I became the villain's stepmother. I didn't really care. I just took the villain with me whenever I went out. Until one day, a series of live comments appeared before my eyes. 【Wait, how is this Tasmanian devil of a villain so docile?】 【I remember the last nanny they hired ran away screaming!】 【LMAO, who the hell goes on a five-kilometer power walk for a "casual stroll"? With no other draining activities, either. The villain looks like he's about to pass out from exhaustion, hahaha!】 I glanced at the little villain, who had made a beeline for his bed the moment we got home. I pursed my lips, but before I could speak, his eyes met mine. He immediately burrowed under the covers, hiding himself completely. 1 My marriage to Corbett was a contract. A simple exchange of benefits between our two families, with no feelings involved. After all, love doesn't just fall from the sky. The only people breaking down your door are the blind dates your family sets you up with. After the wedding ceremony, Corbett made an excuse about work and left the villa. I gave him a perfunctory nod. The housekeeper, Mrs. Davison, shot me a sympathetic look. I figured she felt sorry for me, being trapped in a loveless marriage, and didn't think much of it. As I was relaxing on the sofa, a small, thin figure in the corner of my eye caught my attention. A boy, maybe eight or nine years old, was leaning against the doorframe, studying me with a pair of dark, intense eyes. I knew instantly who he was. This was Leo, the son from Corbett’s first wife. The tabloids said Corbett barely paid him any mind, too busy with his work. I figured the kid was shy, so I didn't call him over. I just offered him a small smile before closing my eyes again. We'd have plenty of time to get to know each other later. The thought had barely crossed my mind when there was a loud CRASH! My eyes flew open. An antique vase that had been sitting in the corner was now a pile of glittering shards on the floor. The pieces were scattered around Leo's feet. The housekeeper glanced at me nervously, her words catching in her throat. "Ma'am, Leo, he..." My brow furrowed slightly. Everyone, including the little boy standing amidst the wreckage, seemed to be waiting for me to explode. He slowly lifted his gaze to meet mine, a flicker of defiance in his dark eyes. But I did something no one expected. I stood up, walked over to him, and gave the pedestal the vase had been sitting on a firm shove. "This is just asking to be knocked over," I told the housekeeper. "Get rid of this, too." The heavy pedestal hit the floor with a dull thud. The boy, who had been braced for a scolding, froze. He stared up at me, his expression faltering. I thought he might be scared, so I instinctively wrapped an arm around his small frame, patting his back with an awkwardness I couldn't hide. "It's okay, don't be scared. Where's your room? I'll take you back so you can get some sleep." Leo’s entire body went rigid in my arms. Seeing he wasn't fighting me, I held him a little tighter. First time being a stepmom, no experience. Am I doing this right? What I didn't notice was the series of emotions that flashed across the little boy's face as I held him—first flushed, then pale, his jaw clenching as he bit back whatever he was about to say. 2 Corbett didn't come home that night. I wasn't bothered. After tucking Leo into bed, I went to my own room and slept soundly. The next morning, I was up before the sun. It was a habit of mine to get an early workout in. After washing up, I was about to head out when I remembered the housekeeper’s strange attitude towards Leo. I paused. Corbett was probably away so often that the staff didn't pay much attention to his son. I hadn't planned on getting close to Leo, but he was my stepson now, at least in name. Leaving him to be neglected didn't feel right. On a whim, I changed course and headed for Leo's room. The curtains were drawn, and the room was dark and silent. I assumed he was still asleep and was about to leave when I glanced down at the bed. A pair of wide-awake, dark eyes stared back at me. He was buried under the covers with only his head sticking out, his gaze clear and alert. He seemed a little confused that I wasn't startled. "Oh, you're awake," I said, oblivious to his little scheme. I patted the lump under the covers. "Get up. Let's go work out together." Leo just stared at me blankly for a long moment. Then, a flicker of something new crossed his face, and he slowly climbed out of bed. The morning air was crisp. We jogged a full loop around the gated community, which was built around a massive lake. By the time we finished, I was sweating. I looked back to see Leo trailing behind me. He had a kid’s energy, but the long run had left him panting heavily. As he caught up, before he could say anything, I grabbed his hand and gave it a little swing. "You did great!" I grinned. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast." Leo’s face was flushed, his dark eyes fixed on me as if he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. I was in a great mood and even ate an extra slice of toast. When Mrs. Davison came into the dining room and saw Leo quietly eating his breakfast, she stopped in her tracks and muttered, "He didn't even throw a single plate today…" I vaguely heard her mention a plate but didn't pay it much mind. I glanced at the boy silently eating his eggs and felt a little warmer towards him. Heh, who doesn't love a well-behaved kid? 3 After breakfast, I took Leo to the mall. Kids grow fast. I'd noticed during our run that his pants were a little too short. I figured some new clothes would be a nice welcome gift. We went to several stores, but I couldn't find anything I liked. After lunch, we tried a few high-end children's boutiques. I finally picked out a few outfits and brought them over to Leo, who was waiting on a sofa. The moment he saw me approach, he shot to his feet, his face set in a defiant line. "I'm not trying—" "Look," I interrupted, holding up a jacket. "Do you like this color?" Caught off guard, he blinked. He glanced at the navy blue jacket, his eyes darting back and forth before he let out a dismissive scoff. "No." He looked up at me, clearly expecting an argument. Instead, I just handed the jacket back to the sales associate and pulled him to his feet. "You're right," I said cheerfully. "You pick, then." Leo stared at me, dumbfounded. He proceeded to pick out several of the ugliest items in the store, each one worse than the last. I was baffled. Do kids these days actually like ugly clothes? I didn't get it, but I respected it. After I paid, I handed all the bags to Leo. "Here you go," I said with a wide smile. "These are all the clothes you wanted." He looked completely stunned, his eyes wide as he stared down at the bags in his hands. 4 I took his stunned silence as a sign of satisfaction and headed off to the women's section to buy a few things for myself. By the time we got home, it was already dark. Dinner was ready and waiting. Fried shrimp, sweet and sour ribs, stir-fried vegetables… Leo, who had barely touched his lunch, devoured two whole bowls of rice. Mrs. Davison looked at him in surprise. "My, Leo, you have quite an appetite today." At her words, Leo froze, shooting a glare in my direction. The tips of his ears, hidden under his dark hair, turned a faint pink. I didn't think much of it. Seeing him eat so much, I decided to take him out for a walk after dinner to help him digest before finally letting him go to bed. ... For the next few weeks, I took Leo with me whenever I went out. He was on summer vacation with nothing to do, and I was on my post-wedding leave with nothing to do. So, we went to theme parks, the movies, a water park. I was making up for all the things I missed out on in my own childhood. At first, Leo was sullen and withdrawn. But as we spent more time together, I started seeing the corners of his mouth twitch into a smile when he thought I wasn't looking. About half a month passed like this. One evening, as the last rays of sunset faded from the sky, we came home and had dinner. As usual, he immediately went to his room. I didn't think anything of it. I planned to go for a walk by the lake later, so I sat on the sofa for a bit before heading to his room to get him. But as I raised my hand to knock, the world flickered. A stream of glowing text suddenly materialized in front of my eyes. 【Wait, how is this demon child of a villain so docile?】 【I remember the last nanny they hired ran away screaming!】 【LMAO, who the hell walks five kilometers for a "casual stroll"? With no other draining activities, either. The villain looks like he's about to pass out from exhaustion, hahaha!】 "What the...?" I whispered. What villain? I pushed the door open and saw Leo already in bed. I pursed my lips, but before I could speak, the little boy met my gaze and immediately burrowed under the covers, hiding himself completely. I was speechless. 5 In the dim room, a small lump shivered under the covers. The live comments were scrolling frantically. 【Hahaha, look at the villain's terrified little eyes! Why is he so cute?!】 【Villain: Don't you come near me!】 【Is the female side character doing this on purpose to mess with him? With the villain’s vengeful personality, he's definitely going to get back at her…】 That last comment made my temple throb. Why would I deliberately mess with a child? That was insane. But the comments did give me some context. Apparently, we were living in a novel. Leo was the villain who, due to his mother's early death and his father's neglect, grew up to be neurotic, gloomy, and unstable. As an adult, he would become completely unhinged, targeting the main characters until he met a tragic end. I don't have a hero complex. I had only started taking Leo with me because I was worried the staff would neglect him. But now, it seemed he didn't just dislike it—he might actually resent me for it. With that thought, my intention of asking him out for a walk vanished. I turned, left the room, and gently closed the door behind me. The soft click of the latch was loud in the quiet night. Under the covers, the little boy's ears twitched. When he was sure I was gone, Leo let out a sigh of relief. But then his brow furrowed. After a long moment of silence, he peeked out from under the blanket. The room was empty, swallowed by darkness. Leo sat up abruptly, staring at the door. Then, as if realizing something, he relaxed. His eyelashes fluttered as he muttered to himself, "She really just left?" He sighed and lay back down. Well, I'll see her tomorrow anyway. 6 I had no idea what Leo was thinking. But my leave was ending tomorrow, and I had to go back to work. And from what I’d gathered, Leo was more than capable of handling the household staff on his own. The next morning, I got dressed and left the villa. My office was far away, so I decided to stay at my apartment in the city for convenience. Days turned into a week. Back at the villa, after several days of not seeing me, Leo couldn't help but ask Mrs. Davison, "Where did… that person go?" "Which person, dear?" she asked, confused by his vague question. Leo's brow furrowed in annoyance, but he managed to keep his temper in check. "The... the new aunt. Rachel." Mrs. Davison finally understood. "Oh, the madam is away on business," she said with a gentle smile. "Where did she go?" Leo pressed. "I'm not sure. She didn't say." Leo's lips tightened into a thin line. The first few days, he hadn't cared. He'd lounged around, enjoying the peace and quiet. But soon, every little sound from outside would make his head snap up. Each time, he was met with disappointment. He sat on the sofa, unconsciously picking at the armrest, his eyes constantly darting towards the front door. The calm he’d felt just days before had slowly morphed into a restless anxiety. 7 When I finally returned to the villa, I was shocked to find the living room in complete chaos. Mrs. Davison rushed over to me, her face a mixture of exhaustion and relief. "Ma'am, you're finally back!" I nodded, my eyes scanning the mess. "What happened here?" It was dinnertime, but the food was splattered all over the floor, soaking into the expensive carpet. I recognized most of the dishes as my favorites, which only confused me more. The live comments provided an answer. 【See? I told you. No one can handle a villain this neurotic!】 【He was eating just fine, and then suddenly he throws his chopsticks and flips the table. This kid is scary.】 【If I were the side character, I'd divorce this guy and run. The father and son are both bad news.】 I frowned as the comments flew by. Mrs. Davison glanced at Leo, who was sitting on a sofa across the room, and said tentatively, "Leo was in a bad mood today, so…" I'd seen my fair share of spoiled rich kids. While table-flipping wasn't common, it wasn't unheard of. I wasn't particularly shocked. Hearing our voices, Leo, who had been staring at the TV, turned his head. When his eyes met mine, his gaze faltered. The stormy expression on his face froze. After a long moment, he shot to his feet. Mrs. Davison flinched, clearly tense. I stood my ground, my expression calm. Now that I knew his true nature, I had no intention of getting any closer. It wasn't my problem. But to my surprise, as the little boy marched towards me, he stopped just a few feet away. He seemed to be struggling with himself. Finally, he forced out a single, choked question. "Where have you been… why didn't you take me with you?" The last few words came out as a whisper, all the anger gone from his voice. It wasn't an accusation. It sounded almost like a plea. I was stunned.
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