I Became The Stepmother Of An Irrevocable Dark Family

“You really like temples, don’t you? Even the High Priest came to our mansion.”

“Well, rather than liking it, it’d be better to say that I need it. Can’t I do that?”

“…You acted like you were always there for Rere.”

I was doing this for Rere, though?

The Duke looked so upset as if I was leaving them for good.

“Do you realize that you act like a kid sometimes?”

“Do I?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

“No way.” he scoffed as if it was ridiculous.

“Big Bunny’s right! Daddy has been acting like a kid. I’d believe it if you said you’re my brother.”

The Duke looked shocked by her words.

“Rere. Daddy isn’t like that at all.”

“I’m telling the truth!”

Rere gulped down the meat she had chewed and shook her fork from side to side.

“You’re totally a kid.”

“…No. That can’t be true.”

“Then why don’t you let Mom go?”

“It’s not that I’m not letting her go, but I’m just worried about her….”

“But I’m letting her go, though? So if Daddy doesn’t let her go, that means you’re more childish than me. Isn’t that right, Big Bunny?”

“You’re right. I can’t imagine how hard it is for Rere to raise a daddy who’s like a baby.”

“Sigh. I’ve been through a hard time. I think it’s better to raise a real child.”

Rere brushed her forehead, pretending to wipe her sweat. The Duke’s face turned quite sour in response to her gesture. He placed his cutlery on the table as if he had lost his appetite.

“…Go and return safely.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’m not a child. So you can go wherever you want. I won’t stop you anymore.”

After saying that, the Duke shrugged his shoulders lightly and made eye contact with Rere as if asking for a compliment.

I did well, right? I’m nothing like a kid, right?

“Thank you.”

Even when I answered, he did not take his gaze off Rere. The same went for Rere, of course.

The child did not take her eyes off me as if asking for a compliment. She didn’t even spare a glance at her daddy at all.

“Rere. Don’t you have anything to say to your daddy?”

“Uhm…I don’t know?”

“But…Daddy doesn’t act like a kid anymore, right?”

“It’s just one time. You have to do better next time if you don’t want us to call you a kid. Ahhh~ I’m full.”

Rere leaned back in the chair after finishing her meal and said.

“Did you change the chef? I don’t know why everything is so delicious these days.”

“Hmm? Do you think so?”

“We didn’t change the chef.” He chimed in.

“….Ah. Is that so?”

This bastard. I really want to muzzle his mouth.

I’m sure it won’t hurt to lie a bit, but the Duke butted in as if he couldn’t wait to say it.

Did he want to boast about how upright he was? He acted as if he could never lie for life.

“Then the chef must’ve improved a lot!”

“But the taste is-”

“He said he put a lot of effort these days. I’m sure Rere will grow really well because of that! Since the food is really delicious, you see.”

“That’s it! As expected, Big Bunny is so smart! I don’t know that the chef is working this hard. I should at least give him a compliment!”

In the meantime, the nanny approached us and put the squishy lemon sherbet down the table.

“I’m sure the chef will be very happy. I will convey your message to him instead.”

“Yup. Please tell him to continue working as hard as now.”

“Of course!”

“By the way, there’s something he needs to fix. How can he serve a dessert on such a small plate? It’d be finished in one bite! One bite, you know! Tell him to serve on a huge plate next time.”

“Alright, miss.”

I thought she was just exaggerating like usual, but Rere really finished the sherbet in one bite. After that, she looked at me for a while before jumping down from her seat.

“I’m done eating. Did you finish your meal, Big Bunny?”

“Yes!”

“Then you should go now.”

“Are you sending me off already?”

“Yeah! So that you can return quickly.”

Hearing the child urge me to return quickly, I got up from my seat.

“Alright. I’ll leave in a minute. I just need to wear my coat.”

“Okay! Daddy! Tell them to prepare the carriage.”

“…Alright.”

The Duke had been watching us with a sour expression and nodded his head as if nothing had happened.

“Rere, I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Yeah! Hurry up and go!”

The child looked brighter than ever. I stopped by my room to put on my coat and went outside where the carriage was already waiting for me.

“Come on! Come on!”

“Okay!”

Last time, Rere wanted to go with me, but now she waved her hand without any strain.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t worry. Rere is brave, you know!”

“Yeah…okay.”

“Geez. You seem to be worried too much. No need to worry! I have my daddy, my nanny and the maids with me.”

“Alright. Then I’ll really go now.”

After I got Rere’s approval for the last time, I finally got into the carriage. Then I opened the carriage window and stuck out my head.

“I’ll be back!”

“Okay!”

Rere waved her hand weakly as if she was quite annoyed with me.

“Let’s go now.”

The coachman snapped his whip and slowly drove off.

“Sigh.”

“Looks like Leona is more anxious than our little miss.”

Luca was already seated inside the carriage and naturally changed his seat next to me when the carriage set off.

“The more I love her, the more I care about her.”

“Is that so?”

“It feels really strange. I miss her the more I see her.”

As I was looking down at the floor, Luca’s face came into my sight.

“Don’t you miss me, too?”

“Of course…. I miss Luca, too.”

“But you’re not worried about me, right? So you don’t need to worry too much about her. She’s stronger than I ever was. Maybe she’s stronger than Leona, too. So stop worrying, okay?”

I felt somewhat relieved by his words. Everything he said was right.

“You’re right. I’m worried too much because she’s only a child in my eyes.”

“You’re with me today, so please pay attention to me. I want a little bit of Leona’s attention, too.”

“You’re just like an obedient puppy, you know?”

It won’t be weird if he was offended by it, but I just felt like saying it.

“Puppy? A puppy that only looks at Leona doesn’t sound bad at all. Then please pay attention to me, master.”

“Haha. alright.”

Luca’s eyes followed me as I raised my head.

“That aside, I am here with Luca again today.”

“His Grace doesn’t know about this.”

“Will you be fine, though?”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“Come to think of it, the Duke doesn’t seem to talk with you a lot.”

Luca stroked his chin at my remark.

“I think so, too.”

“Why is he so lenient with you?”

But there was no answer this time. Instead, he moved away a little and took something from his sleeve.

“I have a present for you.”

It was a small bottle. Before I could even ask about it, he already handed me a bottle that seemed to contain medicine in it.

“What’s this?”

“I don’t think you’ve been sleeping well these days. I heard this medicine is good for relaxation. I thought you might need it.”

“Luca, don’t tell me…”

“Yes?”

“Did you come to see me at night?”

A small smile spread on Luca’s face.

“So it’s true you came.”

“I thought you would be worried if you saw that I was there. Since I got rained on.”

“But….”

“It’s okay. I exist but don’t exist.”

“Are you saying you have no physical form?”

His lips slowly arched as if confirming my words.

“….No way.”

Something came to my mind as I watched him keeping his mouth shut at my question.

‘Maybe…he’s the Duke? I’d really hate it if that’s true…so it should be fine if I don’t want to talk about it, right?’

“Leona, actually I’m….”

“Don’t say anything. I’m not curious about your identity.”

“Haha, how relieving. Thank you.”

He laughed at the fact I didn’t even want to ask.

“I won’t ask you anything. So just stay right by my side, okay?”

“Yes. I’ll stay by your side until you get sick of me.”

I felt like my heart melted at the sight of his gentle and sweet smile.

He then opened my rabbit pouch and put the medicine bottle inside it. Only then I noticed the letter that Rere had folded neatly for me.

“Ah…”

“What’s wrong?”

“I forgot that Rere wrote me a letter.”

“A letter?”

I opened the letter and showed it to Luca, who seemed curious.

[This bag belongs to my mom. Ah, my mom is Duchess Petri. So I won’t let you go if you steal it! I will pour poop water on you! If you picked it up somewhere, give it back to my mom. If you don’t, I’ll put a curse on you!]

It was a smudged and cramped letter jumbled together in a disorderly fashion.

I thought she wrote it for me, but it was actually the opposite.

“Oh gosh…how cute.”

“Is this a letter from the little miss?”

“Yes. Isn’t she cute?”

“Yes. She’s very cute.”

So I handed over the letter I was holding. A smile slowly rose on his face as he read the content.

“I feel like my little miss is getting better and better with Leona around. She couldn’t write this well before.”

“It’s a little too fast for a five-year-old child.”

At that moment, I remembered the day when I met the High Priest.

“By the way, Luca. I heard something weird a few days ago.”

“What do you mean?”

“Does Luca…know anything about Rere’s early childhood?”

Luca, who always responded to everything I said, stayed silent this time.

“Luca?”

“…Why are you suddenly bringing this up?”

I wondered if it was also a topic that he couldn’t disclose. Anything about Luca always sparked my curiosity these days.

“The High Priest said he met Rere when she was one year old.”

“I see.”

“And the High Priest told me that Rere was much bigger than kids her age.”

“Ah….”

“Judging by your reaction, it seems Luca expected it to some extent. But I’m not sure if you’ve already expected it or you’re simply surprised that the High Priest remembered her when she was still one year old.”

His face suddenly turned darker than ever.

“But I didn’t ask you to tell me everything. I was just wondering if you knew something. You don’t have to answer.”

“….Really?”

“So I thought of investigating it later because I feel like it gives us a clue to solve the problem.”

“A clue?”

“I’m not investigating you. I don’t want to force you to talk about something you can’t say. But it’s about Rere. I want to investigate her illness.”

As if a little surprised, he let out a small gasp.

“I didn’t think of that.”