Became the Step-Mother of the Rabbit Female Lead (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 4
Having skipped breakfast and hastily thrown on some clothes, I hurried outside.
Servants were bustling through the corridors, halls, and garden, shouting, “Princess!” or “Miss April!”
Among them, of course, was Mrs. Milton. Deeply fond of April, her expression was troubled and grim. When our eyes met, she glared at me with piercing hostility… as if she suspected me again!
No, April’s sudden disappearance has absolutely nothing to do with me!
‘Damn this villainess image—how am I ever supposed to shed it?’
If Gloria were standing right before me, I’d grab her by the collar and shake her until she rattled, demanding why she chose to live her life this way.
I sighed heavily and quickened my pace. Where on earth could April have gone?
“Does this sort of thing happen often?”
I asked the maid hurrying alongside me, and she nodded sheepishly in reply.
“When Miss April doesn’t feel like studying, or when she’s in a bad mood… and especially when the anniversary of the day her mother gave birth to her approaches—this happens quite frequently…”
The woman who gave birth to April… she’d been mentioned several times even in the original story. A rabbit shifter like April, her name was Chloe Morto.
She died right before April’s eyes at age four, trying to save her daughter, leaving April with deep emotional trauma.
‘…So that’s why she’s been staying in her rabbit form all this time? Because she’s psychologically unstable?’
It was a plausible theory. Shifters often revert to their animal forms when physically weakened or emotionally distressed.
‘Poor April…’
She was still just a twelve-year-old child. Naturally, pity welled up inside me, making my chest ache.
If only I’d known that her rabbit form stemmed from anxiety, I would’ve treated her more gently.
‘Where are you, April? You’re not somewhere dangerous, are you?’
Like everyone else, I began searching for April. From what I could tell, Grayan had already dispatched knights to search even outside the castle.
‘I’ll thoroughly check inside the castle first—if April still isn’t found, then I’ll head outside.’
I rolled up my sleeves and stepped out the front door, intending to search every corner of the garden, when I collided straight into Grayan standing on the stairs.
“…”
I gave an awkward smile and quickly averted my gaze. Damn it… just one look at his eyes makes my heart flutter. That man is far too dangerous. Alpha wolves are the most perilous creatures in the world!
‘And his voice is annoyingly perfect, too… Ughhh, I can’t just forfeit my hearing. I’m going crazy, seriously.’
At this point, the only defense left is self-hypnosis to resist the wolf’s allure.
‘I’ve never been interested in romance—I’m happily single. I prefer fictional characters over real men… but he *is* a fictional character… No, shut up, me!’
Again, again! No matter what that man does, it won’t affect me in the slightest! Honestly! I’m not the original Gloria!
‘Right! My emotional armor is solid! Time to go find April!’
Our little rabbit might be shivering somewhere right now. I have to find her and give her a big hug.
Clenching my fists, I nimbly slipped past Grayan. I almost felt like shouting, “Have a nimble day!” Anyway, I was about to dash off when a smooth, pleasant baritone voice suddenly rang out behind me.
“Madam.”
‘Eep!’
G-Gah! I nearly let out a ridiculous sound without realizing it. …Should I just pretend I didn’t hear and run away? Dealing with him is way too overwhelming!
I wavered for a moment, then stepped forward, ready to bolt.
But this time, Grayan called out to me more clearly.
“Madam, please wait a moment.”
“…”
And to top it off, he added, “Please wait a moment.” Now I couldn’t just ignore him.
Damn it… Swallowing back tears, I turned around. Grayan had already drawn closer and reached out toward me.
“There’s….”
The instant his hand touched my hair, I flinched involuntarily.
“…a feather stuck in it.”
“…?”
Grayan waved the feather right in front of my eyes. Blinking blankly, I snapped out of my daze. Wait, where did this feather even come from?
‘I rushed out so quickly this morning I didn’t even notice something like this stuck to me. How embarrassing…’
I covered my mouth with one hand and gave a small, awkward cough. Then, feigning nonchalance, I addressed Grayan.
“Thank you… Hand me that feather. I’ll dispose of it myself.”
Grayan gave a faint smile and gently took my hand with the one not holding the feather.
His hand felt scorching hot, startling me inwardly. My heart pounded, and heat rushed to my face.
He turned my palm upward and placed the white feather upon it, his silvery-gray eyes fixed steadily on mine.
…Honest and upright, yet carrying an inexplicable wildness that made his gaze dangerously alluring. That very contradiction only heightened his charm.
Grayan’s hand slid smoothly away as he released mine. …Why can’t he just let go normally?! Why does he have to brush against my skin so subtly?! It’s so confusing!
I quickly shoved the damn feather into my pocket and swiftly avoided Grayan’s gaze. Maintaining eye contact with him was clearly a bad idea.
Keeping my composure as though utterly unaffected, I spoke calmly.
“Well then, I’ll be off. I’m very busy right now.”
“Madam.”
Ugh, why again?!
Every time he called me “Madam,” it felt oddly strange—almost like an endearing pet name, similar to how couples say, “Honey” or “Darling”… though it was probably just my imagination!
“Are you going to look for April?”
“Oh, uh… yes, well…”
I tried tiptoeing backward to avoid him, but for every step I retreated, Grayan advanced two. There was no way to create distance.
‘Uwaaa… too close!’
His heart-stoppingly handsome face was one thing, but I didn’t want to see it this close! I was afraid I’d get mesmerized and end up staring blankly without realizing it!
‘His face alone is guilty, his figure is guilty, his eyes and voice are even guiltier. Just walking around, he disrupts public decency…’
No wonder the original Gloria tried so desperately to seduce Grayan—though she failed spectacularly. Adios, Gloria. You’re not haunting me as a ghost, are you…?
“…Madam, why do you avoid me?”
“…?”
…I was utterly speechless from sheer disbelief. Excuse me, but after spending your wedding night merely holding your new bride’s hand?
Before I could utter a word, Grayan spoke in a subtly coaxing tone, as if gently persuading someone.
“…I thought perhaps you might be different from the rumors, seeing how well you get along with April…”
Apparently, that voice was his signature move.
If I let my guard down even for a second, I’d be charmed. Stay sharp!
“To be honest, the moment I saw April, she was so adorable that my dislike for shifters vanished instantly.”
I lost my composure again and blurted out nonsense.
All Grayan’s fault. He’s standing way too close—I don’t even know where to look!
And there’s this nice scent, too… Surely it’s not pheromones, right?
“…April truly is very cute.”
Grayan studied me carefully, as if checking whether I was sane.
Now I was even being treated like a lunatic. Fuming internally, I gave a silent “haha” laugh and instinctively stepped backward.
“…!”
My foot slipped, and I nearly fell backward—but I quickly adjusted my stance and landed safely.
Impressed by my own reflexes, I noticed Grayan had made a few futile grabs at the air before lowering his arm. …He must have tried to catch me.
“Ahem…”
Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, I cleared my throat softly and stole a glance at Grayan.
He seemed flustered too, avoiding my gaze and looking sideways.
Seizing what felt like the perfect moment to end the conversation, I put on a businesslike smile and spoke.
“Well then… I really must go. As I mentioned, I need to find April.”
“Madam, I too…”
“If I find April, I’ll let you know! Goodbye!”
Grayan started to say something, but I pretended not to notice and quickly fled the spot.
Once out of Grayan’s sight, I finally felt like I could breathe again. He really is a dangerous creature… I nearly got charmed.
‘My emotional armor remains intact. Thank goodness.’
I stood still, closed my eyes, and gently rubbed my solar plexus. It was time to seriously start searching for April…
{Gloria.}
{Gloria!}
{We’ll help you, Gloria.}
Suddenly, multiple voices echoed simultaneously. …Hallucinations? Have I truly gone mad?
{It’s not a hallucination.}
{It’s us, Gloria.}
{Don’t you remember meeting us in your dream?}
‘A dream? Now that you mention it…’
I suddenly recalled the enormous jewel tree I couldn’t sell and the opalescent butterflies.
In that strange dream, I’d made a contract with those butterflies. The voices I heard now were identical—high-pitched, delicate, yet clear and bright.
‘You… so you’re the World Tree’s butterflies?’
{Exactly!}
{You finally remembered!}
{Gloria… your memory’s really bad.}
Hey! I just forgot for a moment while searching for April! And honestly, I thought it was just a weird dream… So I actually did make some kind of contract?
It still didn’t feel real. Does this mean I can now use special abilities? Me, of all people, getting such a cheat ability…?
‘This means I’m no longer just a simple villainous stepmother!’
Well, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but it seems I’m already breaking the original story’s plot. I was sad there wasn’t a status window, but this feels even better! After all, in a fantasy world, extraordinary powers are the norm!
‘Alright, help me out! Also, what exactly can you do?’
{We can go anywhere.}
{But we can’t stay too far from you for long.}
{Whatever we see and hear, you’ll know too.}
{We can make land fertile, sprout seeds, bloom flowers, and bear fruit.}
{We can even revive dead land!}
{We can make dry rivers flow again—}
{And also…}
There was so much more.
Summarizing roughly, their abilities seemed to encompass everything related to nature.
‘This is absurdly overpowered.’
These were divine-level powers worthy of being hailed as a saint or a god’s emissary. Once known, chaos would surely erupt.
‘People from everywhere will beg me to enrich their land, ensure good harvests, or make it rain… It’ll be absolute mayhem.’
For now, it was probably best to keep the butterflies a secret. Plus, the World Tree… I’m a bit fuzzy on its details from the original, but it was definitely a major plot element.
Just the name “World Tree!”—not merely a tree, but one prefixed with “World.” That screams core importance. Those butterflies had called it the source of this world, the center of the universe, and so on.
Given they’re the “World Tree’s” butterflies, they clearly aren’t ordinary. …One question remained: why did such extraordinary butterflies choose to contract with me?
‘…Hey, why did you make a contract with me? …I mean, as you know, my reputation isn’t exactly stellar.’
{Because you’re ‘Gloria.’}
{You’re Gloria!}
{Everyone else is weird. We can trust Gloria.}
What on earth are they talking about? These butterflies make no sense. I’ll sort this out later—first, I need to find April.
‘Fine, just help me find April first. And don’t let anyone else see you.’
{Got it!}
{Leave it to us!}
With spirited flaps of their wings, the butterflies soared far into the distance.
About ten minutes later, they contacted me.
{Gloria, we found her!}
{Over here, over here!}
How am I supposed to know where “here” is if you don’t tell me?
Just then, one butterfly “shared” its vision with me.
Indeed, it felt like genuine sharing. An image appeared in my mind: deep in the Salisbury ducal estate’s rear garden, atop a massive tree… a small rabbit huddled and trembling.
‘…Wait, how did she even get up there?!’
Since when do rabbits climb trees?! …Though April isn’t an ordinary rabbit but a rabbit shifter. Maybe she climbed up in human form and transformed afterward.
‘Judging by how she’s shaking up there, she figured out how to climb up but not how to get down…’
Silly rabbit… I hurried toward the location the butterflies indicated.
Soon, I arrived at the spot. The scenery matched exactly what I’d seen in my mind: on a thick branch of a grand old tree sat a tiny rabbit, curled up and shivering.
I slowly approached the base of the tree and softly called out to April.
“…April?”
“…!”
The rabbit’s ears shot up, and she jerked in surprise. Trembling, she lifted her head and stared at me with big, dark eyes brimming with tears.
“Crybaby rabbit, crying again.”
“…”
April bared her front teeth indignantly. Oh? So she’s got a temper too?
“How’d you even get up there? You don’t know how to get down, do you?”
“…”
Her rabbit ears drooped downward. She must have been up there longer than I thought, judging by her dejected state.
I stopped directly beneath the sturdy branch where April sat.
Then, I stretched out both arms toward her and said,
“It’s okay—I’ll catch you. Just jump down to me.”
But April hesitated, trembling with fear. …True, leaping from such a height required immense courage.
After a brief moment of contemplation, I rolled up my sleeves and tore my dress hem to move my legs more freely.
“April, stay perfectly still—I’m coming up to get you. Understood?”
“…!”
The rabbit’s eyes widened in astonishment. She must not have expected I’d go this far to rescue her.
April didn’t know—but I actually had considerable tree-climbing experience.
When I was young, my family lived in a newly built apartment in a recently developed neighborhood. Surrounded by rice paddies and mountains, I spent my days exploring nature.
That’s where I honed my tree-climbing skills.
‘This is child’s play.’
Having successfully reached the branch, I grinned and held out my arms toward April.
The small rabbit leaped straight into my arms. …Her face and neck fur were damp. How long had she been crying?!
“It’s alright now, April.”
“…”
Peeking up from my embrace, the rabbit gazed at me with round eyes. Her obsidian-like pupils sparkled like stars.
I hugged the rabbit tightly and began carefully climbing down the tree.
‘Almost there… Huh?!’
Just a short distance from the ground, my foot slipped.
My body plummeted downward. I abandoned trying to grab anything and instead wrapped my arms tightly around the rabbit. All I could think was that she must remain unharmed—even if I got hurt.
Bracing for impact, I squeezed my eyes shut—
“…?”
But the sensation I felt was entirely different. Though slightly firm, it wasn’t the hard collision with the ground… instead, a strangely comforting warmth enveloped me.
I cautiously opened my eyes—and gasped in shock at the figure now in my field of vision.
When the male lead is punished by carrying the female lead’s child and having periods like a woman
“I’ve given birth to two children for you, yet you still think about him.
Was I nothing but his substitute to you from beginning to end?”
Synopsis:
Meng Huan, a scumbag who has dated countless girlfriends, transmigrates to a female-dominated country.
Day 1: Whether it’s female dominance or not doesn’t matter. The beauties here are passionate and amorous. Isn’t it easier to date them than in modern times?
Day 2: After a night, Meng Huan discovers the differences in the female-dominated world. Men here actually have chastity locks and menstrual cycles. This hinders his ability to perform, damn it!
Day 3: What’s wrong with sleeping around? I don’t want you to marry me. I’m meant to be a playboy. I don’t care about male virtues… What? You want to drown me in a pig cage? Marry, I’ll marry!
Day N: Meng Huan inexplicably vomits and receives the shocking news of his life… He’s pregnant.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
This thought is hillarious 🤣🤣
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” – Arthur C. Clarke.
It kills me that she is using important spirits to grow strawberrys 🤣🤣🤣