I Became The Stepmother Of An Irrevocable Dark Family

Perhaps because of Luca’s smooth talk, Rere didn’t get too upset even though I arrived late.

Rather, she ran to me as soon as I appeared in her room as if showing how brave she was.

“Big Bunny, did you have a good trip?”

“Yeah! Have you been a good girl, Rere?”

“Of course~ You don’t have to worry about Rere.”

Along with a wide grin, Rere approached the table where she had just been sitting and took a piece of paper.

“Rere is getting mature now!”

“What?”

“I’ve only waited and waited! I drew you, Big Bunny!”

Rere held out a paper with her drawing on it. It was adorable to see her sticking her chest out like she had never been so proud of herself.

“What is this?”

“It’s Big Bunny! I drew you!”

And I was in awe upon looking at her drawing. A perfect human form with an excellent color combination.

“That’s a great drawing, Rere.”

“I told you I’m pretty good at it!”

Rere preened proudly before running back and taking something with her.

“But I guess we don’t look alike.”

“Huh?”

“Look at this. Big Bunny is so bad at drawing.”

What Rere was holding was my drawing. I used to draw stick figures and play with crayons while I was accompanying her.

“Rere, that’s….!”

“I always thought that Big Bunny was good at drawing just like me!”

“N-No! Anyway! L-Let’s eat now, Rere. I’m hungry after going out.”

So I reached out my hand to take the paper she was holding.

“Are you gonna take it?”

“Yeah!”

“Tch..I already drew you, Big Bunny….! Why can’t I keep yours?!”

“I-I’ll redraw it for you then.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I’ll do my best to draw it for you. I don’t know if I can draw well, though.”

“I like everything you draw!”

Rere finally let go of the paper. I handed it to May, who stood behind me, in case Rere changed her mind again.

“Go burn it right now.”

“Yes, Madam!”

May quickly scurried out as soon as she accepted the paper.

“I’ll get the meal ready.”

“Since Ms. Leona is here, I’ll take my leave first.” The nanny and Luca said one after another.

“Rere, let’s get ready to eat.”

“Yup!”

So we had a hearty meal together, and just like that, our peaceful days passed by again.

***

Three days passed.

After all the preparation for the treasure hunting was completed, I woke the child at last.

“Rere, wake up. It’s morning already.”

“Uh….I know….I have to get uup….”

After rubbing both of her eyes languidly, Rere snuggled into my arms.

“I want to sleep more…..I’m sleepy. I’ve been sleeping a lot lately. What if I’m sick…..”

Rere puffed her chubby cheeks grouchily and bumped her head against my shoulder.

“I guess Rere is getting bigger now.”

“Uung?”

“I heard people fall asleep easily when they grow bigger.”

“Really? That’s a relief. But I’m sooo tired, so I’ll just sleep in Big Bunny’s arms.”

“Okay, sleep more.”

Rere showed off her childlike side to me and clung to me for a long time until she woke up.

After she woke up, the nanny and I worked together to wash her.

“Master said that he couldn’t join you for breakfast today.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m not sure either. He left for urgent work in the imperial palace early in the morning.”

“Oh.” My heart sank the moment she mentioned the Imperial Palace.

“….Yeah. I guess he’s finally working now.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare your meal so you can eat comfortably in your room today.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“Big Bunny! What are we going to play after eating?”

“Treasure hunt!”

Rere’s eyes sparkled at my words.

“Are we going to do it now?”

“Yeah! I just finished all the preparation.”

“Sounds fun!”

“Are you excited?”

“Who’s excited? I’m just trying to have fun because Big Bunny looks so excited!”

Rere pouted and jumped from my arms as soon as the meal came in and began to gobble up the food.

“Rere. Why are you eating so fast? Eat slowly.”

“Who is eating so fast? It looks like that because Big Bunny eats too slow. Hurry up and eat already. Come on!”

“O-Okay.”

She tried to act cool, but she clearly looked more excited than ever.

In the end, Rere finished her meal faster than usual and urged me.

“Hurry up. What should we do next? Hmm?”

“It won’t be fun with only two people. Should we invite other people?”

“Yeah! Let’s do it together! Rere, Big Bunny, Luca, and May!”

Dressed in comfortable clothes, Rere rushed outside and took Luca with her.

“May and Nanny are here, so we can play together! The four of us! Come on!”

“You must be very excited, miss.”

“No! Look at her. Don’t you see my Big Bunny is very happy right now? That’s why I’m willing to play! So let’s go out and play for my Big Bunny!”

Everyone laughed at her words and went out together.

“Now, what are we going to do, Big Bunny?”

“Yeah. I’ve hidden little notes here and there. If you can find them, I’ll give you the present written on the note. You don’t have to go anywhere else because it was scattered around this garden.”

“Present! Will there really be a present?”

“Yeah! You have to find the treasure!”

“I will find it all! All of them!”

Jumping excitedly, Rere ran fast even before I could start the game.

Luca, May, and the Nanny hurried after Rere.

Contrary to what she said before, Rere looked for the notes thoroughly.

The child jumped around in excitement as she looked for small notes hidden throughout the garden.

The little toys I bought in the market were written on each note she found.

Rere earned so many toys in no time, but surprisingly, none of the toys were small.

An octagonal dice tray made of crystal, an animal chessboard for children, or a pinwheel that produces thousands of colors when it spins.

All of the presents were wrapped in beautiful packaging.

In the meantime, the others managed to find one or two notes each.

“Here!”

“Then, I’ll keep it first and give the presents all at once, okay?”

“Yeaah! More! More! I’ll come back with more notes! Since Rere found this, you can’t give it to anybody else, okay?”

“Okay. Don’t worry.”

“Then I’ll find more!”

Rere rushed to find some more. All the notes were put in a place easily enough for her to notice somehow.

Whether it was in the bushes or on the branches that were high enough for her to reach.

It only took a couple of hours before Rere returned with all the notes.

“This is all Rere’s! Rere found this many!”

“Wow! You are so amazing!”

In reality, it was thanks to people who found the notes first and moved them to where Rere could see them. And so the treasure hunt ended much faster than expected.

“Rere is so amazing, right? Sigh….Where else can you find a daughter who has so much charm like Rere? And now Rere is becoming even more charming”

“Umm…Rere?”

“Is there anything that Rere can’t do? Sigh….they said being so charming can be so tiring….I feel like my life will be so tiring from now on…”

The child creased her forehead, acting as if she was disturbed.

“But I’ll be fine as long as I have Big Bunny!”

“Yeah!”

Looking at the child’s bright smile, I knelt down to match her gaze.

“But you know, Big Bunny?”

“Hmm?”

“So many things seem to like you! So I’m starting to get a little jealous.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yeah! Look at you. There’s a leaf stuck on your hair. Sigh…the leaves must be stuck like that because they like Big Bunny!”

She then removed the leaf that was caught in my long hair.

“It’s only a leaf, though?”

“Yeah! It must be stuck on you because it likes you!”

“Is that so?”

“Yuuup! This makes me even more tired! I need to stop Big Bunny from being so popular. I get jealous because of a leaf. But what can I do? It’s my own fault for having such a wonderful woman as my mom!”

Rere buried her head in my shoulder.

“Then let’s go in. Give me my present already! What’s the present? I see a lot of interesting names! I can’t wait to see it!”

“Luca and I brought a lot of things. I don’t know if Rere will like it….”

“I said I like it! I won’t be disappointed if Big Bunny and Luca brought it for me! Let’s go! I’m tired because I moved a lot today.”

As soon as I heard that, I held the child and tried to get up, but a cracking sound could be heard from my knee.

“Ugh….”

“What’s wrong Big Bunny?”

“Now I’m sure that Rere is growing.”

She had gotten heavier. I could confirm as someone who holds the child every day.

“Did I grow up? I’m really growing up, right? I told you so! I wish I could grow up to be as big as you!”

“I’m sure you’ll grow up in no time. By the way, you sweat a lot today. I think you should wash first.”

“No. Gimme the present first! I can’t wait to see it!”

“Alright, let’s go.”

I already told Luca to put the present box in one corner of the room. As soon as we got into the room, I put Rere’s notes on the table.

“What about the present?”

“Stay here. I’ll bring it to you. Anyone else have the notes?”

“I have one.”

“I have three!”

“I don’t have one. I couldn’t find one because the young lady has found them all.”

Unlike Luca and the nanny, May took three notes without a care in the world. As a result, Rere pouted and glared at May.

“You took my three notes.”

Even though people found it first, they left the notes on the ground so that Rere could take them, but May got too excited about finding the notes as well.

“…Haha…that’s….”

“Rere. But there are 26 of them.”

“No! I hate it! Rere wants to take it all!”