess you are doing well.

 

By the way, Benjamin and I are doing well. So, I finally made that magic tool you said you wanted.

 

If it were you, you would probably have opened the box before the letter. Here’s how to use that magic tool. First, open the machine and put the photo paper inside…]

 

After putting the photo paper in the camera that Lily had explained, I lifted the camera toward Noah, who was hugging me with his upper body leaning backward.

 

“Noah, try cheese, cheese.”

 

“Cheese?”

 

Could it be because I didn’t tell him to smile? Noah’s face had an awkward expression. But since I was just taking the picture for the test, I just pressed the shutter.

 – Click! 

At the same time, the light stone attached to the camera emitted a bright light. Seeing Noah close his eyes in surprise, I quickly put the camera down.

 

“Are you surprised? It’s okay. It’s just a light.”

 

“What is that Ma’am? What kind of tool is that?”

 

“Just wait a minute.”

 

After a few moments, the camera started to eject the photo paper. Noah, as well as Leona and Ethan who were behind me, all looked at the photo paper.

 

A moment later, Noah’s face emerged from the photo paper, and the three of them let out an audible gasp of surprise.

 

“Oh my god, that’s Young Master’s face!”

 

“Is that a magic tool for drawing pictures?”

 

“Yeah, something like that. It’s like recording the scene that came into the lens on a photo paper in an instant…”

 

Honestly, I just described it as something like that, but I don’t know the details because it’s my sister who made it.

 

Fortunately, the explanation seemed to be sufficient, and the three of them looked at the camera.

 

“Mom, can I try too?”

 

“Of course. Just look at this side and press this button whenever you want to take a picture.”

 

“I want to take a picture of my mother’s face.”

 

Noah, his cheeks flushed, looked up at me with sparkling eyes. I told him he could do that, and I took him down from my lap.

 

“Now, cheese!”

 

With a click, the camera snapped a picture of me. 

 

The picture was black and white because it wasn’t colorized yet, but the details of my face were clearly visible.

 

After being reincarnated into another world, I only saw portraits, but when I looked at the black and white photo, I felt like it was colorful.

 

But was that just my impression, or did Leona, who made an ooh-oh sound, admire that it was the same, and then she asked Noah.

 

“Young master, could you please take a picture of me too?”

 

As Noah nodded, Ethan also stood next to Leona with interest.

 

While Noah was taking pictures of my escorts, I finished reading Lily’s letter.

 

[The photo paper can’t be plain paper, because you have to draw a magic circle on the back that works with the camera’s magic circle.

 

I’ll teach you what kind of magic circle it is, so if you ask the wizard there to make it for you, he can make as many as you want. But you know that it can’t be leaked outside, right?

 

Alex saw the product and took it to the Knights Templar to use for field photography and taking pictures of criminals’ faces, and it seems like it surprisingly became a good advertisement. Even before sales began, orders were already pouring in.

 

I’ll put some of the advance money into your account as well. Don’t be surprised. No matter how much you imagine, it will be more than you can imagine.

 

I’ve hired five more employees, and I think I’ll be able to open a branch soon. Should I open the first branch in Ajas? Of course, I won’t be able to leave the capital for the time being because of the cameras.

 

You’ll have a hard time getting down to the capital, so I’ll have to go up, but it’s hard to say exactly when. I hope you’re doing well, and don’t take it too hard on yourself. I’ll come see you as soon as I have time.

 

Don’t forget that I love you, and if you have any troubles, just tell me right away. Okay?]

 

“As expected, my sister is the best….”

 

I quickly blinked my eyelids to dry the tears that welled up in my eyes. 

 

After confirming that the three of them were still playing with the camera, I immediately took out Alex’s letter.

 

[I was really surprised when someone suddenly came to see me, but I was even more surprised when I heard the story. Mario Polten? No matter how much I think about it, I can’t remember. Is that really his motive? Anyway, he’s a scammer, so arrest him right away.

 

As you know, while I was attending the military academy, from the moment I opened my eyes in the morning until the moment I went to bed at dawn, I was so focused on training that I didn’t have a moment to take my eyes off of it.]

 

‘Wow, that’s how you wrap up the story of not having any friends.’

 

[So if anyone else shows up claiming to be my friend, just arrest them without asking me. Of course, if I had a friend who was close to me, I would have introduced them to you.

 

By the way, it seems that Marquise is in a very high position because there is a swindler who appears in the North claiming to be my friend.

 

Don’t listen to anybody who asks you to invest while boasting about doubling your money, Don’t pity anyone who pretends to be pitiful, and don’t donate too much. The artists of the former country might be driven to the north to seek sponsorship.

 

And you’re not on friendly terms with the servants there either, are you? When you’re a young lady, it might be fine, but when you become Marquise and friendly to the maids, it’s no use.]

 

And…After that, it was just nagging. In my brother’s eyes, I must have looked so innocent.

 

Of course, I was going to fall for some swindler even though I already knew about Mario Polten’s suspicious behavior.

 

‘In the end, I couldn’t stop those two people from getting along.’ 

 

I glanced at Noah, who was looking at the photos. There seemed to be no dark clouds in any corner of his cheeks, which were unusually flushed. 

 

‘Thank goodness.’

 

Although he was briefly saddened by the news that Mario Polten had left Ajas, Noah hadn’t looked for him after that.

 

‘How fortunate that Noah has no wounds on his body and no memory of what happened.’

 

‘By the way, I have to hire a military teacher again.’ 

 

This incident made me realize it. Outsiders should not be allowed in. If that is the case, then I should choose someone from among my own people. But who would be the right person?

 

* * *