The Stepmother Keeps Stealing the Male Leads - Chapter 18

Helene wanted to do something for Jaina, who had become an honorable Imperial Knight of the Hersen Empire.

Before she realized it, Helene found herself standing in front of a weapon shop in the bustling streets of Lephia.

‘A weapon, huh…’

Count Raul’s sword collection had long been sold off by Helene.

Among them had been the heirloom sword passed down through generations of the Emeldia family.

Helene had sold even the Emeldia heirloom sword when she decided to live with that foppish playboy she had met back then.

That’s why Jaina had nothing but an old, worn wooden sword for training.

During the duel, everyone except Jaina had fought with their own swords.

It kept bothering Helene that a knight-in-training like Jaina didn’t even have a sword.

‘If she had a weapon suited to her skill, she’d be even stronger…’

This was an investment.

And it was also a reward Helene owed to Jaina, who had become a knight just as she had hoped.

Helene decided to buy Jaina a weapon that suited her.

“Customer~ Looking for something in particular?”

Just as she started browsing, a friendly-looking shopkeeper rushed over and spoke.

Though Helene’s eyes were drawn to the terrifying weapons that looked like they’d turn someone into minced meat with a single swing, what she was looking for was a sword fit for a knight.

“Could I see some swords used by knights? Something a bit light, if possible.”

She thought a weapon that could highlight Jaina’s speed would be best.

The shopkeeper brought out a pointed sword called a stiletto.

As the name suggested, it was thin and sharp—ideal for dealing critical damage.

Because it used less steel, it was also lightweight, which made it perfect for Jaina.

It was made by a renowned blacksmith, and the handle bore the craftsman’s unique insignia.

Which, of course, meant it was expensive.

“How much is it?”

“1,000 gold.”

1,000 gold.

Just as expected—pricey.

Helene carefully set the stiletto sword down as if nothing had happened.

But even as she looked at other weapons, the stiletto sword kept flickering before her eyes.

***

By the time Helene came to her senses, she had already haggled the stiletto sword down to 900 gold and was holding it in her hands.

‘Yes, this is an investment!’

Telling herself it was an investment to help Jaina become a great knight, Helene justified the purchase.

But… was it alright to buy only for Jaina?

Suddenly, Liliana and April came to mind.

Even if her wardrobe was bursting, filled with glamorous new clothes, Liliana and April wore outdated, worn-out outfits—who knew when they’d last bought anything new.

Since it had come to this, she figured she might as well buy clothes for Liliana and April, too.

This was also an investment—to bring happiness to the three sisters.

Helene went to the district with all the dress shops and picked out two of the most fashionable dresses.

One was an elegant purple silk dress that seemed perfect for Liliana.

She also bought an adorable pink child’s dress layered with white lace for April.

The total for both was 1,000 gold.

Helene handed over the money and waited while the staff wrapped the items.

She noticed a pile of leftover fabric in the corner of the tailoring room.

“Are those scraps being thrown out?” she asked while looking at the fabric.

The staff replied, “Yes, that’s right.”

Helene’s eyes lit up.

Though she had many dresses, ever since her past-life memories had returned, wearing her old clothes felt strangely awkward. Fixing them up with the scrap fabric seemed like a good idea.

“…Would you mind giving them to me, then?”

Since they were going to be discarded anyway, the staff gathered the scrap fabric and packed it with her purchases.

Helene felt very pleased, having gotten an unexpected bonus.

And on such a good day, delicious food was a must.

Jaina had likely passed the knight exam, so they should throw a celebration.

So far, the food that had received the best reaction from the three sisters was grilled pork belly.

She remembered how, after learning to wrap it in lettuce and perilla leaves, April had stuffed a wrap as big as her fist into her mouth, munching like a hamster.

Helene found herself heading to the butcher shop.

As she hummed to herself, she spotted a very familiar figure.

A man with radiant blond hair tied in a ponytail, adorned with countless accessories and giving off an extravagantly flamboyant vibe.

‘Who is that?’

Even before recognizing who it was, the impulse to smack the back of that head as hard as she could struck Helene first.

The man turned his head, and Helene remembered who he was.

The four smile lines that appeared every time he grinned, and the dark circles that reached down to his chin.

That shiny face, as if he oiled it every morning—there was no doubt. It was Eric.

The man Helene had been seeing until recently, the very one who had made her sell the Emeldia family’s sword.

Eric, who had been a host, claimed that he would be free once his debts were paid off. He said they could start over abroad and borrowed 100,000 gold from Helene.

And the moment he received the 100,000 gold, he vanished.

After that, Eric quit hosting. He couldn’t be found at any bar or gambling den.

Eric spotted Helene immediately as well.

His eyes, wide like a startled rabbit, darted as he hunched and scurried into an alley.

“T-that bastard, stop right there…!!”

The moment Helene saw Eric, a lifetime’s worth of rage surged within her.

She happened to be burdened with loads of shopping bags, but she absolutely could not let Eric get away.

***

“Truly incredible…”

Butler Pael was amazed.

Having once served royalty abroad before seeking asylum, he now worked for a young master who was the most successful businessman in the Empire and the creator of a revolutionary invention.

This invention called an “automobile” was a carriage that moved without a horse or magic.

Blaine confidently stated that if this became commercialized, the world would change dramatically.

“It’s still just a prototype, but it’s nearly complete.”

The sleek navy-colored car looked more refined and elegant than any noble’s carriage, but Pael still couldn’t believe that the contraption made of scrap metal could move on its own.

Sensing Pael’s skeptical gaze, Blaine opened the car door.

“Are you doubting me? Let me show you. You should feel honored—you’ll be the first to ride it outside of our company.”

Though afraid, Pael couldn’t bring himself to refuse the bold offer of his energetic young master.

He sat in the passenger seat next to Blaine.

Blaine, constantly steadying his breathing, actually seemed more nervous than Pael.

“…Here we go.”

After saying that, Blaine fiddled with various parts, and finally, the car began to move.

***

Helene was sprinting full speed through the bustling street, shopping bags in both hands.

‘Have I ever run like this in my life?’

The taste of blood filled her throat, and her legs were trembling.

But she couldn’t stop.

Helene had wronged many people in her life.

But the only one who had wronged her was that bastard Eric.

That’s why he was the one person she could resent and hate with all her heart.

She would catch Eric, beat him to a pulp, and get her 100,000 gold back no matter what.

No matter how much her legs hurt, no matter how out of breath she was, Helene didn’t stop running.

But then—what on earth was happening?

In front of her was a crowd as dense as ants swarming over sweets.

Still, she couldn’t stop.

She had to break through the crowd somehow.

Bracing herself, Helene plunged into the mass of people.

***

“This is amazing…”

Pael spoke, feeling the wind through the window.

In all his years, he never imagined riding a moving hunk of metal with no horse.

But it didn’t last long.

As they entered the main street, curious people swarmed around the car like ants, seeing such a machine for the first time.

Soon, there were too many people for them to move forward.

“Move aside! It’s dangerous!”

Unable to bear it, Blaine shouted to warn the crowd.

Seeing Blaine’s noble attire as he stepped out of the car, people began clearing the way, assuming he was a high-ranking noble.

No one knew what might happen if they got in a noble’s way, no matter how curious they were about the car.

‘Looks like we can move again now…’

Just as Blaine reached to restart the engine, something like a fiery comet charged toward the car.