The Stepmother Keeps Stealing the Male Leads - Chapter 10

“Your Grace, you’ve returned. How was life in Herbyante?”

“Marchioness of Lausenne, it’s been a while. Herbyante was, as always, a beautiful place.”

“My daughter is also very interested in music and plans to study abroad in Herbyante. Might you share some advice?”

The Marchioness of Lausenne presented her lavishly dressed daughter.

It was an extravagant gown, custom-made at the most expensive boutique in Lephia, designed to make her bust appear full and her waist narrow.

Sieghardt was overwhelmed.

He hadn’t even entered the temple yet, and he was already being greeted by his fifth noble young lady.

“If that’s the case, I’ll send one of the aides who accompanied me in Herbyante to the Marchioness’s estate. He probably knows more about Herbyante than I do.”

That was the fifth indirect refusal he’d made today.

Even the Grand Duchess, who had insisted, “You must greet the Sun God as soon as you return home,” was now regretting her own insistence.

After meeting two more noble young ladies, Grand Duke Sieghardt finally stepped into the temple.

The capital Lephia, where he returned after two years, had changed not one bit.

The noble society was small, and to a Grand Duke of the empire, the nobles were like relatives he saw every holiday.

There was only one person he didn’t recognize.

‘Was there ever someone with hair that color?’

Her vivid red hair and striking features made her stand out even among the lavishly dressed nobles.

Had Sieghardt paid even the slightest attention to gossip, he might have heard the stories of the Red Witch, Helene, but naturally, he knew nothing of her.

Then he saw the girl standing beside Helene and could hardly believe his eyes.

The classic beauty, with neatly braided light hazel hair and intelligent green eyes, hadn’t changed a bit.

‘Liliana…’

Upon spotting his long-missed friend, Sieghardt found himself making a blasphemous wish to the Sun God—he hoped the prayer would end soon.

***

The excited air within the temple made it obvious.

With the appearance of the empire’s top bachelor, Grand Duke Sieghardt, society was in an uproar.

Interest in the repenting stepmother had come to an end in just one week.

That’s how attention works.

It’s burdensome when you receive it, but strangely disappointing when you don’t. Helene could now understand why people became attention seekers.

‘He’s certainly handsome…’

Helene stole a glance at Sieghardt from a diagonal angle.

As a bottom-tier villainess extra, the only time she had met the Grand Duke was right before her death at an imperial ball. She was seeing him earlier than in the original timeline.

It felt like seeing a favorite drama actor in real life.

Could he have felt her gaze?

When the service ended, Grand Duke Sieghardt began walking toward Helene.

Startled, Helene looked at Liliana.

Liliana’s neck was flushed red.

“Liliana…?”

The Grand Duke had come to see Liliana.

“Y-Your Grace…”

“Lady Liliana, it’s been a long time. Eight years, hasn’t it?”

The Grand Duke smiled brightly at her. That charming smile of a handsome man made Liliana flush even deeper.

“Y-yes, it has. How was life in Herbyante, Your Grace?”

“It was a beautiful place. The temple in Lephia is lovely, but Herbyante’s temple has a fresh charm. Perhaps it’s because of the abundance of artists there.”

The Grand Duke gazed at Liliana with such warmth that she couldn’t even meet his eyes.

Between the two, Helene stood awkwardly, completely left out.

“Ah, this is my stepmother, Helene.”

Liliana, her face red as if it might burst, hoped Helene would serve as her escape route.

The Grand Duke had heard that Count Emeldia had taken a new wife.

Though she naturally didn’t resemble Liliana, she was an equally stunning beauty.

“Pardon the delay. I am Helene Emeldia.”

Helene curtsied to the Grand Duke.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am…”

Not only his appearance, but his personality was refined—he used polite speech even with nobles of lower rank.

Just as the Grand Duke was about to respond, Helene interjected playfully, “Grand Duke of Revladian, how could I not recognize Your Grace?”

It wasn’t flattery—it was a fact.

Any citizen of the Hersen Empire who didn’t recognize the Grand Duke of Revladian must be a spy.

As a Sword Master of the empire, and a hero who had defended the nation on numerous battlefields, he was beloved throughout the empire.

And Helene knew him very well. Thanks to reading The Perfect Lady Angelina in her past life, she even knew his future—perhaps better than the Grand Duke knew himself.

“Your Grace, the High Priest is calling for you.”

The Grand Duke’s aide approached and relayed the message cautiously.

In the distance, the Grand Duchess of Revladian was seen conversing with the priests and clerics.

Sieghardt’s next schedule was a Sun Faith event in the imperial castle.

“Then, I’ll see you again.”

Sieghardt gave a polite farewell to Helene and Liliana before taking his leave.

Liliana continued to watch his retreating figure for a long while, her eyes full of longing and tenderness.

It was unmistakably the gaze of someone looking at the person they love.

***

Helene had planned for Liliana to marry one of the top male leads in The Perfect Lady Angelina.

There was no doubt that the Grand Duke was the finest bachelor of them all…

But he wasn’t just any male lead. He was as prominent a candidate as the Crown Prince.

And by this point in the timeline, he had already fallen for Angelina completely.

‘How could you possibly steal the heart of a male lead who’s already in love with the heroine?’

Helene tried to convince herself that perhaps Liliana’s feelings for the Grand Duke were like a fan’s admiration for a celebrity.

But she could no longer ignore the flushed look on Liliana’s face.

On the way home, after much thought, Helene cautiously asked Liliana a question.

“Liliana, how do you know Grand Duke Sieghardt?”

“That is…”

As it happened, Liliana had been lost in thought, recalling her first meeting with the Grand Duke.

***

At twelve years old, Sieghardt couldn’t accept what had happened.

His father had died.

His father, the Grand Duke of the empire and a famed adventurer who explored the world, had made a promise to his young son.

“Let’s make sure to have cake together for your birthday this year!”

The Grand Duke of Revladian had wanted to keep that promise more than anything.

The navigator tried to stop him, but moved by good intentions, he forced a departure and was caught in an unprecedentedly strong typhoon.

None of the hundreds aboard survived.

“I heard he argued with the navigator right before they set off…”

“Why did His Grace push to depart early…?”

As the attendants whispered while preparing for the Grand Duke’s funeral, Sieghardt felt as if his heart was sinking.

It was because he had begged his father to come for his birthday.

That day, Sieghardt was sulking as usual, upset that his father hadn’t come, ignoring his pile of birthday gifts and pouting.

The birthday party ended abruptly with a single panicked word from a sweat-drenched attendant.

And so, the day after Sieghardt’s birthday became the death anniversary of the Grand Duke of Revladian.

The young Sieghardt ran and ran and kept running.

The place he finally arrived at was the temple in Lephia.

His father, a Grand Duke and member of imperial family, was given two funerals: one in the duchy of Revladian and one in the empire’s capital, Lephia.

Though he barely knew the layout of Lephia, he had run there instinctively, and the fact that the place he reached was the temple made him laugh hollowly in disbelief.

As if drawn by something, Sieghardt opened the temple door.

Since it wasn’t time for worship, the temple was quiet.

There were no priests or clerics in sight.

Only one girl around his age was praying.

He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop.

The girl was so focused on her prayer that she hadn’t noticed someone else was there.

“Sun God, I’ll end today’s prayer here. And please… let me speak with Mother again today.”

Liliana would always ask the Sun God this way when she wanted to talk to her late mother.

“Mother, are you doing well over there? Jaina, April, and I are doing okay. Jaina climbed up on the roof again and twisted her ankle, but Doctor Henry said it’ll grow back stronger once the bone heals, so not to worry. Nanny Margaret said she’s never seen a baby as smart as April. She seems to understand everything, she’s definitely a genius! Father is doing alright… but I think he still drinks secretly at night. Please help him stop drinking, Mother.”

Hearing her prayer, Sieghardt immediately understood that the girl was trying to talk to her deceased mother.

Feeling that he had overheard something he shouldn’t have, he turned to leave, and bumped into a pew.

Startled by the dull thud of wood, Liliana’s eyes shot open.