Became the Step-Mother of the Rabbit Female Lead (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
April eating strawberries is just too cute!
That thought alone has already crossed my mind 39 times. At this point, I should be getting tired of it—but far from it, I could probably do it over a hundred times.
Rabbits are the best, the cutest, always thrilling!
“April, are the strawberries tasty?”
April nodded at the question. Her white fur around her rabbit mouth had turned a faint pink, looking just like she’d applied strawberry-tinted lip stain. She was far too adorable!
“But there’s way too much for just the two of us, so let’s bring some to the Duke later. What do you think?”
April paused as if pondering for a moment, then nodded generously. Her little rabbit mouth kept munching away.
“I asked the head chef, and he said the flowers you pick can either be used as cake decorations, dried for tea, or made into candied preserves.”
“Ngh.”
“And what else…? Ah, right! He said he’d prepare all three versions for us, so let’s just wait and see.”
“Yay!”
April leapt up excitedly. True to her nature—she was indeed the food-loving, cutest little rabbit. Smiling, I patted her head and shared the strawberries with April, bite by bite.
After eating our fill of strawberries, I settled April onto my lap and read a book together with her.
The book was a travelogue detailing a journey through the southern continent, authored by none other than an eagle shifter.
Apparently, eagle shifters were extremely rare. That’s why they were so hard to encounter. I wonder… will I ever meet one?
“Kyaww.”
“Hmm?”
April pointed decisively at an illustration with her front paw. It depicted a seaside village—the blue sky, white buildings, and the clear, pristine ocean made a striking impression.
“This must be a seaside village. Do you want to visit?”
“Kyaa!”
April nodded vigorously. Her rabbit ears perked up wildly, and her nose twitched. She truly wanted to go!
“Alright, let’s definitely go there together sometime. When would be good? Hmm… maybe around May?”
Since it’s November now, we’d have to wait quite a while—but it’d be best to go when the weather’s warm, right?
“Great, I’ll talk to the Duke about it.”
“Kiyang.”
I gently took April’s paw and shook it lightly—a substitute for the pinky promise.
April’s tail swished contentedly as she bounced around, clearly in high spirits.
The virtues of the Einstein royal family boiled down to three traits:
Ruthlessness, mercilessness, and heartlessness.
Without these three, survival in the hellish royal palace was impossible.
Indeed, several of the King’s children had already lost their lives long ago.
Among them, Icarte—the second in line to the throne—being assassinated was an utterly shocking event.
Icarte had been the only elder sibling among the King’s children who genuinely cared for Gloria.
After Icarte’s death, Gloria’s position deteriorated significantly.
It was only natural—her sole protector among her siblings had vanished.
Eventually, Gloria was forced into an unwanted political marriage.
Her siblings severed all ties with her shortly after she wed Duke Salisbury of Elowin Kingdom not long ago.
Gloria, though greedy and envious, was profoundly foolish. Whether such a dim-witted sister thrived or not mattered little to the Einstein royals—who saw no threat in her.
Yet recently, strange rumors about Gloria had begun circulating.
“What did Gloria do?”
Evangeline, second in line to the throne, couldn’t hide her disbelief at the newly arrived news.
Gloria—the half-blood bastard—had summoned the butterflies of the World Tree?
“Are you certain? Couldn’t it have been some similar spirit?”
But even if Gloria merely made a pact with a spirit, it was still problematic.
For over two hundred years, spirits had severed all communication with humans.
Only a select few shifters could forge contracts with spirits.
The exact reason why spirits shunned humans remained unknown.
Einstein Kingdom’s spirit scholars had long strived to win back their trust—but to no avail.
Yet if Gloria had truly made a pact with a spirit?
Of course, the King would take notice. She might even earn his favor. Factions could rise to support her…
“But she’s too foolish. With her dull mind, even if she made a pact with spirits, Father would just use her.”
“The witnesses say the butterflies shimmered with opal-like, iridescent light.”
Evangeline froze at her maid’s words. Her face twisted irritably as she turned to the maid.
“Opal light?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“That’s impossible…”
The opalescent shimmer was the unique hallmark of the World Tree’s butterflies.
No other spirit possessed such prismatic radiance—or rather, strictly speaking, those butterflies should be regarded as ‘Holy Spirits.’
“…I still can’t believe it. I must see it with my own eyes.”
How on earth could someone like Gloria have formed a pact with the World Tree’s butterflies?
With the great Holy Spirits who had existed since the dawn of the world?
“The butterflies of the World Tree have always contracted with those of pure Einstein royal blood. If any of us were destined to bond with them, it should’ve been me!”
Evangeline sincerely believed this—convinced she alone possessed the royal caliber worthy of such a bond.
“Bring me paper and a pen. I must write an invitation.”
“Yes, Princess Evangeline.”
At Evangeline’s light tap on the table, the maid soon returned with paper and pen.
Evangeline immediately began drafting the invitation—addressed to Gloria at Salisbury Castle in Elowin.
“To think you left me three whole strawberries… I’m overjoyed. I’m so grateful I might cry. Thank you so much, April.”
Grayan’s words carried an odd edge that made me smile awkwardly, while April fidgeted with her paws and pretended nonchalance.
There had been so many strawberries, yet between April and me taking turns—“you bite, I bite”—they vanished in no time.
There was nothing to be done. They were just too delicious… that perfect sweet-tart flavor—absolutely addictive strawberries…!
“I’m sorry…! I’ll go to the greenhouse right now and ask the butterflies to make more strawberries grow!”
Realizing a clever new use for the butterflies (?), I quickly volunteered. Grayan chuckled warmly and shook his head.
“It’s fine. There’s no need. I just… wished I could’ve shared them with you and April. That’s all.”
Gasp…! My guilt intensified! Had I known, I’d have invited Grayan to our strawberry party earlier! I’m truly sorry…!
“S-still, I’ll ask the butterflies anyway. I need to practice using their power more carefully…”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, they said I’m terrible at controlling my strength. That’s why I fainted back in that village.”
“I see… then practice is indeed necessary. But don’t overexert yourself like last time…”
Just then, April—who’d been sitting quietly—suddenly snatched up a strawberry.
‘Surely she’s not about to eat it again?!’
Before I could react, April swiftly tossed the strawberry toward Grayan, her posture oddly resembling a volleyball receive.
Grayan caught it deftly, then stared at April in confusion. April immediately grabbed another strawberry and hurled it toward me.
It arced perfectly through the air, landing with a glossy shine right in my palm.
‘What on earth does this mean…? Wait—could it be?’
April picked up the last strawberry, held it firmly between both paws, and began nibbling it slowly with her front teeth.
Blinking blankly, my eyes accidentally met Grayan’s. Both of us now held a strawberry each.
So this meant…
‘She wants us three to share!’
It was clear. Rather than gobbling it all up alone, April had been deliberately munching slowly while glancing between Grayan and me.
She was clearly urging us to eat—likely moved by Grayan’s earlier remark about wanting to share.
‘Truly an angelic rabbit… so thoughtful.’
Smiling fondly, I took a bite of my strawberry. The sweet-tart flavor burst across my tongue. Absolutely delicious.
“Thank you, April.”
Grayan, too, thanked April before eating his strawberry—and his eyes widened instantly.
“Mm, this is truly delicious. I had no idea it’d taste like this.”
…He’d probably want more. I should head to the greenhouse as soon as possible to grow more strawberries.
I later learned strawberries were extremely rare here in Salisbury Duchy.
Apparently, being in the northern continent meant crops suffered severe frost damage—and strawberries were particularly vulnerable.
Thus, even at Salisbury Castle, strawberries were a rare treat brought in only occasionally. Grayan, I was told, had always given his share to others.
Wasn’t that just too kind…? A kind rabbit and a kind wolf. Sigh… could I have died and gone to heaven?
Anyway, the strawberry vines in the greenhouse were only recently introduced. The greenhouse keeper had been experimenting with cultivation—until April promptly picked them all!
The keeper’s face upon discovering every single strawberry gone… I still can’t forget it.
I’m sorry—my rabbit’s a little troublemaker…! I’ll make sure to grow plenty more soon! Just wait a bit longer!
‘Time for bed tonight!’
I changed into pajamas and even donned a nightcap. Her Rabbit Highness had already claimed my bed.
Thinking I’d once again enjoy sinking into April’s soft, fluffy fur as I drifted off to sleep, my lips curled into a blissful smile. So soft, so squishy… sigh, rabbits are just too cute.
‘April the rabbit is the greatest blessing of my life…’
Hehe—still smiling, I moved toward the bed when, unexpectedly, the door opened and Anna, my personal maid, stepped in.
With a faint smile, Anna hesitated before speaking.
“Forgive me for disturbing you before bed, My Lady. A letter has arrived addressed to you—it’s marked urgent.”
A letter…? Urgent? Anna approached lightly and handed it to me. I took it with a puzzled frown—who’d be sending me urgent news?
‘Huh? This signature…’
The handwriting on the envelope felt oddly familiar—even though I’d never seen it before. Staring intently at the name only deepened my confusion.
Evangeline Einstein.
Princess of the Einstein Kingdom, Gloria’s elder sister, and the legitimate royal heir second in line to the throne.
Unlike Gloria—a bastard born to a concubine—Evangeline was the direct child of the Queen.
‘In the original story… hmm… she was portrayed as a villainess no less wicked than Gloria.’
This very Princess Evangeline had enslaved and abused Male Lead Candidate #2.
Of course, he was later rescued by April—and from then on, he blindly worshipped April as his one and only master…
Until that worship took a wrong turn! He descended into darkness, his devotion twisting into pitch-black obsession…!
‘That was such a fun arc.’
Sorry for thinking this, April.
I even recalled my old comment from back then: [Don’t make people your saviors…]
‘Ha! But I’ll completely rewrite that storyline now…!’
First, I need to find out why Evangeline sent this letter! …Though I have a bad feeling about it.
‘Huh? This is… an invitation?’
Opening the envelope, I was slightly surprised. The paper inside was stiffer than regular stationery—definitely an invitation.
‘An invitation for what?’
Frowning slightly in confusion, I read through its contents.
There wasn’t much—just polite greetings and an invitation to a garden party she’d be hosting the following Friday.
The added note pleading for my attendance felt oddly suspicious, though…
‘Considering Gloria’s precarious position in Einstein Palace… attending or not hardly matters, does it?’
Hmm.
No matter how I looked at it…
‘Her intentions are painfully obvious.’
She’d undoubtedly heard the rumors about me summoning the butterflies of the World Tree.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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