I Became The Stepmother Of An Irrevocable Dark Family - Chapter 87

Chapter 87

“Luca said so. Adults can be sick, too. There are days when things get hard and you want to cry.”

“Ah….”

“Nothing wrong with that, but it’s wrong to hide your feelings and suffer alone.”

Rere sat still on my arms, pouting.

“Rere….”

“I confess all my feelings to Big Bunny, but why does Big Bunny suffer alone? Is it because I’m young….that you can’t tell me….?”

I brought my forehead closer to the child who looked sadder than usual. Her warmth transmitted to my skin.

“No, Rere. It’s not like that. I’m just…embarrassed.”

“Huh?”

“The fact that those ugly people are my family…..I mean, Rere doesn’t have to be bothered by them.”

“So what if they’re your family! My daddy is not that great either. And of course I was bothered! You’re my mom! My mom!”

A deep crease appeared on her forehead. She looked so grumpy and continued making her moue.

“Does it really bother you that much…..?”

“Yeah. They are very bad people. I saw my Big Bunny’s eyes shaking. You looked…..very angry and your cheeks were puffy.”

Rere looked back at the door angrier than ever.

“R, Really?”

“Yeah. That’s why Rere’s heart aches. Maybe I can feel Big Bunny’s heart.”

Rere, who was in my arms, rubbed her cheeks against mine.

“Because Rere stays next to me, I feel like I can go through everything no matter how hard or unfair it is.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, that’s why Rere…..will stay with Mom for a long time, right?”

“Yeaah! Don’t worry!”

I had all kinds of thoughts every time Leona’s family came to visit.

How to knock some sense into them?

“But I won’t forgive them. Damn….I won’t let them hurt my Big Bunny ever again.”

The child leaned her head over my shoulder.

“Next time they come, I’ll really give them a hard time.”

“….Thank you, Rere.”

“Don’t thank me. We’re family, so it’s normal to do this. I don’t want Big Bunny to suffer anymore. I will protect you, because we’re family!”

Rere raised her head and wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

“Because we’re family!”

“Yeah! Because we’re family!”

I felt alive because of Rere.

I was saved because I met Rere.

She made my life worth living.

“Let’s go back now.”

If I looked a little down, Rere would smile brighter. I thought I was trying to change Rere, but it was actually the opposite.

“You know, Big Bunny, I’m really in a good mood today. I got to hear about my childhood which I’ve never heard before!”

I had forgotten for a while about what the High Priest had said before. He said Rere was bigger than kids her age. It bothered me for some reason.

“Yeah.”

“I hope he can talk about my childhood again next time. It’s a shame that nobody else knows about it, though.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah! Let’s put this medal in your pretty rabbit pocket when we arrive at our room. I will never lose it.”

Rere chuckled, rocking her feet back and forth as if excited. The child was still holding a medal in her hand.

“As expected, I can only count on you. By the way, you did a great job today.”

“Yup! Rere is very smart. Rere won’t do anything to embarrass Mom!”

“Oh, really?”

“Umm, I lost my temper in the Imperial Palace….but it’s because I was so sick of that place! Ugh! I don’t want to go there again.”

Rere shuddered, expressing her heart truthfully. I couldn’t help but smile at her cute behavior.

“Right. I was sick of that place, too.”

“Right?!”

“If it wasn’t for Rere, I would have already dozed off there.”

“That’s right! No wonder Rere feels so itchy. I must have sensed that Big Bunny was sick of that place.”

“That’s right. That must be the case.”

Rere raised her head and made eye contact with me for a long time.

“That’s why, Rere knows what Big Bunny wants to do now!”

“What do I want to do?”

“Go to my room and lie down with Rere!”

“Oh my god! How did you know?!”

When I reacted excitedly, Rere shook her shoulders as if very happy.

“It’s not like we know each other for a day or two. Then, let’s go. I wonder in which rabbit pocket should I put the medal so my Big Bunny won’t lose it?”

The child, who didn’t stop chattering until we arrived at the room, was busy rummaging through the pile of rabbit dolls for a long time.

The nanny and maids offered to help, but Rere was stubborn.

“I’ll find it. I’m going to find it and give it to Big Bunny as a gift. So don’t bother me!”

“But it must be tough… there are so many rabbit dolls….if you tell me what you’re looking for…”

Even when the nanny offered to help, Rere looked askance at the nanny as if she would never yield.

In the end, no one could stop her even when she sweated a lot.

“I found it! This would be perfect!”

After quite a long time, what Rere pulled out was a cute pocket with a rabbit face attached on it.

But Rere didn’t give it right away. She went to a table full of books and began to write something down on paper.

“Rere, what are you doing?”

“D, Don’t come closer! B, Big Bunny and the others should clean up the bunnies first!”

Rere was throwing a fit and turned away so that no one could see the paper. At first, we were puzzled by Rere’s behavior, but then we chuckled together and began to clean the rabbit dolls.

How long had it been?

After a long time, Rere finally came to me.

“Big Bunny, take this.”

“Are you done?”

“Yes! I put the medal in there!”

So I was going to open the pocket.

“No! Don’t open it now! Open it later. Later!”

“Huh? Why?”

“Just because! Aaaah! I’m hungry because I moved a lot today. Let’s eat first.”

As if trying to change the subject, Rere awkwardly gestured to the nanny.

“Hurry up and get the food. I want to eat with Big Bunny.”

“Alright.”

“By the way.”

“Yes?”

“When do the nanny and other maids eat?”

“We take turns eating. Are you worried about us?”

The nanny covered her mouth as if she was touched. But Rere began to pout annoyedly again.

“W, Who’s worried about you? I’m just…….I don’t want you to collapse when you are taking care of me.”

“I’m glad that Miss Rebecca is concerned about us. Everyone is eating well and doing well. In fact, we’ve gained weight recently. It’s all thanks to you.”

Looking at the smiling nanny, Rere huffed and turned around.

“Yeah, that’s a relief. You should eat well from now on. Everyone and Big Bunny, too! I’m worried because Big Bunny looks so dry all the time.”

“I eat better than anyone else.”

“I know! You definitely eat well. So it’s strange.”

I hung the rabbit doll given by Rere on my waist and squatted on the floor to make eye contact with Rere.

“What’s strange?”

“….I wonder if it’s because of me?”

“No. It can’t be because of Rere. I guess I just need to eat well!”

“Good idea. You need to get a little chubbier, or else you will collapse first.”

As soon as the food entered the room, Rere was busy putting meat on my plate.

“Rere. Aren’t you eating?”

“I’ve been eating well! Now that I look at you, I feel like Big Bunny is also a picky eater. It’s okay if you don’t like carrots, but you have to eat other food plentily. If you eat well, you don’t have to worry about eating carrots. So you have to eat well, okay?”

Repeating exactly what I said to her before, Rere pushed a large cut of meat into my mouth.

“Say ah!”

“Ah~”

“Chew slowly, okay? You might get an upset stomach if you eat in a hurry.”

“Okay.”

“If you’re sick, you will have to take medicine. Rere is already an adult who is very good at taking medicine, and doctor’s medicine tastes so bad, you know.”

Rere poked the food using her fork as she grumbled.

“Is that for Mom?”

“Yes!”

“Rere must eat, too.”

“Rere will eat when Big Bunny is full! Hmph…Rere is so busy. But I can’t help it, right? My Big Bunny cannot eat well without me.”

“I know.”

“So stay next to Rere. Rere will take good care of you.”

How can you be this lovely?

I nodded amusedly as I watched Rere pout with her little mouth.

“Yeah. We’ll be together for a long time. Until Rere gets tired of me.”

“Yeah!”

After that, Rere took care of my meal for a long time.

***

That night.

It was especially thundery today.

Rere, who had been playing the whole day, held Ugly in her arms as the sky became dark and the rain began pouring.

All the windows and curtains were closed, but the thunderous sound still could be heard.

“Are you scared?”

“I’m not scared! It’s just…too loud,”

So I patted Rere’s back and covered her with a blanket.

“You know what, Rere? Mom really likes rainy days.”

“…Really?”

“But I couldn’t tell people. When I said I like rain, they said I was crazy.”

“Why? Why do people say you’re crazy?”

“There’s a saying that people who go out and play on rainy days are crazy.”