I Became The Stepmother Of An Irrevocable Dark Family - Chapter 101

That was why everything felt strange before. After all, she was a year older than her reported age.

“The High Priest noticed….a child who was quite large for a one-year-old…so there was a gap with her real age.”

“…I was surprised when you first told me about it. I fired all the nannies and servants who looked after Rere when she was a baby. I thought nobody would discover it.”

“You fired them all…”

Watching him mumble hesitantly, I was reminded of the old butler that the nanny had told me about the other day.

“Why did you fire them all?”

“Because they knew too much about the child.”

“Even the butler?”

“Do you know about the butler?”

“I knew that he cared about Rere more than anyone else.”

He showed a lonely smile as he looked outside the window.

“I see. Since my parents were still alive, there was an old butler who looked after my sister and me. But every time I saw him attentively looking after the child who had lost her mother, I kept remembering Lalice. He knew so much that I kicked him out, despite the fact that he was entrusted with my late parents’ final wish.”

Listening to the Duke, I nodded my head silently.

“…He…He knows everything? About this matter, too?”

“Yes, the old butler knew about this matter. But I forgot that he wasn’t the type to speak carelessly. I used to think I knew everything, but I’ve become so messed up lately.”

As he revealed his human side, he opened a second bottle of wine.

“Aren’t you drinking too much?”

“Don’t worry. Today…I wanted to talk to you even if I needed alcohol to do so. But now I’ve told you….I feel at ease.”

That’s what he said, but the Duke didn’t appear to be at ease.

Rather, I saw him holding back from telling everything, and so I decided to find the old butler myself.

‘I must find that butler.’

I couldn’t recall anything about the old butler from the novel, as if someone had erased my memories.

And once again, the Duke spoke.

“My heart still aches when I look at Rere. I felt terrible for my sister, who left the world without having lived a proper life. My heart goes out to her. These emotions constantly haunt me.”

“So toward Rere….”

“It was even worse when she was younger. I tried to ease my guilt by adopting her as my daughter and bestowing the title of princess upon her, but my heart broke whenever the child reminded me of my sister.”

Now I understood why he was such a terrible father to Rere.

“That’s why…even now, it’s difficult for Rere to call me daddy. Perhaps having a guy like me as her father is nothing but bad luck. If only I were dead and Lalice were still alive. Rere would be happy.”

I slowly drew closer to him.

The man crying on the inside had suppressed his emotions for a long time.

I criticized him without knowing anything.

I hated him without knowing anything.

I had no idea such a story existed.

I always acted so self-righteously whenever I criticized him, as if I were the saint between the two of us, not caring what he thought whenever he saw Rere. It was so ironic that I laughed at myself.

I stroked his head as he sat in silence. Sitting in his chair with an empty gaze, he silently raised his gaze to me and leaned his shoulder.

“I couldn’t tell anyone. I felt that I couldn’t protect my sister’s last honor if I did. I can’t even tell Rere. It’s just….your mom loved you and she protected you with all her heart….”

His voice sank even lower today.

Had he always felt like this?

He went through a range of emotions just like a pupa transforming into a butterfly.

And the more I stood with him, the more I changed my mind.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“I had no idea…so I despised you greatly. I despised you because you are a father who cannot raise his child properly.”

“…I’m the worst in many ways. I failed to protect my younger sister and her daughter.”

“From now on, all you can do is protect Rere. Because you are the most important person to Rere.”

“I’ve thought about it all the time. You are better than me and possibly more important to the child’s future.”

A man once again succumbed into sadness and looked so lonely.

“A child needs a father more than anyone else.”

“Can I stay next to Rere?”

“Of course. Please continue to look after Rere properly. You, as her father, and I, as her mother. Let us raise Rere to grow up healthy.”

Only then he nodded.

It was the first time I saw his fully relaxed expression.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“So you must change from now on. Don’t just say whatever you want and act however you want.”

“Okay.”

I wanted to say more, but I held myself back because I had heard so much from him today and he was still hurting.

There was nothing I could do but talk to him for a long time over a glass of wine.

Time passed quickly. I drank a glass or two of wine with him as he told me about Rere’s childhood until late into the night.

*** 

The next day.

I had a hangover because I drank too much wine with the Duke. Even though it was past noon, I couldn’t get up and rolled around in bed for a long time.

“Gosh! Big Bunny. Aren’t you going to get up?”

“Rere.”

“Yeaah!”

“…Mom wants to sleep more…”

Did I drink too much? I lost track of how many bottles of wine we drank because I was too engrossed in Rere’s childhood stories.

I had no idea drinking wine would leave me feeling so awful the next day.

“But you need to eat. You will be sick if you skip meals.”

“It’s okay to do that once a while.”

Then, the nanny entered the room with a tray of food.

“I heard that His Excellency can’t get up either.”

“Ah…that.”

“No way! Did anything happen to you two last night? So that’s why you both continue to sleep like this?”

Rere jumped up and down on the bed as if she was excited. As a result, the bed jolted as if there had been an earthquake. So, I rolled sideways to avoid Rere.

“Please spare me…just for a day.”

“Are you feeling sick?”

“No…”

But I knew that if I kept refusing to eat, Rere would keep trying to set me up with the Duke. So I reluctantly rose from my bed.

“I’m not sick. Nothing happened between us. We just chatted a bit.”

“Tch…just that? I knew it. You don’t like my daddy, right?”

“Yeah.”

I shook my head firmly which made me feel more nauseous than before.

“Fine. Rere will give up now.”

“Huh…?”

“I won’t force you anymore because you still don’t like him after spending the night together! If Big Bunny does not choose Daddy, Rere will accept it.”

“Do you mean it?”

“Yeah! Rere is not a fool like my daddy. I don’t want to force you to do things you dislike. So, let’s change my daddy. I think it will be faster.”

I picked up the child and hugged her tightly in my arms.

I was still dizzy and nauseous because of the hangover, but I rubbed my cheek against the child’s cheek.

I couldn’t tell her whether she should hate him or not. Because what he said yesterday broke my heart more than anything,

“Big Bunny is being weird.”

“What? Why am I weird?”

“Yeah, you would have been on my side most of the time, but I feel like you’re not answering on purpose today.”

I sat her in a chair instead of replying.

“Did I?”

I knew that children are sensitive. For a brief moment, my heart stopped because Rere had noticed the smallest change in me.

“Yeah, you’re being weird.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m hungry. I should not skip meals just as Rere advised then.”

“That’s right. So you should not skip meals, okay?”

Because of her urging, I had to start eating with Rere. However, my stomach couldn’t handle it and I had to finish the meal without eating much.

As soon as I finished eating, I put off all my work and became one with the bed again. Fortunately, the hangover was better by evening.

Unlike me, the Duke, who drank more wine, stayed in bed for two more days. He refused to meet with us because he didn’t want to make us worry.

He used to avoid people when he was busy with work, so Rere also didn’t look for him.

According to the nanny, his fever worsened and they had to call a doctor to his room.

We visited him at night out of concern, but he had fallen into such a deep sleep that he didn’t even notice our presence.

“Big Bunny. Daddy is weird.”

“Do you think so?”

“Whenever I showed up, he used to wake up no matter how deeply he slept, but he didn’t wake up this time.”

Then, a servant next to him approached us.

“You don’t have to worry. He is sleeping because of the medicine. He couldn’t sleep well because of his terrible fever. I heard he will get better by tomorrow.”

“Is that so…?”

“Are you sure Daddy is okay?”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

I touched his forehead just in case. The servant was telling the truth because his forehead was hot. I even flinched a bit when my fingers touched his forehead.

“How is he, Big Bunny? Is Daddy alright?”

“Yeah. He does have a fever. If Rere is worried, why don’t you stay with Daddy all day tomorrow?”

“Um, should I?”

“Because Big Bunny has an appointment at the temple tomorrow.”

“Fine! Rere will take care of Daddy tomorrow!”

“Your daddy will be happy, I guess?”

“Yup, I guess so. Ha. It’s really tough being Rere! I can’t believe I have to take care of my daddy.”

“Shall we ask someone else to do it?”

“No! I’ll do it. It can’t be helped.”

Rere pretended to wipe her sweat, walked closer to the duke with a smile and kissed him on the cheek.

“Daddy, wake up. This is so unlike you.”

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