The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 109
The domain of the Aibe Duke’s family, who wielded the Tidal Authority, lay along the southern coastline of the Rosipheron Empire.
In summer, winds carried the thick salt spray of the sea; in winter, cold gusts rolled in like waves, relentless and piercing.
Clover, who had just arrived, leaned out of the carriage with unbridled curiosity, gazing at the well-maintained road with a delighted exclamation.
The residents of Aibe’s domain watched the Claudian carriage pass. Kalid, who had been steadying Clover to keep her safe, gently pulled her back inside and settled her properly on the seat.
“You mustn’t lean out so far—you could fall.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And when I’m not here, you absolutely cannot stick any part of your body outside the carriage. Children’s heads are heavy; you could lose your balance and tumble out.”
“Oh!”
Falling was not allowed.
Clover settled herself properly in Kalid’s arms. The soft folds of her child’s dress bunched against his knees.
Unlike Clover, who had been restless and giddy ever since arriving in Aibe, Pluto had remained composed throughout the journey.
Yet his face too bore the glow of anticipation. He seemed to be trying to hide it, but his tightly clenched fists and flushed cheeks betrayed his excitement clearly enough.
When the carriage pulled up to the Aibe Duke’s Mansion, Kalid stepped out first and helped the children down one by one.
As he lifted Clover down with a gentle swing, she burst into delighted laughter. Pluto, by contrast, stood quietly holding Kalid’s collar, gazing up at the Duke’s Mansion.
“It looks unusual.”
“Yes.”
Pluto nodded.
The Aibe residence was built unusually close to the sea, yet it was far from defensively vulnerable.
It stood atop a sheer cliff, and the entire manor was encircled by white stone walls as solid as fortress ramparts, making it seem less like a ducal seat than a seaside stronghold.
For Clover and Pluto, the Aibe Duke’s Mansion could only feel extraordinary.
The moment they stepped down from the carriage, Clover’s eyes widened at the humid yet refreshing air and the sight of the mansion—so different from Claudian’s stern elegance.
“Little Miss! Your Highness!”
The Aibe Duke suddenly appeared and swept Clover into her arms. Startled at first, Clover quickly recognized Ziteia and let her guard drop at once.
“Duke! Hello!”
Pluto, standing nearby, was caught off guard by the Duke’s sudden gesture, but he made an effort to remain composed as he spoke.
“Good day to you, Duke of Aibe.”
The young prince’s voice was far more dignified than his years would suggest. Ziteia, still holding Clover, bent one knee to meet Pluto’s eyes.
“Welcome to Aibe, Your Highness. I do hope your stay will be comfortable and joyful!”
Pluto nodded, but the warmth in Ziteia’s manner unsettled him, and he quietly slipped behind Kalid.
Kalid reached out and gave Pluto’s soft hair a gentle pat.
Ziteia understood that Pluto was shy and did not press further. Instead.
“Welcome to Aibe, little one! That dress suits you beautifully. But isn’t it terribly warm dressed like that?”
She turned her attention to Clover, who showed no shyness. As Ziteia touched the light sleeves of Clover’s dress, Kalid answered somewhat sheepishly.
“I dressed her in the lightest, coolest thing we have.”
“Let me get her into something even lighter and more breathable—a summer dress. How does that sound, Clover?”
“Yes!”
That sounds wonderful!
Nod, nod, nod.
Clover beamed and bobbed her head eagerly, and Ziteia laughed brightly in return, reaching over to tap the child’s cheek affectionately.
“Then let’s go inside—Neiania’s waiting for us.”
“Why didn’t Neiania come out with you, Duke?”
“She’s bathing at the moment. She woke late today, so her bath got delayed.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I told her to go to bed early yesterday, but she was so excited about today that she stayed up late instead. In the end, this is what happened. Did you wake early, Clover?”
“Um? Well… you see, Clover’s been sleeping a lot lately, so I wake up a bit late.”
Clover offered her excuse timidly.
“So like Neiania, I bathe late too. Belze helps me.”
“Ah, I see. That’s perfectly fine—all children your age do the same.”
Ziteia responded warmly to Clover’s words and carried the child into the mansion.
Kalid, aware of Pluto’s shyness, kept a step back while holding the boy’s hand, following the two ahead.
The Aibe servants who had come out to greet Claudian watched the scene unfold, their faces softened by gentle smiles.
***
“Clover.”
Neiania gripped Clover’s hand tightly, eyeing Pluto warily. Their small hands intertwined without a gap between them.
“……Who is this?”
Neiania regarded the uninvited boy with fresh, curious eyes and spoke.
Ziteia then gave Neiania’s back a light, chiding tap.
“Neiania, say hello. This is the Second Prince.”
“The Second Prince…….”
“We should introduce ourselves.”
“I’m Neiania.”
Neiania offered a brief introduction, then glanced sideways at Pluto. The look on her face said: I’ve introduced myself, so now it’s your turn.
Pluto regarded her quietly for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“Hello, I’m Pluto.”
“Pluto, how old are you?”
“Six.”
A soft sound of disappointment escaped Neiania’s lips as she fidgeted with her hands.
She’d thought she was the oldest aside from Ziteia, so learning otherwise clearly deflated her a little.
‘So Nia wanted to be the big sister after all.’
But Neiania didn’t seem to dislike Pluto. When she heard he was Clover’s friend, her expression grew a touch complicated, yet like most children her age, she quickly warmed to him and they all played together without reservation.
The three of them gathered in one spot and played with blocks, then switched to pretend games. At first Pluto hung back hesitantly, but he soon joined in readily enough.
As Clover and Pluto played alongside her, Neiania’s eyes suddenly lit up as though she’d remembered something.
“……The sea!”
“The sea?”
“We promised to go play by the sea, and I’d completely forgotten.”
Right! Clover’s head snapped up.
Neiania had said they’d go play by the sea together once she arrived in Aibe.
She’d been thinking about it the whole ride in the carriage—how had it slipped her mind completely?
“When do we go to the sea?”
At Clover’s question, Neiania set down her blocks and considered it.
“Tomorrow’s my birthday party, so there will be lots of people. We’ll probably all have to go together in a big group. But Nia doesn’t like that…….”
“But if there are lots of friends, we can play ball games too.”
“Ball games…… you like those?”
Clover nodded.
Was there a child who disliked ball games? Perhaps a few existed, but they would be extremely rare. In any case, Clover was not among them.
“What if we all played ball games by the sea tomorrow together?”
“I suppose we could…… but…….”
Didn’t Neiania like ball games?
Clover tilted her head in confusion while clutching the blocks, and Neiania made a thoughtful sound before her eyes suddenly widened.
“I know what we’ll do.”
“Mm?”
“We go to the sea today and play just the three of us, then tomorrow we take all the children to the sea again.”
At the word “sea,” Neiania’s summoned creature rippled and swayed as though dancing.
“Ooh……!”
“We’ll play by ourselves by the sea and tell secrets too. Secret ones that the grown-ups don’t know about.”
At Neiania’s suggestion, Pluto flinched slightly, his gloved hands clenching into fists.
“……How much am I supposed to tell?”
“That’s up to you.”
At last Pluto relaxed a little. Clover listened quietly to their exchange, then her eyes gleamed.
“I like it, wanna go. Tell secrets too, Clover don’t have many secrets though…….”
“If you don’t have any, you can always make some up.”
“But then it wouldn’t be a real secret.”
“Prince, the word ‘secret’ itself is what matters. It’s not about the content.”
Neiania shot back. Pluto tilted his head in confusion, looking uncertain.
Clover listened to their exchange in silence, then turned to gaze out the window at the sea beyond.
The blue waves rippled and swayed, their light dancing across Clover’s dark eyes. The blue light shimmered within them like waves themselves.
‘The sea is so wonderful……!’
She wanted to hurry there and play.
It was as Clover gently pressed her trembling heart between her hands, trying to settle it, that——
A glimmer.
Something in the distant sea flashed with light.
It looked like the back of a silver fish, or perhaps a fragment of blade that someone had dropped.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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