I Became The Stepmother Of An Irrevocable Dark Family

“Why do we have to go to the Imperial Palace?”

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I couldn’t help but respond sensitively to the phrase ‘Imperial Palace’.

“It’s an order from His Majesty the Emperor to introduce Rere to the Crown Prince.”

“Does it have anything to do with what you said last time?”

I was afraid that Rere would understand what I said, so I glanced at her to read her expression.

Fortunately, Rere didn’t seem to know about our conversation as she was busy with her meal.

“That’s right.”

“…I said it countless times before, didn’t I? As expected…you’re really so frustrating!”

“Well, it’s not too late to go first and make a decision based on the situation.
As you said, Rere herself could have wanted it.”

You can’t do that! If that happens, Rere will eventually become a villainess.
The Crown Prince should never interfere with Rere’s life.

“Can’t the child decide for herself?”

“Rere.”

“Yes!”

“His Majesty invited you to the Imperial Palace to play.
What do you think? There are many fun things to do there.
You can also meet His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Rere, who smiled brightly with her cheeks full of food, answered.

“Hmm.
I don’t want to.”

“…Yeah, huh?? Y-You don’t want to? Why?”

“No reason.
I just don’t want to.”

“…Still.
We have to go.”

“Why are you asking me then?”

Rere put a cheese-covered meatball into her mouth and glared at him instantly.

“I thought you’d love to go! There are so many fun things to do.
There’s a garden…”

“There are a lot of fun things here, too!”

“For example?”

“Big Bunny! It’s fun because Big Bunny always plays different games with me everyday.”

“…Hmm.
But still, Rere.
Let’s just go this once, hmm?”

However, Rere put down the utensil she was using at once and swung her little finger from side to side.

“I don’t wanna~”

“Just once, please.
I already told His Majesty that we’ll go!”

“Hmph.
Really? If I don’t go, will Daddy be embarrassed?”

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“Yeah.”

“Ummmmm.
I don’t wanna go.”

He was busy studying Rere’s reaction as if he was very anxious to take the child to the Imperial Palace.

“Um, if Daddy grants me a wish, I will go to the Imperial Palace.”

“Wish? What is it?”

“Yeah! I’ll whisper to you when it’s just the two of us, okay?!”

“Okay.
Leona, Rere has decided to go.
So that must be enough, right?”

“…H-Hold on! Rere.”

As I was listening to the two in a daze, I hurriedly shook my head.

“Are you really going to go?”

“Yup!”

“But…”

I should’ve stopped her earlier, but I was sure that Rere would reject it judging by her negative reaction.
But to think that she agreed immediately with only one wish….

What should I say to stop Rere from going?

‘This place is actually inside a novel, and Rere is going to fall for the Crown Prince and die miserably as a villainess.’

Could I even say something like that?

Then my gaze went to the child.
She was a child who was supposed to do wicked things from an early age according to the novel.

However, Rere had not said anything bad recently.
Rather, the nanny and the maids were worried.

She did say bad words from time to time, but she gradually was becoming like any child of her age.

‘Maybe…it is possible to change.’

I was swept by a strong premonition.
I had a feeling that I might be able to change everyone’s future…

“Rere, do you really want to go?”

“Yes!”

How did Rere meet the Crown Prince the first time? I thought it was mentioned briefly in the novel as a flashback scene…

Perhaps…she visited the Emperor with her daddy and got bored, so she wandered into the garden.
There she met the Crown Prince who was in a tree reading a book.

And it was said that the Emperor had planned it all.
He did everything to connect Rere and the Crown Prince from the beginning.
It was described in the middle of the novel.

‘In conclusion, it’d be fine as long as Rere doesn’t go to the garden.’

I was so convinced by that.

“Okay.
If Rere really wants to go, then you can go.”

“Really?”

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“It’s not like I have a say in this, right?”

“Yeah.
But instead, if Rere doesn’t feel happy after her visit to the Imperial Palace, I promise I won’t force her anymore.”

I wasn’t sure whether I should thank His Majesty for this, or should I consider this a misfortune.

I alternately looked at him and Rere.
What should I do in this situation?

“Then it’s decided.”

“Can I go there too?”

I asked again because I wasn’t originally invited by the Emperor.

“Will it be okay with you? We’re going to the Imperial Palace, after all.”

“Is there any reason to prevent me from going? I want to go as Rere’s mother.”

For a moment, all his movements stopped.

“I suppose there’s no place that I can’t go as the Duchess.”

“Of course.
If you want to go, let’s go together.”

“Alright.
Rere, we’ll go to the Imperial Palace tomorrow.”

“Yippie! I’m going to play with Big Bunny~” Rere shouted.

It felt as though she was more excited to go out and play with me rather than visiting the Imperial Palace itself.

It will be fine as long as I do well.
As I was getting all fired up, I shoved a large piece of steak into my mouth.

‘I can change my daughter’s future!’

Of course, because of that I had an upset stomach that day.

 

***

 

The next day.

Since we were going to meet the Emperor, we should prepare to the fullest extent.
Therefore, we had to wake up earlier to get ready.

All preparation was complete after we painstakingly washed the sleepy Rere, dressed up, and even decorated our hair.

“Shall we go now?”

I was convinced that this man still had no idea about the child’s sleep schedule.

“Ha…next time you should make an appointment when Rere has already awakened!”

“…Don’t people usually already rise at this time?”

How could you compare Rere with someone used to waking up at dawn?

“Don’t you know what time she wakes up?”

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“…..”

“I think I told you already.”

“…8 o’clock?”

“…11 o’clock.
But you’re telling us to be ready at 10 o’clock…”

“…I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

He seemed to have come to his senses, but recently he had only returned to his ugly habits.

He lost interest in his own child.
As a father, how can he be indifferent to his own daughter more than his knight, Luca?

“Come on, let’s go!”

He reached out to me, mumbling as if he wanted to change the subject.

“I’m carrying the child.
Go ahead first, I’ll catch up to you.”

“…Alright.”

Rere was sleeping so soundly that she didn’t even move in my arms.
I covered the child with a thin blanket in case it was cold, and before I knew it, we arrived in front of the carriage.

The Duke got into the carriage first and then reached out to me again.

This time, I couldn’t possibly get on the carriage without his help, so I held his hand and climbed into it.

“You can sit over there.”

“Thank you.”

The carriage door closed as soon as we were all seated.
The carriage rattled slowly as if not to wake the child.

The clatter of the carriage wheels filled the silence between us.

It was my second time to ride in the Duke’s carriage.
The first time was when Leona’s family sold her to him.

Come to think of it, when I suddenly opened my eyes, I already possessed Leona.

“Hoaaam…”

“Rere, are you waking up?”

Upon realizing she was in a different place than usual, Rere slowly opened her eyes.

“Wow! I’m in a carriage! I’m really going outside!”

Just like a child her age, she shouted and flailed her feet excitedly.

“Haven’t you ridden a carriage often?”

“I haven’t got a chance to ride a carriage that often because I was sick.
Daddy wouldn’t allow it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

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Rere turned and leaned closer to the window, opening her eyes wide as she watched the scenery outside.

As I looked out the window while holding Rere with one hand so the child wouldn’t fall, I suddenly remembered the day Leona first rode in this carriage.

“By the way.”

The Duke slowly turned his head.

“Yes?”

“Did you happen to notice anything strange when I first rode this carriage on my way to the duchy?”

“Something strange?”

As the carriage picked up its speed, for some reason I was swept by a strange emotion which I couldn’t understand no matter how much I pondered it.

I was busy living my life for a while, so I couldn’t really afford to worry about other things.
But a few days after Leona’s family came over and when I rode the carriage, I couldn’t shake off these strange feelings.

I suddenly took over Leona’s body while riding this carriage.
How is that possible?

“Something weird…”

As if to recall that day, the Duke stroked his chin for a long time.

“Something did happen that I found a little strange.
You were shaking anxiously and suddenly collapsed as if you were taking a nap.
Then you abruptly opened your eyes wide and glared at me as though you were going to eat me up.
It was pretty strange.”

“…Ah.”

“Other than that, I didn’t notice anything extraordinary.
Of course, the way you acted when you first signed the contract and when you entered the duchy felt different….”

And at that moment, I recalled what Leona’s family had said about how she often fainted.

‘I think…I should find the people who treated Leona back then.’

“Is there a problem?”

“…If you don’t mind, can you do me a favor?”

“A favor?”

“Before I came to the duchy, my family must have called a doctor several times to treat me.
Can you find that doctor?”

“That much is nothing for me.”

“Then I’ll be counting on you.”

The Duke shrugged his shoulders lightly and smiled.

“By the way, Leona.
I think it’s been a while since you last asked me for a favor.
I think the first time was when you asked me to listen to the child, right?”

“I think so.”

“I can do anything for you.
If you have something else to ask, just tell me.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Unlike before, the atmosphere between us had changed.
The Duke looked out the window with a satisfied smile, and I also looked out the window where Rere was staring absorbed.

After quite a long time had passed, the wagon slowly stopped as we had arrived at our destination.