The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family - Chapter 45

The Storm Bird looked at Clover.

“Hurt? But Clover doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Clover pointed to the Storm’s Blessing inscribed on her body.
“See? It’s this.”
When Clover tilted her head in confusion, the Storm Bird let out a troubled sigh, as though wondering how to explain it.
Then Lucky, who had been quietly observing, spoke up in exasperation.
[Just simplify it and keep it easy, easy. She’s only four years old now…….]

The Storm Bird said:

[That’s too blunt…….]
Clover tilted her head.
“When I was little? Killed?”

The Storm Bird, gathering its composure, spoke carefully once more.
Trauma……?
What’s that?
Seeing Clover’s confused expression, the Storm Bird continued.

Ah, I see.
‘So something like that happened when I was little.’
But why is she still scared?
Clover fidgeted with her fingers.
“But I didn’t get hurt.”

“I’m perfectly fine, and it doesn’t hurt anywhere…….”
But why was her sister still so afraid?
And Sone had said that the accident happened while she was trying to help Clover.
So if it was for the sake of helping, then it didn’t matter, did it?
As Clover fidgeted, clearly struggling to understand, Lucky spoke.
[Sometimes such intense memories linger in the heart and mind, and aren’t forgotten even after a long time.]
“Mm.”
[In other words, she’s trapped in that moment.]
“Hmm.”
This was still a difficult concept for Clover to grasp.
“Anyway, I’m all right.”

“It happened a long time ago, and it doesn’t hurt now…….”
But her sister was clearly not all right.
Clover couldn’t understand Lucky’s words, but she could understand her sister’s heart.
There had been times when Clover herself found it difficult to adapt to things.
Like when she’d suddenly arrived in Claudian,
or when she’d been abruptly placed in a new room at the Demper House.
So her sister must be in a similar situation, Clover nodded to herself.
But then.
Flutter.
The book pages suddenly turned again.
While Clover was conversing with her summon, Belze—who had been covering the book’s cover—startled and opened her eyes wide.
“Oh my!”
[Hm?]
“Uh?”
Lucky and Clover turned their attention to the book on Belze’s lap at the same time.
Just as it had in the Imperial Palace, the pages were fluttering open on their own.
‘What is it?’
Startled, Clover knelt close beside Belze and fixed her gaze on the pages.
Flutter.
Flutter.
Flutter.
The pages turned ceaselessly until they stopped at one place and lay open.
And then they began to glow with a soft light.
“What in the world……?”
As Belze stammered in alarm, Clover—her eyes fixed on the page—haltingly made out the words “Ancient Flower” written there.
“Ja… Smin…….”
The illustration of a white flower was reflected in Clover’s dark eyes.
“The flower language means… loveliness.”
That was when it happened.
A delicate floral fragrance brushed against Clover’s nose.
‘Oh? What a lovely smell!’
Clover’s head snapped up.
That beautiful scent was drifting from the Garden of Claudian mansion.
Clover felt the ‘incomplete spirit’ she had made before calling out to her.
‘Then, could it be……?’
Like last time?
Clover jumped to her feet.
“Miss?”
“I have to go!”
When the child reached out her hand, Lucky came fluttering over and landed lightly upon it.
Clover stood before the large door and looked at Belze with eyes that pleaded for it to be opened quickly.
Belze, not even understanding what was happening, followed Clover and opened the door.
***
‘It’s calling to me.’
The spirit is calling! That incomplete spirit was searching for Clover desperately.
Clover hurried out into the Garden. As the child rushed into the Garden in the dead of night, a flustered Belze grabbed a Blanket and followed after her.
“Miss, if you wander about like this in the middle of the night, you’ll catch cold……!”
But Belze’s words never reached Clover’s ears. She bolted outside in a frenzy, racing toward the place where she’d buried the Seed.
The place where she’d buried a seed from her father’s heart.
“Oh, how beautiful…….”
White flowers bloomed there in profusion.
An incomplete Spirit circled endlessly around them, its form shifting ceaselessly in what seemed like joy.
“My goodness……!”
Belze, arriving moments too late to see the flowers first, pressed the Blanket she’d brought against her mouth.
“Belze, flowers.”
Could it be because of what had happened at the Imperial Palace today?
Had these flowers bloomed because of that?
Whatever the reason, one thing was certain: Clover’s Authority had grown stronger.
What happened at the Imperial Palace might have been coincidence.
But when the same thing occurs twice, you don’t call it coincidence.
‘She’s grown.’
Clover’s Authority had grown.
Incomparably so compared to when they were at Demper House.
Tap.
Clover reached out and touched a white petal.
It was unmistakably a living flower.
Exactly like the Sunflower she’d seen at the Imperial Palace—a flower that lived and breathed.
‘I can give this to Father.’
On the day she’d first planted this Seed, Clover had thought to herself.
How wonderful it would be if something truly beautiful grew here.
Something large and splendid enough to give as a gift to Father.
And now.
‘How wonderful…….’
Clover broke into a broad smile as she recalled that Father’s birthday was drawing near.
“Belze, the flowers are blooming.”
“Is this an Ancient Flower, Miss? Did you plant it yourself?”
“I suppose so.”
Clover smiled gently, gazing at the white flowers gleaming in the moonlight.
Since she’d bloomed these with Father’s heart, they belonged to him.
But right now.
‘There’s someone I want to give them to first.’
Father, forgive me.
Clover plucked a single flower.
Then she held it close to her heart, cradling it tenderly.
The white petals gleamed softly in the moonlight, and the rich fragrance wrapped around Clover like a veil.
***
Knock, knock.
“Who is it?”
Knock, knock, knock.
“Who on earth…….”
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Sone, her irritation reaching a fever pitch from the persistent knocking, bolted upright in bed.
She’d asked who it was, but whoever was out there had ignored her and continued tapping on the door—which meant it was almost certainly Arwin playing pranks. He loved such games.
‘This bastard…….’
Determined to give him a thorough scolding this time, Sone stomped toward the door and yanked it open.
“……!”
But standing there was not Arwin.
“……Um, hello, Sone.”
It was Clover, her cheeks flushed for no apparent reason.
Her small frame rose and fell with hurried breathing, as if she’d run here in haste. The child drew breath deeply for a long moment.
She seemed unable to answer Sone’s question while catching her breath. Sone regarded her carefully.
“……Clover.”
Why had she come here at this hour?
It was late—the time when everyone was meant to be preparing for bed.
There was no reason for a four-year-old to leave her room and come to Sone’s.
“What are you doing here?”
Sone lowered herself to eye level with Clover and asked in a surprised voice.
So be it.
“Sister, I wanted to give you a present……”
Clover beamed and burrowed into Sone’s embrace.
It happened in an instant.
Before Sone could even think of pushing the child away, Clover had already wrapped herself around her.

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