I Became The Stepmother Of An Irrevocable Dark Family

“Huh…?”

“I could tell just by looking. It’s not like I’ve seen my daddy for a day or two. I’ve been watching him for five years!”

Rere, who believed that she was five, spread out her five fingers. Her cuteness made me chuckle.

“5 years?”

“Yup! It’s Rere’s entire life!”

“I see. It’s Rere’s entire life.”

“That’s why, Big Bunny, you must believe what Rere says! I overheard what the nanny and the maids said.”

“What were they saying?”

“Men will get the wrong idea if you are nice to them.”

Rere was smiling brighter than she ever did before.

“Are you saying that men will get the wrong idea if I’m nice to them?”

“Yeaah! Remember when the Crown Prince came to visit? The nanny and maids surrounded me and told me that. It was when you were on your way to the temple.”

“Did that happen?”

“Yeah. So we must treat them in such a way that men cannot help but wonder, ‘Oh, what kind of feeling is this?’ So you have to continue to be mean to Daddy, okay?”

When I saw Rere’s determined attitude, I nodded firmly.

“So you’re telling me to be mean to your daddy, right?”

“Yeah! Come to think of it, even Big Bunny fell in love with him because he was always being mean to you!”

“Ahh!”

That wasn’t true, though.

But Rere nodded firmly as if she already knew everything.

“Am I right?”

“I think you’re right! How about Rere? Do you like the Crown Prince?”

“I don’t think so?”

“T-Then why are you so mean to him?”

Rere’s face turned white for a split second as if she had been struck by lightning.

“Ah, that’s right!!!”

“Huh?”

Rere screamed so loudly that Ian, who was walking ahead, came to a halt.

“What’s wrong, Rere?”

Thanks to that, Ian was about to run toward us.

“No, Daddy. Go away. Shoo, shoo!”

Rere was glaring at Ian and motioning for him to mind his own business, so he mumbled alone if it were unfair and continued walking ahead.

“Are you alright, Rere?”

“Yeah! To be honest, I believe I made a big mistake. What could it be?”

“A big mistake?”

“Aha! I think I used that secret technique on the Crown Prince, too! Wow…that was close.”

Rere, with her little hand on her forehead, sighed deeply. I ended up laughing at her cuteness.

“Are you upset?”

“Very much! Ha. What if the Crown Prince comes again? I really, really hate him.”

“Then you should make it clear to him!”

“Alright! I’m just going to be too nice to him to the point of being annoying! I’m sure he’ll grow tired of me, right?”

As if she had finally found a solution, Rere brought her hands to cover her mouth.

“Huh? But then…he’ll get the wrong idea…”

“No. If he still likes me after I yelled at him, and if he still likes me after I treated him nicely, then he really is just that!”

“He really is just what?”

“A madman!”

Rere, who had just yelled angrily, pouted as if sick of him.

“Big Bunny…”

“Yeah?”

“No way…that person isn’t crazy, right?”

“I don’t know…? B-But, wouldn’t he understand if Rere just made it clear to him?”

“The back of my head is itchy for no reason. I think that person…will come back again.”

Rere’s gaze was more determined than ever.

Originally, Rere was head over heels in love with the Crown Prince, but now…

“I really hated that guy. He was incredibly rude to Big Bunny and certainly had no tact at all. He’s hideous!”

“D-Do you think so?”

“Yeah! Geez… I’ll have to be super nice to him next time. So he doesn’t get the wrong idea and comes back.”

“Or how about doing this, Rere?”

I smiled upon seeing her eyes twinkling as she looked at me.

“It’s best to use a crazy method to deal with a madman.”

“Oh! What should I do?”

“Aside from pretending to treat him nicely, Rere could also treat him like you normally do!”

“Isn’t Rere normally nice?”

“…Ah. T-That’s right.”

“Big Bunny’s reaction is very strange.”

Rere pouted again and looked at me with her rabbit-like eyes.

“I-I know. I made a mistake. Rere is usually lovely, kind, and nice. W-What I mean is that you can still be angry and irritated like you used to act.”

Then, Rere, who was listening to me, puckered her lips.

“I-Is that not it…? R-Rere in the past was lovely…”

“I admit.”

“Huh?”

“Rere in the past was a little mean.”

“That’s right! That’s why you have to do push-and-pull the next time you meet the Crown Prince. You treat him nicely and yell at him subsequently. So that he’ll think you’re crazy!”

Rere nodded vigorously at what I said.

“Ooh. That’ll make me look crazy! So you want me to treat him nicely and throw a fit at him after that?”

“Exactly!”

“That settles it! Then I’ll definitely do that the next time I see him. I’ll make sure he doesn’t come back.”

Rere clenched her small fists. Just then, Ian stopped his stride.

“Let’s go in. Leona, Rere.”

“Finally, I’m eating!”

I put the excited child on the floor as soon as we arrived in front of the dining room. The child then dashed into the dining room and took a seat.

They were able to fill the entire table with a variety of foods despite the short notice.

“Hurry up. Big Bunny and Daddy, come here and eat!”

“Are you waiting for us?”

“Yeah! Family should eat together.”

After Ian and I sat, Rere lifted her tableware and started eating. I was curious as to how delicious the food was because she ate it so quickly.

When I saw her eating so diligently, a smile spread across my face.

“Big Bunny, too, should eat. Why aren’t you eating today, Daddy?”

“Alright!”

After a long time, the three of us enjoyed a family meal. Only the sound of tableware filled the room for quite a while. Then the long silence was broken by Ian.

“Anyway, how about all of us, including Rere, go to temple together?”

His sudden remark caused Rere to spring from her seat.

“Temple! I wanna go! I wanna go! What does it look like over there? Is it really a beautiful place? I saw in the book that rainbow-colored flowers blessed by God bloom in the temple garden!”

“Is there such a thing?”

“Yeah! Haven’t you seen it, Big Bunny?”

“Yeah.”

“It can’t be helped. Rere should see it directly. With that said, let’s go right now.”

However, unlike her previous behaviors, Rere hesitated as she tried to read Ian’s countenance.

“Can I go? Don’t worry about Rere! Rere is extremely strong, so she will never faint again! Can I go please…? Daddy?”

She was afraid he would say no. The number of times she was permitted to go out could probably be counted on less than five fingers.

“Daddy?”

“….”

“Tch…Don’t be the bad guy who goes back on your own words! Look, you were the one who gave me permission, but now you’re staying silent. That is why I hate Daddy!”

“I was going to ask them to prepare the carriage immediately, though?”

“Forget it now. You thought I’d fall for that and say I love you!?”

Ian just looked at the servant in the room.

“I will go out with my family, so prepare a carriage.”

“Understood.”

Rere had been standing on top of the chair with her arms folded and quickly climbed down. Then she fixed her gaze on Ian.

“Daddy.”

“Yes.”

“I love you.”

“Are you finally going to love Daddy?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Does that mean you don’t normally love Daddy?”

“Huh? Why are you asking such a question?! Daddy, I will always love you. Do you think I’m unable to say that? You bet! Even when I’m sick, hungry, full, or playing, I’ve always loved my daddy!”

As she was saying that, Rere turned her gaze to look at me.

“And I love my mom, Big Bunny… 100 times more than Daddy!”

“Do you love me that much?”

“Yeah, so you both shouldn’t do something like that.”

“What do you mean something like that?”

“Never ask your child whether they like their mother or father better. Rere loves both. So can’t you stop asking me that?”

We both laughed at her cuteness and nodded.

“Okay, I get it. I’ll never ask you that. I know how much you love your mom and daddy.”

“Yeah! So let’s go.”

“But you haven’t even eaten dessert.”

“Yeah. But I can’t wait to go!”

Rere quickly took my hand in hers. I eventually got up from my seat, mumbling to myself in confusion. Then Rere dragged me over and took Ian’s hand, too.

“Let’s go.”

“Even so, Rere. We haven’t even washed up. Let’s at the very least change our clothes before we leave.”

Rere’s mouth protruded like a carp at my suggestion.

“Tch…”

“Instead, we can do it quickly and leave!”

“Okay. Then I’ll go wash up with Big Bunny quickly, so you must do the same, Daddy.”

“Okay.”

“During that time, you cannot change your mind like a cheapskate, okay?”

“I won’t do that.”

“…I’m a little skeptical, but I have no choice.”

Rere mumbled to herself and returned to the room with me. Despite Rere’s request to wash up quickly, the nanny and maids washed the child thoroughly.

“Isn’t this enough? Let’s get going!” Rere pressed harder than ever, so I had no choice but to wash briefly and leave the room with Rere.

Meanwhile, Ian stood in front of the room, looking neat and tidy after washing.

“Let’s get going.”

“Wow. Are we really going now? Daddy, you’re serious!”

“I already promised. Let’s go.”

Rere’s eyes sparkled as she nodded vehemently and grabbed our hands. So we proceeded to the main gate, where the carriage was parked.

But suddenly we met an unexpected visitor.

“Princess, are you alright?!”

It was the Crown Prince. As if he had just arrived at the duchy, the Crown Prince rushed from his carriage and ran toward Rere.

“Huh…?”

We were all taken aback. No wonder I had suddenly brought up a topic about the Crown Prince today. Was that foreshadowing the Crown Prince’s visit?

‘How can he appear like that as soon as we mention him! This situation truly feels like fiction.’

With a deep sigh, I stopped in front of the child to prevent him from running to Rere.

“What are you up to?”