The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family - Chapter 26

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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 26
***
“Empress Dowager……”
“It’s not Empress Dowager—it’s Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
Khalid appeared without warning and gently wiped the dirt from Clover’s hands with his own handkerchief as he spoke.
Weren’t they the same thing? Clover tilted her head uncertainly but nodded along anyway.
Behind them, Belze stood fidgeting with a clean handkerchief, watching Khalid’s expression nervously.
“Um, Khalid. I could do it……”
“It’s fine. I want to do it anyway.”
The pristine white handkerchief soon bore streaks of dirt. As he rubbed at her grimy hands, they gradually grew lighter.
‘But what does Empress Dowager even mean?’
Clover sorted people into exactly two categories.
Good people and bad people.
Which was this person?
“The Empress Dowager is the mother of the Emperor—that is, his mother.”
“Oh! The Emperor, the really strong boss.”
“Yes, you could say she’s the boss of the boss.”
Khalid explained in a way that matched the child’s level of understanding, then carefully wiped between her fingers one last time. Done.
“But why does she want to meet me?”
Clover had never seen her before. She was acquainted with Clover’s mother, not with Clover herself.
Clover tilted her head in confusion after hearing from Khalid that the Empress Dowager wished to meet her.
“It seems Her Majesty wants to meet you because she finds you charming.”
“Charming?”
“Yes—she has a weakness for anything cute.”
It was good that he’d dressed her in shorts; otherwise her dress would have gotten covered in dirt too. Khalid gazed at Clover’s soiled clothes as he spoke.
“But if you don’t want to meet her, you don’t have to.”
“Is His Majesty coming here to meet Clover?”
“No, you’ll need to go to her. Where she lives.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“And it’s quite far.”
“Oh……”
“So if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
The way Khalid said this made it seem as though he secretly hoped Clover would whine that she didn’t want to go.
But.
“I’m fine with it! I want to go!”
Clover’s head snapped up with sudden brightness.
“A person who wants to meet Clover.”
And she smiled broadly.
“Clover.”
Just as Khalid was about to speak, Clover clenched her tiny fist again and said:
“……A good person! I want to meet her.”
Everything Clover had experienced through Khalid so far had been good for her.
Only good things. So if Father was talking about it, it would surely be good as well. A small seed of trust had taken root in Clover’s heart.
“Daddy, if Mommy’s friend is Clover’s friend too?”
“Yes, she’d be your friend.”
“Then the Empress Dowager will like me?”
“She’ll like you, without a doubt.”
“Then I’ll like……”
Still in her dirt-covered clothes, Clover suddenly rushed forward and flung herself into Khalid’s arms.
She hugged his thick arms tight and beamed at him.
“I really like people who like me.”
“……”
“I want to meet her lots and lots.”
With a small laugh, Clover wriggled deeper into his embrace, and Khalid, who had been still until then, nodded and drew her small body closer.
“All right then, let’s go meet her.”
If anything dangerous happened along the way, he would simply protect her from harm.
“Mm.”
With her so happy, what did adult complications matter? Khalid murmured softly to himself.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her smile like that.”
The dirt and sand from Clover burrowing into his arms had soiled Khalid’s chest, but he paid it no mind.
It was a picture-perfect scene of a father and daughter.
Yet Belze, watching from behind, pressed a handkerchief to her nose and mouth as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
‘Miss….’
And she resolved then and there.
‘Next time, I’ll change your clothes right away….’
Next time, before Clover threw herself into his arms covered in dirt, she would swiftly have fresh clothes ready.
***
“To the Imperial Palace?”
Demian spoke after hearing the full account.
“Yes.”
Khalid stroked Clover’s hair where she nestled in his arms, though the girl was too busy fishing the warm marshmallows from her hot chocolate to pay much attention.
“The Empress Dowager wishes to see Clover.”
“But she’s only just arrived—how could Her Majesty possibly know?”
“I have no idea. Though it’s hardly surprising, given that she misses nothing.”
“Still….”
Demian gazed intently at Clover. She was small and fragile. There was no telling what exposure to a powerful Authority user might do to her.
Of course, there was no Authority quite as formidable and aggressive as Claudian’s, but the royal family’s power was immense nonetheless—exposure to it at close quarters could cause her serious harm.
“Will the Blessing of the Storm protect her from other Authorities as well?”
Demian asked, his gaze on Clover heavy with concern.
“To some degree, yes. A blessing is, by its nature, a force that shields the weak. And besides—”
Snap.
Khalid flicked his fingers, and the Lion of the North Wind emerged with a shimmer. It no longer wore the majestic form of a grand beast; instead, it had taken on the shape of a small, adorable cat from the moment of its appearance.
“This one will come along.”
“It certainly puts my mind at ease to have Father’s summon accompany you.”
“It does.”
Khalid wiped away a smudge of chocolate from Clover’s mouth as he replied.
“There shouldn’t be any danger. But I’d prefer if she didn’t cross paths with the Emperor, if possible….”
Khalid looked down at Clover. At that moment, Clover lifted her head and looked back at him.
Round, gleaming black eyes like seeds gazed up at him.
“Daddy’s sad?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I wish you didn’t have to meet any bad people.”
Khalid’s finger brushed gently across Clover’s cheek.
They still hadn’t discovered exactly how Count Sidu had harmed Clover back then. The notion that ‘malice’ had caused injury was far too vague.
In such circumstances, he had no desire to take her anywhere that might harbor someone with ill intentions toward her.
“Hmph, don’t like bad people.”
“That’s right. If a bad person ever tries to hurt you, you run straight to Father, understood?”
“Yes, okay.”
Clover nodded earnestly.
“But when do I meet Mother?”
“That will come later, when the time is right. There’s too much danger around her for now.”
“I see. I’ll wait patiently.”
Clover nodded solemnly once more. She certainly knew how to give a proper answer.
Arwin, watching the exchange warmly, turned his gaze to Khalid.
“We ought to purchase a gift for the Empress Dowager as well, don’t you think?”
“Indeed. I’ve acquired something recently that should be quite suitable. I was planning to present that.”
Clover, listening to the exchange between Arwin and Khalid, looked up and asked.
“A gift?”
“Yes. It’s customary to bring a gift when visiting someone of high station.”
Arwin answered, and Clover blinked, still clutching her empty chocolate cup.
“Brother, does Clover bring one too?”
“Of course.”
….
“Clover?”
…!!
A gift? But I don’t have a gift!
When Clover said nothing, Arwin and Khalid resumed their discussion of the gift.
Meanwhile, Clover watched the two of them with an anxious expression, her large eyes darting back and forth between them.
Though Arwin and Khalid continued to exchange a few more words and spoke to Clover as well, none of it reached her ears.
‘Hmm, a gift…… I don’t have a gift.’
No gift.
Thump-thump—Clover’s little heart began to race.
‘If I don’t bring a gift, am I a rude child?’
A rude child.
Rude children are disliked.
‘I don’t like that.’
So I have to bring something.
I don’t want to be a rude child to someone I’m meeting for the first time. Clover slumped against the sofa, her mood darkening.
[Clover, you don’t need to worry.]
“…….”
[Really, sweetheart, I mean it.]
“……Mm.”
Clover replied in a despondent, melancholy voice, her shoulders drooping. But Lucky’s words were already slipping past her ears, barely registering.
“Hmm?”
Noticing that Clover’s mood had suddenly soured, Demian gently lifted the child into his arms.
“Doesn’t seem like you’re feeling well. Maybe you’re sleepy……. We should get you to bed.”
That wasn’t quite it, but she did want to be alone. Clover didn’t particularly object, wrapping her arms around Demian’s neck.
As he carried her off, her eyes fell shut, but then she carefully opened one eye and peered at Khalid and Arwin.
Khalid and Arwin, oblivious to Clover’s distress, were still talking about the “gift.”
Clover’s heart grew heavy hearing the gift mentioned out of the blue, and she let out a long, weary sigh.
‘Sigh…….’

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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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