The Stepmother Keeps Stealing the Male Leads - Chapter 5

The next morning.

The old Helene would have only woken up after the sun was high in the sky, but the new Helene had much to do from the start of the day.

As she stepped out of her room, she saw Liliana heading toward the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

“No need. From now on, I’ll cook.”

Helene took the apron from Liliana and put it on.

After all, Han Yena had lived alone for over seven years.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t make her specialty, kimchi fried rice, since kimchi didn’t exist in this world.

At least they had rice.

She figured she would try making white kimchi when she had the time.

Helene quickly cut off the rotten parts of the vegetables and chopped up the usable ones before stir-frying them with rice.

Since it was her first time in the Emeldia mansion’s kitchen—and since it was so large—she was momentarily lost. However, the kitchen was clean, and she quickly got the hang of it.

As the unfamiliar scent of cooking filled the house, Jaina and April sluggishly came down from the second floor.

On the table sat stir-fried rice and egg soup—dishes they had never seen before.

But the most unbelievable sight was Helene, standing in the kitchen and cooking.

Seeing Helene in an apron was far more shocking than seeing her drunk and half-dressed.

Liliana, still frozen in place after having her apron taken away, stared blankly at Helene, wondering if she was dreaming.

“It’ll get cold. Eat up.”

Embarrassingly enough, the food smelled good. But Jaina and April didn’t sit down.

How could they trust food made by Helene?

“I didn’t put anything weird in it. You three are my only assets—why would I do something to you?”

Helene took the largest portion of fried rice and egg soup for herself and sat at the table.

To prove it was safe, she took large bites of both dishes.

After watching her eat for a while, Liliana was the first to pick up a spoon.

Jaina and April soon followed.

Liliana was good at cleaning and laundry, but her cooking skills were abysmal.

It had been a long time since the three sisters had eaten a proper meal, and their spoons started moving faster and faster.

Helene sipped her soup and secretly smiled.

“I’ll be going now.”

Liliana finished eating quickly and stood up to head to the temple for her morning prayers.

Helene handed her an umbrella.

She had seen the sky that morning and thought it looked like rain.

“The sky looked cloudy today. Take this.”

“T-thank you…”

Liliana took the umbrella and left the mansion.

Come to think of it, this was the first time Liliana had ever thanked Helene.

Liliana was always polite—she would have thanked anyone for picking up something she dropped—but for some reason, Helene felt oddly pleased.

Jaina and April also finished eating and got up.

Jaina’s plate was clean, as if she had enjoyed the meal, while April had pushed all the onions to one side without eating them.

“April, why did you leave the onions?”

Helene blurted out the words before realizing it.

Normally, she wouldn’t care what someone ate or didn’t eat.

‘You’re acting so proud just because you made one meal. You’re not even a real mother…’ April thought, pouting.

“Why do you care if I eat onions or not?”

Clearly, the scolding from yesterday had left no impact.

Han Yena had seen this happen countless times on TV—raising a child was never easy.

She wasn’t happy that April had left food behind, nor that she was picky when she needed proper nutrition.

But there was no need to nag and make her resentful.

“Oh, I just like onions. If I’d known you didn’t, I would’ve eaten them for you.”

As she cleared the plates, Helene continued, “It’s a shame you don’t appreciate onions. I’ll eat them for you from now on.”

She turned on the water and began washing the dishes.

It was true—both in this life and the last, Helene loved onions.

As a child, she had hated them, but at some point, she had grown fond of them.

She decided to leave onions out of April’s portion from now on.

“……”

April stood there, looking as if she had something to say.

When Helene gave her a questioning look, she suddenly turned away and left.

Raising a child was hard.

***

Helene lingered in front of the wardrobe for a long time.

‘There’s nothing to wear…’

Now that she had her past life’s memories, she couldn’t bring herself to wear Helene’s clothes.

Why were they all so flashy and bold?

Every outfit was designed to flaunt her voluptuous figure.

In her past life, Han Yena preferred casual fashion.

Their tastes were complete opposites.

With such different styles, she couldn’t pick a single outfit.

After much deliberation, she chose the darkest green dress she could find and draped a black cashmere shawl over her chest.

Helene checked her reflection in the mirror.

She truly was a stunning beauty, one remarkable enough to have risen from a mere commoner to a countess.

Her upturned, cat-like eyes, enchanting red irises, and perfectly sculpted nose.

Her wide, well-defined lips, full enough to rival Hollywood actresses.

And her flowing red hair was just as captivating as her striking features.

But no matter who looked at her, she still looked like a villainess.

Her expressionless face was intimidating, her smiles felt mocking, and even when she looked sad, it came across as insincere.

She couldn’t cover her face, and even when she tried wearing a wide-brimmed hat, it only made her look more extravagant. There was simply no way to make her look gentle.

There was a reason she was being so meticulous about this.

The person she was about to meet would be even more formidable than Shakia or the three sisters.

***

‘Is this a mansion or a castle?’

Standing before her destination, Helene was at a loss for words.

The grand mansion rivaled the imperial palace of the Herzen Empire or a duke’s estate in sheer magnificence. It was certainly a fitting residence for the wealthiest man in the world.

In front of the gates stood guards with imposing physiques.

The sudden arrival of an unexpected guest left them visibly startled.

Helene, unbothered, strode forward confidently and spoke to them.

“I am Helene Emeldia. I’ve come to meet my daughters’ godfather.”

***

Blaine was a war orphan.

At the age of five, he was caught stealing from the Emeldia family’s farmland and was abandoned by his group. The farmers beat him mercilessly.

Even after the brutal beating, he never shed a single tear. The farmers took him to the former Count of Emeldia, impressed by the boy’s resilience.

Though scrawny, his body was well-balanced and sturdy. His posture was upright, and his delicate yet sharp features were striking. His sapphire-blue eyes, cold and unwavering, never avoided anyone’s gaze.

As the greatest gem appraiser in the empire, the former Count of Emeldia instantly recognized that the filthy child before him must have noble blood.

Intrigued, the count took him in, cleaned him up, and dressed him in new clothes.

Even in a servant’s uniform, Blaine looked like the young master of the mansion.

There was, however, a real young master of the household.

Raul Emeldia, thirteen years old.

Although he later became a knight after recovering from his illnesses, Raul had been a frail child, frequently plagued by various ailments.

Blaine’s main duty as a servant was to assist Raul.

“I’ve always wished for a younger brother…”

Raul, kind and warm-hearted, treated Blaine as his own sibling.

He would sneak expensive and sweet treats into Blaine’s pockets and, knowing his love for books, took him to the library daily.

It was Raul who gave Blaine the surname “Diark,” inspired by the Emeldia name.

However, the household servants were jealous and resentful.

They would serve Blaine food laced with excessive salt or lock him in the stables, but none of it mattered—because, for the first time in his life, Blaine had found happiness through Raul.

While cleaning the former count’s office, Blaine once discovered a miscalculated estimate and pointed it out.

Intrigued by a mere servant’s keen numerical sense, the former count appointed him as the youngest aide in history.

Under Blaine’s guidance, the Emeldia family thrived, achieving unprecedented wealth and prosperity.

However, when the former count passed away, Blaine was forced back into servitude.

The harassment and abuse from the household staff intensified, and when he heard that Raul, now a knight, had left for the battlefield, Blaine abandoned the mansion without hesitation.

Using the money he had saved, he purchased barren lands in the north and ventured into real estate.

Through sheer determination, he amassed an immense fortune, eventually becoming the world’s most powerful tycoon and businessman.

It wasn’t until over a decade later that he reunited with Raul.

Unlike Blaine, who had been consumed by wealth, Raul had married and had children. However, he was deeply grieving the loss of his beloved wife.

After enduring sorrow for so long, Raul finally found someone who could make him smile again.

He introduced that woman to Blaine.

Her name was Helene—a woman as intense as fire.

With his sharp business instincts, Blaine immediately recognized her as a toxic presence.

But he could not stand in the way of the happiness Raul had finally found.

His instincts proved correct.

After marrying Helene, Raul not only died, but everything he had left behind was lost as well.

Despite this, Blaine had helped Helene and the three sisters on multiple occasions.

She then exploited their association to scam others, leading to an imperial investigation against Blaine.

Although he considered suing her, he refrained for the sake of Raul and the three sisters.

Instead, he set a condition for dropping the charges.

She was to never appear before him again.

Yet, half a year later, Helene was now standing at his doorstep.

“M-Master, a woman named Helene Emeldia is here… She claims you are her daughters’ godfather.”

“Be their godfather.”

It had been Raul’s first and last request before he died.

Though Blaine knew he was not fit to care for others, he could not refuse Raul’s final wish.

Thus, he swore before the Sun God to be the godfather of the three sisters.

And now, that woman had the audacity to use that sacred title as an excuse to seek him out.

Blaine was so astounded that he wondered if he was dreaming.

The man known as the Iron-Masked Tycoon was a cold and ruthless businessman.

He acted solely for profit and practicality.

Yet, despite never revealing his emotions, he had sincerely admired Raul and felt indebted to the three sisters.

He never showed it, but he held a certain fondness for them.

Perhaps Helene’s sudden visit had something to do with the three girls.

“…Let her in.”

For now, Blaine decided to hear what she had to say.