The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family - Chapter 50

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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 50
Clover’s Diary.
This is the first diary entry I’ve written since arriving in Claudian.
Father and my siblings have been awfully busy lately.
Why are they so occupied with something?
I can’t figure it out.
***
For the past few days, my family has been acting strangely.
Whenever Clover crept close to them, they’d startle as if caught in some misdeed, then scramble away in a panic.
‘What’s going on with them?’
Since arriving at Claudian, Clover had never seen her family behave this way, and it left her bewildered.
Were they all just terribly busy with their duties?
Or had something happened at the manor?
“Lucky, you really don’t know anything?”
When Clover asked Lucky why her family was acting so strangely, the creature answered with a somewhat weary expression.
[Don’t know…… It’s just that they’re inexperienced, that’s all. Your family should have tried organizing something like this before…….]
A party? When would they have ever prepared one themselves? Lucky muttered this last part under his breath, barely audible to Clover.
“So what’s going on?”
[You don’t need to know…….]
Clover felt frustrated.
Lucky seemed to know something, but he refused to tell her.
Why wouldn’t he just say?
Now she was starting to feel hurt. Clover burrowed deep into her blankets and pouted, pushing out her lower lip.
‘You said there shouldn’t be any secrets between family.’
Lately, Father and her siblings seemed to be keeping secrets from her.
‘I wish I could ask her about this.’
But that wasn’t possible either.
Anernia was recovering, they’d said. Her body, already weakened by age, had been pushed to its limits by the rampage, leaving her in poor condition.
She’d promised to send Clover an invitation to the Imperial Palace once she recovered, but that hadn’t happened yet.
So there was no one to ask.
Just as Clover was fidgeting about inside her blankets, the door creaked open.
“Miss.”
Belze entered carefully, then gently lifted the blanket Clover had disappeared under.
“Miss?”
“Mm.”
“Why are you hiding in there?”
“Just because…….”
Clover replied in a slightly dejected voice.
“Hmm, you’re in a bad mood?”
“A little.”
“Even so much that you won’t eat the Special Macaroons the cooks made?”
“Well, no…….”
The Special Macaroons had to be eaten.
Being pouty and eating macaroons were two different things. Clover quietly crawled out from under the blanket and nestled into Belze’s embrace.
Belze held the small child with practiced ease, letting out soft laughs as she pressed her cheek against Clover’s hair.
“What could make our young miss look so glum, when her jasmine blossom scent fills this entire manor with such fragrance?”
Come to think of it, the flowers I’m blooming smell so lovely—so why are my family members so busy?
And why have all the summoned creatures sealed their lips?
In truth, her family’s busyness wasn’t what bothered her most.
But the fact that every summoned creature in this manor—Lucky included—seemed to have been bound by some secret, refusing to speak to Clover, stung.
What on earth had happened?
‘Father won’t say anything either.’
It felt ominous somehow.
It was as if someone had issued them all a prohibition—speak, and face punishment.
Nestled in Belze’s arms, Clover spoke in a voice that had grown quieter still.
“Um, Belze.”
“Yes, miss?”
“What exactly is a secret? Secrets make me sad.”
As Clover fidgeted, Belze—who had already begun to ‘sense’ the reason behind the girl’s unhappiness—bit her lip, suppressing a smile.
“Oh dear…….”
As he sighed, his small frame trembled.
Fortunately, Clover was nestled securely in Belze’s embrace, so the child didn’t notice her stifling a laugh.
She bit back her amusement and carried Clover away, heading somewhere.
Clover dangled loosely in Belze’s arms as they made their way through the halls.
But then.
‘Hmm? This isn’t the way to the dining hall…’
It was the moment Clover, noticing that Belze was taking them the wrong direction, lifted her head.
“Young lady, from here on, you must cover your eyes,” Belze said gently.
She softly placed her hand over Clover’s eyes.
“But why?”
“Because the special macaroon only appears when you close your eyes.”
Belze whispered conspiratorially.
“Oh!”
A macaroon that only appeared with closed eyes?
In that moment, a large, glittering macaroon flashed through Clover’s mind, then vanished.
If Belze spoke of it so grandly, just how special could it be?
‘What on earth did those cooks create!?’
Clover forgot her recent melancholy entirely, heart fluttering with anticipation as she squeezed her eyes shut.
Ten steps like that.
Belze walked softly, then stopped.
When all around had finally fallen quiet.
“Young lady, open your eyes now…!”
Belze whispered into Clover’s ear.
Clover’s eyes opened slowly.
And at the sight that unfolded before her, her mouth opened gradually.
“Oh… oh my…”
***
What greeted Clover’s eyes was a garden splendidly decorated.
A long white table had been set in the center of the garden, adorned with all manner of ribbons and dolls.
And upon it lay countless dishes, including the special macaroon—many of them her favorites.
Clover had never seen so much food in all her life.
Even at Louis’s birthday party, there had never been this abundance.
‘Whose birthday is today…?’
Clover’s head tilted up blankly.
Then she spotted Kalid with a faint smile, Sone with a stern face yet watching her with clear interest, and Demian and Arwin beaming broadly.
“Come here, Clover,” Kalid said, extending his hand.
The moment he did, Belze set Clover down on the ground.
Clover hesitated briefly, then dashed over and threw herself into Kalid’s embrace.
“Father… whose birthday is today…?”
Wait—could it be Father’s birthday?
Clover’s eyes widened as she looked up at Kalid.
Understanding what she was asking and suspecting her misunderstanding, Kalid lifted the child and turned on the spot.
Then, in Clover’s view, jasmine flowers decorated with small ribbons came into sight.
Flowers that had bloomed through Clover’s Divine Power.
“Surprise,” Kalid whispered, placing a tender kiss on Clover’s cheek.

“Father…?”
“This party celebrates the blooming of these flowers,” Kalid said.
“And it’s also your birthday celebration, though a bit delayed.”
Sone stepped forward, gazing steadily at Clover before gently tapping her cheek.
Then he handed the child a carefully wrapped gift.
“My gift for you.”
“A… a gift?”
A party for Clover?
Clover’s eyes rounded as she looked about her surroundings.
It wasn’t just Kalid, Sone, Demian, and Arwin gathered there.
Every servant of the manor whom Clover had met since her arrival, every person of Claudian who had gazed upon her with warmth—all were assembled in that place.
‘They’re celebrating me….’
All of them had gathered to celebrate Clover.
Clutching tightly the gift Sone had given her, Clover stood overwhelmed when it happened.
“My gift, my gift too!”
Arwin suddenly pushed forward and thrust a large present into Clover’s arms.
She couldn’t possibly hold it while carrying everything else, so Kalid shifted the child to one arm and accepted the gift with the other.
“You have to go to your room and open what I prepared first, understood?”
While Arwin was giving his instructions, Demian—who’d quietly stepped aside—offered Clover a small gift.
It was small enough for her to hold in one hand, but wrapped beautifully in delicate paper.
“Clover, congratulations.”
Demian smiled warmly.
“Next year I’ll give you something even better, and every year after that the gifts will get better, so look forward to it.”
In a heartbeat, Clover found herself laden with presents, and she nodded eagerly.
This is strange.
Parties like this were supposed to be something only Louis could have.
‘I can have one too?’
So many people who had shown Clover kindness and greeted her were now smiling at her as they watched.
Clover hugged the gifts tight, her throat constricting as she fought back tears.
Why do tears come when you’re happy?
But she didn’t want to cry. She pressed a few tears into Kalid’s shoulder to stifle the sobs, then lifted her head and looked out at everyone gathered before her.
“Th-thank you so much.”
The child’s voice trembled faintly.
“I’ve never done anything like this before.”
A birthday party, or being celebrated by the whole family together.
The party her family had prepared for her was a hundred times more wonderful than Louis’s birthday party.
Five times more wonderful than the party she’d imagined every night……
The child clutched her gifts close as she continued speaking.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.”
When Clover finished, she let out a small, bright laugh.
A tiny teardrop hung at the corner of her eye.
Gleam.
The teardrop caught the sunlight and shone like a jewel.

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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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