Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

Author: Byuon

A young girl’s face entered my blurry vision.

“Are you okay, brother?”

… Brother?

The mind, which had been hazy at the unfamiliar title, gradually became clearer.

Escal blinked his unfocused eyes and looked at the child.

When their eyes met, the girl with her face in front of Escal smiled broadly.

Her pink hair, as fresh as spring flowers, tickled his cheeks.

‘Who are you?’

She’s pretty, but I don’t remember her.

Not only the child, but this house, the texture of the blanket, and the clothes he was wearing were all full of strange things.

Escal looked around the room with a bewildered feeling.

Where the ornate chandelier was supposed to hang, black rotten logs were placed, and where there should be a large wardrobe, there were shabby hangers.

The bed was hard enough to hurt my back, and the duvet rattled loudly.

‘Where?’

Escal carefully traced his memory.

I fell off a cliff while running away from the man who was chasing me to kill me… After that, he couldn’t remember what had happened.

“That… Ouch!”

Escal, who was about to raise his upper body, groaned at the pain that covered his body and collapsed without strength.

“Are you okay, brother? Are you in a lot of pain? Huh?”

The child asked Escal with a surprised face.

Her round eyes filled with worry.

“Where does it hurt? Do you want Tia to help you?”

A lark-like voice rang in his ears.

Just as you were about to ask if anyone else was there, someone opened the door.

The child jumped up and ran to the door.

“Grandpa! Brother, Wake up!”

“Really?”

Escal turned his head toward the door at the sound of a hoarse man’s voice.

A gray-haired man approached the bedside.

He was of the same age and size as Count Tilburn, whom he had seen at Helios’ birthday banquet.

“You’ve come to your senses. Are you okay?”

His voice was unusually gentle for a man of his size.

Escal cleared his sore throat and squeezed his voice.

“ Where is it?”

“I see.. you talking, so you’re alive.”

The man smiled and put his hand on Escal’s forehead.

“The fever has gone down. Can you get up?”

“Yes… Ouch!”

Escal, who was about to get up, leaned back. The man quickly grabbed his back and hugged him.

“Don’t overdo it, get up slowly.”

Thick hands gently supported the small body.

His right arm, wrapped in bandages, entered Escal’s eyes, barely leaning back on the bed.

‘This is why it hurts.’

It hurt like being tied to a rope.

Not only his arms, but his body was full of scratches and torn wounds.

“Grandpa said brother will recover.”

“Of course it hurts when you’re injured that badly, but I’m glad it’s over.”

Escal blinked and asked the man.

“How did I…”

“Tia picked you up!”

“She found you lying in the woods and brought you here.”

“Ah…”

It seems that the man didn’t find me as I fell.

The relief that I wasn’t dead and the fear of that moment flooded me, and tears welled up.

“Brother, are you crying?”

“… No.”

Escal clenched his teeth and shook his head. The more it did, the more the sadness grew.

“Grandpa, brother is crying.”

The child who was looking at Escal with a worried expression ran to him and brought a handkerchief.

“Don’t cry, brother.”

“I’m not crying.”

Escal, who was handed a crumpled handkerchief, rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand instead of the handkerchief.

The man who saw it opened his mouth.

“I am Baron Hazel, and this is my granddaughter Tiaris Hazel. What is your name?”

“… Escal.”

“That’s a good name, Escal. Where is your home?”

“My home…”

‘Your mother made me do it, so blame your mother.’

Escal closed his eyes tightly and then opened it.

“… I don’t have.”

Baron Hazel’s eyes scrutinized Escal.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

It was a lie by anyone looking at it, but the Baron quietly nodded.

It was because he decided that there was no need to touch the wounds in his heart when his body was not healed.

“Let’s talk about it later, and let’s start with dinner.”

The Baron smiled and headed to the kitchen.

The smell of food coming in through the crack in the open door made me hungry.

It wasn’t long before he returned with a loaf of bread and a bowl of soup.

“Come on, eat.”

“Th-thank you.”

Escal held the spoon with his left hand instead of his injured right.

The meal was not smooth because of the poor spooning.

The soup he barely scooped out was dripping onto the tray. Escal put down the spoon sullenly.

“You seem to be having trouble eating with your hands. Give me the spoon.”

“Grandpa, Tia! Tia will feed him!”

“Hehe, you shouldn’t bother someone who is sick.”

“I won’t bother! Tia can do it!”

Tiaris shouted and picked up the spoon.

“Tia will feed you, brother. Say Ah.”

As she held out the spoon with her fern-like hands, Escal burst into laughter.

“Ah.”

Tiaris smiled broadly.

It felt like the throbbing pain had gone away for a moment.

****

“Madam.”

At the sound of Mary’s voice, I jumped up from my seat and opened the door.

Expectations that it might be the news that Escal had been found were shattered in an instant when I saw the tray in Mary’s hand.

“Try this. I brought you the food you like.”

“No thanks, I don’t think so, you can take it.”

When I declined, saying I had no appetite, Mary set the tray down on the nightstand and squeezed me.

“Don’t do that, take one bite. You haven’t eaten anything in days.”

“I don’t want to eat.”

“You’re going to faint if you don’t eat”

Mary said with an upset face.

I ignored Mary and went back to bed.

I couldn’t do anything about how scared the little boy was by now.

“You can’t do this, you have to cheer up for the Duke’s sake.”

“… Have you heard anything from Helios?”

“Yes. The duke is too overworked these days, so the butler is not the only one to worry about it.”

“……”

I closed my eyes without saying a word.

Helios and the Duke’s knights had dropped everything to search for Escal, but there was no sign of him.

‘He seems to have left the hunting grounds.’

After hearing Dustin’s report, the anxiety grew.

How could a six-year-old child disappear so quickly in one day?

‘It is a cautious speculation, but it seems difficult to rule out the possibility of kidnapping.’

I was tired, my head hurt.

Hopefully it’s not

Who would dare kidnap Duke Anthemion’s child in broad daylight, lined with soldiers and servants?

If he was kidnapped, the kidnapper would have offered us a requirement, be it money or whatever.

No, Escal will be fine.

I calmed my mind and calmed my breathing.

“Mary.”

“Yes?”

“Where did Helios say he was going today?”

“He was looking in the orphanage in the capital.”

“Okay… Okay, get out of here.”

“The meal…”

“Take it out.”

With a firm answer, Mary took the tray and left the room.

I buried my face in the pillow again.

It’s all because of me

I didn’t mean to leave Escal like that, that day.

I should have been on Escal’s side as well.

I shouldn’t have asked him to apologize, knowing it wasn’t Escal who would hit another child for no reason.

Then I’ll come home with Escal. Why is that meeting so important?

I soaked the pillow and pondered my mistake over and over again. For a long time.

“Lena.”

I raised my head at the gentle call, Helios came in with a tired face.

“Helios.”

I got up and looked at him with longing eyes.

Our eyes met and he shook his head slowly.

He rubbed the corners of my eyes as I blushed at the familiar disappointment.

“Are you crying again?”

“… Helios.”

“You can’t keep crying like this.”

“It is my fault. I… I shouldn’t have taken him there.”

“Don’t say that. It’s not your fault.”

Helios hugged me and gently wiped my back.

“Escal will be fine. I’ll definitely find him, right?”

Even in exhaustion, he did his best to comfort me.

I forced myself to calm down and shook my head at his lean form.

“I’m sorry, Helios. You must have a hard time too….”

“I’m okay. Don’t worry about me, take care of your body first. I get really upset when you get sick too.”

He caressed my cheek and smiled faintly.

It was then.

“Your Excellency!”

A loud shout was heard from outside the hallway looking for him.

As I pushed the door back and went out into the hallway, a man in a knight’s uniform came with familiar shoes.

“Sir, I found these shoes under the cliffs of Daleswood.”

“This…?”

It was Escal’s shoes that I bought in Madame Floren’s dressing room for Helios’ birthday banquet.

No.

My vision went black.

“Lena!”