The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family - Chapter 82

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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 82
The ones who opened the door and stepped inside were none other than Clover and Anernia.
The children who had been in the adjoining room heard the crash and, startled, came running to see what had happened.
“Gasp…….”
Clover’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of the ruined room.
Anernia stood behind Clover, surveyed the room with a single sweep of her gaze, then glared at Peson.
She had immediately guessed that Peson was the source of all this chaos.
“Were you fighting?”
The startled Clover rushed to Arwin and clung to his leg.
Taken aback by his sister’s sudden appearance, Arwin and Demian withdrew their Abilities and gathered around Clover.
“Clover, what are you doing here?”
“You were being really loud.”
“I heard the noise and thought something had happened to you, so…….”
“No, that has nothing to do with you……!”
“Nothing to do with me?”
Clover tilted her head, still clinging to Arwin’s leg, and glanced at Peson, who stood there looking thoroughly battered.
Arwin fell silent then, unwilling it seemed to explain the reason for the fight to Clover.
Clover looked from Arwin to Peson, then back again.
This was apparently the same man who had come to blows with Arwin last year and was Anernia’s brother—Peson Abe.
“Did you fight with our brother?”
“……What?”
“Gosh…… why were you fighting?”
Clover, who had wrapped her arms tightly around Arwin’s leg, looked at Peson and spoke.
“Well…….”
Peson couldn’t answer immediately and fumbled for words.
No matter how thoughtless and quick-tongued he usually was, he lacked the courage to speak harshly to such a small child. Besides, he had no desire to vent his frustration from fighting Arwin on her.
In truth, Peson knew that what he had said was wrong.
But he couldn’t stop. Every time Clover was mentioned, he saw Arwin and Demian’s faces soften a little, and it infuriated him.
Moreover, while Arwin and Demian claimed that Peson had insulted them first, as far as he felt, it was he who had been insulted first.
‘Anernia doesn’t stay with me.’
It was true that Anernia had run away because she didn’t want to be with Peson. She hated him.
It wasn’t just Peson she disliked.
She also hated the governess who had cared for Peson like a mother in place of their busy father.
Since there was no reason to hate the governess, perhaps she simply hated him and therefore hated the governess too. Every time Peson thought of Anernia, his mouth turned bitter.
But when Anernia was even brought up and they boasted that their sister liked them, he—with his stubborn pride—found it utterly unbearable…….
Having thought this far, Peson glanced at Clover, who was looking up at him with large eyes.
He lacked the courage to explain all of this to the little girl. He was just about to close his mouth tightly and turn away when——
Anernia came dashing out and looked up at Peson.
“Brother, did you say something mean again?”
“…….”
“I told you before—if you keep saying things like that, people won’t like you.”
“……what did I even say.”
“It’s so obvious. It’s always the same thing. You said nothing matters unless it’s strength, didn’t you.”
Struck by Anernia’s words that had hit the mark perfectly, Peson flinched.
“I’m tired of hearing that.”
“I…….”
“How much longer will you keep this up? How much longer will you only spend time with the governess?”
Anernia, glaring at Peson, suddenly grabbed Clover’s hand.
“Clover, let’s go.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s leave. We’ll leave the stupid brother behind.”
Peson stood frozen, watching Anernia’s retreating form.
But Anernia didn’t look back and hurried Clover along.
The three boys seemed too shocked by Anernia’s words to have any thought of continuing their fight.
Clover looked back and forth between Peson, who seemed utterly deflated and discouraged, and Anernia.
That was when——
‘Wait——’
Clover’s eyes met those of Peson’s Summoned Creature, which glowed faintly in dark blue.
The Summoned Creature continued to stare at Clover, as if it had something it wanted to tell her.
‘The cat did the same thing…….’
The North Wind Lion looked at Clover that way whenever it had something to say to her.
Just as Clover found herself stepping toward the Summoned Creature without thinking, Anernia tugged gently at her hand.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Huh? Oh…….”
Clover never made it to the creature’s side, following Anernia out instead.
But the image of the Summoned Creature watching her as if it had something to say kept catching her eye long after they left.
‘My heart keeps aching.’
Even after stepping out of the room, Clover kept glancing back at the door to Peson’s chamber.
The door shut, and faced with Anernia’s whirlwind entrance, Arwin and Demian—their will to fight already shattered—shot Peson a sideways look.
“…….”
Peson stared blankly at the door through which Anernia had departed.
***
“He does this every single time,” Anernia muttered irritably as she led Clover back to her room.
“Always going on about how if it’s not strong, it’s worthless.”
“Oh…….”
Clover’s eyes widened as she listened.
‘Wait, he said that about you too……!’
‘Oh, now I understand why you and the brothers fought.’
Clover’s Ability was, truthfully, not particularly useful.
If Peson only considered “powerful Abilities” to have any worth, it would be even less so.
So the fight must have been about Clover’s Ability in the first place.
Clover blinked.
“Why does he have to be so obsessed with strength…….”
“…….”
“There are so many wonderful things in this world that aren’t strong at all. It’s strange.”
Clover stretched out her legs, muttering to herself. Anernia, watching her intently, narrowed her eyes and spoke.
“That’s because he was raised by his governess.”
“Huh?”
“His governess is odd.”
Anernia pouted.
“She’s strange—says things are worthless if they’re not strong, always telling him he has to be stronger than me.”
“……!”
“That’s why he’s like that.”
Though Anernia was only five years old, she knew well enough that Peson’s governess, Manella, was not a good person.
‘Hmph…….’
Duke Abe was busy with matters both within and without the estate, and like most nobles, he had hired a governess for the children—Manella, who served as Peson’s.
But there was something unsettling about her. At least, that was how Anernia saw it.
Manella constantly told Peson he had to grow stronger no matter what, and whenever little Anernia’s Ability surpassed his, she would subtly make Peson aware of it.
Because of this, Peson began to grow obsessively conscious of his sister.
He lived in constant fear that she might one day overtake him entirely, and drove himself to extremes in his self-refinement.
Eventually, Anernia came to hate watching Peson change before her eyes and began to avoid him.
But that wasn’t all.
‘The World Tree will return to us someday.’
She read them fairy tales featuring the ancient World Tree and went on endlessly about “the World Tree,” speaking with an intensity that went far beyond mere fondness for the story.
By the time the reverence in her words reached an almost fanatical pitch, Anernia found Manella absolutely repugnant.
But Anernia was too young to explain precisely and concretely why she disliked Manella.
The child didn’t know how to put any of it into words for Duke Getaia, and could only say that she didn’t like Manella.
Anernia had expected her older brother Peson to stand with her, to tell their mother he didn’t like Manella either.
‘I… I can’t do without Manella!’
Peson betrayed her. He clung to their mother’s skirts and insisted he couldn’t live without Manella.
So Duke Abe couldn’t simply dismiss her either.
There was no clear reason compelling enough to turn her out, and removing the governess after such a bond had formed with Peson would not be good for the child’s upbringing.
So the Duchess agreed to hire a separate governess for Anernia instead.
But the result was this:
Peson’s obsession with “strength,” born from Manella’s hand, only grew fiercer, and Anernia eventually reached a point where she had to hide her own Ability in front of her brother.
So she had endured his thoughtless words. After all, he had been twisted by that wretched governess too.
But now, even Anernia had had enough. Everything Peson said made her stomach turn. He was the one who had chosen the governess in the first place.
She had been patient for quite a long time, even for a five-year-old.
But now.

‘Maybe that was too harsh after all.’
Anernia turned Peson’s shocked face over in her mind.
Just then, Lucky fluttered down onto Clover’s shoulder and spoke.
[So even an insolent brat has his own circumstances.]
“Mm…….”
[Still, there’s no need to understand him — it’s his business, not yours.]
Lucky said it bluntly.
Lucky was right.
It was Peson’s affair.
So there was no need for Clover to understand.
But why did it bother her nonetheless?
Was it because their eyes had met with Peson’s Summoned Creature?
He’d clearly wanted to say something to Clover, but she’d left before he could ask — was that it?
‘I don’t need to understand, but why can’t I stop thinking about it?’
There were too many unanswered questions.
With Anernia beside her, Clover couldn’t ask Lucky what she wanted to know, so she kept her questions to herself and opened her large eyes wide before asking.
“So do you dislike your brother?”
“I don’t dislike him. He’s family.”
“Just a little… awkward with him?”
“Yeah…….”
Anernia answered with her chin resting on her hand, her tone sullen.
“I see.”
Clover nodded.
And in that moment.
The child’s eyes gleamed with what looked like a sudden resolve.

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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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