Saved by Crazy Stepfather!

“Why? Do you like that person after Theo?”

“Huh? No, I don’t like him. I’m just amazed. It’s just my first time seeing a person called a priest…”

“You said you were the daughter of the Emperor.”

“I’ve never been sick when my dad was alive, so I’ve never seen him.”

The words twisted the Grand Duke’s lips for a very short time. For some reason, it felt like he was being kind to me, so I tried to avoid his gaze.

“Anyway, thank you for calling the priest.”

“It’s nothing.”

I went up to the bed and put my ears on my mother’s chest.

Boom, boom, boom.

“It’s weird!”

“What’s weird about it?”

“Dad, wait a minute.”

It was a sound I’ve never heard before. Thump, thump. Even if the sound of the heart was loud, it was too loud. I wondered if it was supposed to be like this, so I went down from bed and put my ears on the chest of the Grand Duke sitting on the chair.

Boom, boom, boom.

It was noisier.

I was wondering if something was wrong, but his heart was louder.

“Wow… It’s very loud.”

“…”

And I put my ears on my mother’s chest again.

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound of my heart was as loud, as if to show that I was actually alive.

“I’m glad… Mom’s heart is beating so fast.”

“Is that so?”

“Huh? Dad, why are you like this?”

But when the Grand Duke turned his head with joy, his face turned red for some reason.

“Why?”

“Your face is red.”

“It must be hot.”

“Really?”

“More than that.”

“Huh?”

And my dad, who was looking around for no reason, cleared his throat and met my eyes.

“What’s your mom’s name?”

“Huh?”

“I think she’ll wake up soon. I can’t call her Bebe’s mom then.”

“Ah! I like Bebe’s mom too!”

Was it bad to call her ‘Bebe’s mom’? My mom is Bebe’s mom after all.

But he was more determined than ever.

“A name symbolizes one person. Wouldn’t you rather be called Bebe than a baby or something else?”

“That’s right.”

“I don’t know if your mother’s name would be good, but at least to other people it would be better to be called herself. So can you tell me?”

“Yes! My mom’s name is Adelaide!”

“Is that name from a noble? She has a pretty name. It sounds like a name that suits her somehow.”

I nodded at him, satisfied,

Adelaide. A pretty name that suits my pretty mother.

“Mom, Mom! Dad says your name is pretty.”

“Mom… and Dad?”

“Huh?”

As I whispered to my mother, she muttered to herself. She woke up and sat.

“No. Then I’ll go out. Rest with your mom. You’ve worked hard today.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll tell them to prepare meals through Cecilia, so eat.”

“Okay!”

No wonder I was excited.

Just knowing that my mother’s life could be saved made me feel ticklish somewhere in my heart. When I thought that a happy day would not turn into a sad day, I kept a smile on my face.

In the meantime, the Grand Duke went outside. Cecilia went outside again after a long time, saying she would let me eat at any time.

“Mom… I want to eat with you when you wake up.”

I had such a good idea.

I thought my mom would wake up soon, so I looked at my mother with my eyes wide open.

However, just like an egg that didn’t hatch, my mom didn’t open her eyes, so I fell asleep in a blink of an eye.

“Baby. Baby.”

It was around the time when someone called me that I opened my eyes again.

“Baby…”

A familiar voice. Those friendly words. A pair of soft hands that petted me.

“Mom…”

When I rubbed my sleepy eyes and raised my head, my mother was there.

My mom who smiles at me.

“Are you up, my baby?”

“Mom…”

It was totally different before. Her face didn’t look sleepy, nor did she look weird, as if she lost her soul. Mom was as bright as the mother of a healthy enemy.

“My Bebe… Did you wake up?”

“Yeah! But Mom… are you okay?”

“It’s okay, but Bebe… Mom doesn’t understand… Where are we? I just woke up and looked at you for a while… I can’t remember where we are…”

“Mom, this is the house we’re going to live in.”

“A place for us to live?”

I nodded as I saw my mother shake her fluttering hair from side to side.”

“Yes! We’re going to live here from now on. Bebe became the daughter of this family! Officially, too!”

“Huh?”

“Hehe… And maybe… Mom! Well I only wanted a dad. But I think I gave you a husband!”

“H-Husband?”