The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family - Chapter 58

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

Episode 58
Quietly, softly.
Clover crept up behind Pluto, who was gazing at the flowers in silence, and gave him a gentle tap.
And then—
“Wh-what—!”
Pluto started violently, stumbling backward, and looked up at Clover with wide eyes.
‘Oh?’
She hadn’t meant to startle him so badly.
Flustered, Clover reached out a hand to help him up.
“Sorry.”
“……!”
“Here, take my hand.”
But Pluto didn’t grasp it.
“……I can get up on my own.”
He replied curtly, just then pulling on the Gloves he had been removing, when something caught his eye.
His pupils dilated in an instant.
“……Huh?”
Pluto stopped mid-motion, fixing the flowers with an expression of shock.
The boy’s face had gone deathly pale.
‘What’s wrong?’
Puzzled by Pluto’s reaction, Clover followed his gaze.
There, she saw—
[Oh, it’s wilted.]
‘Hm? It has wilted?’
Petals blackened and dead.
Had time simply done this, or was it Pluto’s Authority?
Judging by Pluto’s panic, it seemed the Authority had activated when he fell.
“Did you do this, sir?”
Clover crouched down and pointed at the withered leaf.
Pluto’s flustered gaze darted between Clover and the petal, then his face flushed crimson as he retreated unsteadily.
He covered his face with his forearm, turning away from her sight.
“Sn…….”
“Hm……?”
Concerned, Clover stepped closer to Pluto and asked quietly.
“Sir…… are you crying?”
“Go away!”
Pluto cried out, both hands pressed against his face now.
“That’s…… that’s why I told you not to come near me…….”
Pluto could not properly control his Authority.
This was precisely why Aurion forbade him from removing his Gloves.
He could not master his power, and ruin followed wherever he went.
The grass his hands touched withered; animals lost their lives. Pluto despised his Authority with every fiber of his being.
And now he had withered the Ancient Flower that the youngest princess of Claudian had cultivated.
“I don’t…….”
Pluto didn’t want to cry.
Least of all in front of this girl.
Yet the tears came unbidden.
Foolishly.
“Go…… away…….”
“Sir, please don’t cry.”
Clover started to move closer but stopped herself.
‘He told me not to come near.’
It was still difficult to hold back the urge to go to him.
Would it become easier as she grew?
Watching tears stream down Pluto’s face, Clover hesitated a moment, then reached toward the Jasmine instead.
One entire section of leaves had withered completely.
Withering was a familiar thing, but something that had been growing well could not simply wither overnight—it must have been Pluto’s Authority.
Yet Clover felt no sorrow.
She had no desire to scold him for wilting the flower she had nurtured with such care.
“Now then.”
Tap.
Clover plucked at a withered leaf.
Blackened, shriveled leaves filled her palm.
“Harriet said I should pull off the dead ones.”
“……?”
“So new ones will grow.”
Clover laid the wilted leaves carefully on the soil.
Once they rotted, they’d become compost.
The earth would grow rich, and Spiritling would be so happy.
So really, it worked out well for everyone.
After Clover finished stripping away all the dead foliage, she stared blankly at Pluto.
“Your Majesty.”
“…….”
“Are you still crying?”
“Stop calling me that. Just stop.”
“But still.”
Clover fell silent for a moment, then pointed to a flower that remained perfectly intact.
“This one’s fine.”
“…….”
“Even if they all wither, they’ll bloom again. That’s what flowers do.”
And they bloom again after that.
Clover hummed softly, half-closing her eyes as she thought.
“So why do you keep crying?”
“You…….”
Pluto, who had been shedding tears without pause, wiped his eyes on his sleeve and looked at her.
His nose had turned red.
“You’re not bothered at all? I destroyed them.”
“Mmm…… They’ll bloom again.”
“What……?”
“I planted them myself anyway. No matter how well I care for them, they’d have withered eventually.”
“…….”
“So please, don’t cry.”
Clover fumbled for her handkerchief and reached out to wipe Pluto’s tears away.
Pluto flinched, but unlike before, he didn’t shout at her to stop or pull away.
“It’s all fine.”
Having dried Pluto’s tears, Clover broke into a bright, cheerful smile.
“Are you better now?”
“……You.”
“I don’t have a handkerchief anymore, so you can’t cry now.”
Pluto, his face flushed from crying, glanced away from her.
“You…… aren’t you scared of me……?”
“Hm?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be afraid……?”
“Huh?”
Supposed to be afraid?!
Clover went rigid at the bewildering question.
But why should she be afraid?
‘You’re not saying anything cruel.’
You’re not even chasing her away with a frightening look.
After a moment’s thought, Clover asked carefully.
“……Should I be afraid?”
“……!”
“If I really must be, I can be scared for you…….”
At Clover’s words, Pluto’s tears stopped abruptly.
A silence fell between them.
“What kind of…… answer is that…….”
Pluto looked at her in utter bemusement, a faint smile rising to his lips.
‘Ha.’
He was smiling!
Seeing Pluto’s small, tentative smile, Clover broke into a radiant laugh.
***
From that day forward, Pluto no longer turned Clover away when she came to visit.
He still disliked her drawing close, but he stopped barring the door against her.
Clover was thrilled by even this much.
‘We’ve gotten quite close.’
It felt like making friends with Pluto!
‘A friend. Making one for the first time.’
Of course, Lucky was a friend, and the Lion of the North Wind was a friend, and Spiritling was Clover’s friend too.
But this was her first time befriending a peer—an actual person her own age. Her heart couldn’t help but race.
Yet as Clover lingered more and more around Pluto’s chamber, both Demian and Arwin grew visibly dejected.
“Clover, you’re going again?”
“What about me? Isn’t today supposed to be our day to play together!?”
Arwin clung to Clover’s pant leg, whining and tugging at her.
“Not today, brother. I promise we’ll play…”
“Ah, the weight of a younger sibling…”
Clover shook her head firmly.
“Where on earth did you pick that up!?”
“Lucky taught me.”
At Clover’s words, Arwin’s head snapped up, and he fixed Lucky with a stare.
Lucky responded with a look that said ‘what are you going to do about it?’ and scattered sparkling golden light over Arwin’s hair.
Undeterred, Arwin pulled Clover into a tight embrace and rubbed his cheek vigorously against her small head.
“By the way, whatever happened to that aunt of yours?”
“Demper? I heard her assets were seized. Turns out she was involved in illegal dealings, and the Count might even end up in prison for it.”
“Prison?”
When Clover looked up, Arwin poked her soft cheek and spoke.
“It’s a dreadful place. Once you go in there, you can’t come back out to bother anyone.”
“Oh…!”
“While Mother is away, it’s unfortunate this happened, but Father has been remarkably patient all the same.”
Demian nodded at Arwin’s words.
“I agree. Honestly, I didn’t think he’d bear with it this long. It must be because she’s Mother’s only remaining family that he’s been so forbearing.”
“Hmph, what kind of family is that? I never cared for that aunt from the start.”
As Clover listened quietly to Arwin and Demian’s exchange, she thought of Demper, the Countess.
That terrible aunt with her menacing face, always driving Clover forward with cruelty.
To think that aunt would never come again—relief washed over her.
Clover was truly safe now. Here in Claudian.
‘Thank goodness…’
As Clover smiled softly, Arwin lightly grasped her fist and shook it.
“Clover, when you go to see Mother, be sure to tell her everything. Tell her just how cruel that aunt was to you.”
“But you said Mother is sleeping…can I still tell her?”
“Of course. She’ll listen even while she sleeps.”
Arwin pulled Clover into a tight embrace.
“Just hug Mother’s tree like this while you speak, and then Mother will hear you.”
“Oh, Mother’s tree…!”
Clover’s eyes gleamed.
‘I miss Mother so much.’
She had to tell her everything about how awful that aunt had been.
And she’d tell her how much she’d been missing her too.
In response to Clover’s feelings, Lucky’s form poured forth a gentle cascade of golden light.

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