The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family - Chapter 88

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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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Chapter 88
“……What?”
At the Duchess Ziteia’s question, Manela’s eyes wavered helplessly.
Her mouth fell open.
Only then did she realize it.
Her fatal mistake.
The Duchess Ziteia had never mentioned the timeframe of one year.
Neither had Naeinia.
Only Manela had spoken of the seed appearing a year ago.
She had confessed it herself.
Unwittingly.
***
Manela was a capable governess.
At the same time, she was a devoted follower of the Trina Church, which revered the World Tree as divine.
She had been the most excellent and faithful believer in the congregation, and she was soon to be promoted to a high position within the order.
If only this had never happened.
‘Why?’
Manela thought as she looked at the Duchess Ziteia, whose gaze had turned glacial, and at the others watching.
‘How did it come to this?’
She had no connection to Claudian. It was not Manela who had been given any task entangled with Claudian.
Then why had such a thing occurred in this estate?
Manela herself did not fully understand what she had fed to Peson.
She had only heard from those in high positions that it was a seed to make Peson stronger—a seed that would allow him to grow in strength and become fertile ground for the order.
That was why she had given it to him. If it had been something harmful, she would never have done so!
Though Manela had come to the Eibe Duchy as a servant of the order and became Peson’s governess, she truly cherished and loved the young master.
She cared for him as she would her own son—she would never have given him anything harmful.
So if that seed had harmed Peson, it was not Manela’s fault.
It was the order’s fault. But she could not say such things.
Manela was a faithful believer, after all.
‘Manela.’
‘Manela!’
‘Manela…….’
The face of Peson, who had always looked at her with a bright smile, rose in her mind and vanished just as quickly.
The young master, refreshing as a sea breeze. Yet always starved for affection, yearning for her love.
‘I did it all for him…….’
The order commanded it, but she would never have done it if it had not been for the young master’s sake.
Growing stronger was necessary for him.
Ten thousand thoughts arose and dissolved in Manela’s mind in an instant.
Having spoken the precise timeframe of one year, there was now no escape for Manela. Moreover, Ziteia was no longer looking at her with suspicion—her eyes now held absolute certainty.
Manela glanced once at Ziteia, once at the fallen Peson, then trembled as she spoke.
“Your Grace…….”
Tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes.
Seeing this, Ziteia’s expression grew colder. With a gesture, the knights of Eibe who had been standing guard over Peson seized Manela.
“Your Grace, I……!”
“What kind of seed was it?”
She asked sharply.
“…….”
“I asked what you fed my son.”
But Manela could not answer. She did not fully know herself.
“A strength-giving medicine, they said! That’s what they told me, so I just…….”
“They?”
Only then did Manela realize she had made another slip of the tongue, and her lips sealed shut.
Ziteia let out a cold laugh.
“If it had truly been a strength-giving medicine, my son would not be lying there in that condition.”
“…….”
“You truly mean to say nothing?”
“I…….”
“Do not regret this.”
The Duchess Ziteia, whose eyes burned with killing intent, stared at Manela for a long moment before speaking.
“Take her away. I will interrogate her myself in the underground prison of this estate.”
Ziteia glanced at Kalid as if seeking permission. Kalid nodded.
“Granted.”
The knights of the Eibe Duchy seized Manela and dragged her away. She seemed too stunned by her own foolish mistake to comprehend what was happening, moving limp as they pulled her toward the door—only then did she struggle and cry out.
“Your Grace, please listen to me!”
“Take her out.”
“Your Grace!”
The knights of Eibe quickly hauled Manela from the room. Ziteia’s gaze finally turned to Naeinia.
Naeinia, who had watched Manela dragged away with perfect clarity, wept silently.
Only then did the chains of the Authority that had bound the child dissolve and vanish. What scattered was not a deliberately learned and carefully cast Authority Covenant, but one conjured by pure instinct.
Perhaps even if it had been properly cast, it would not have killed. She had never been taught the technique properly, after all.
But that very fact also meant that Nia had been that desperate.
“…Nia was right, wasn’t she?”
Naeinia’s tears fell without end.
“Manela said she didn’t want this… she said no…”
The child who had carried herself with such composure the whole time now burst into uncontrolled sobbing. The tension finally broke as she collapsed onto the floor.
Her Summoned Creature, the sea lion, circled and performed tricks trying to console Naeinia, but it was in vain.
Ziteia hurried forward and gathered Naeinia into her arms. The duchess brushed away the child’s tears with the back of her hand.
“Nia, I’m sorry. I wasn’t doubting your words.”
“N-no, you… you were listening only to Manela… even though I told you I saw it clearly…”
“That’s not true, sweetheart. I simply didn’t understand the situation. Forgive me, my daughter. Forgive me.”
And she meant it sincerely.
When a governess and a daughter tell different stories, of course one believes the daughter—why would one believe the governess instead?
In that moment, Ziteia had merely been bewildered and had listened to Manela’s account as well in order to grasp exactly what had happened.
But she had not considered that such an ambiguous stance might wound a small child.
“I’m sorry, my dear.”
The duchess, called a pillar of the Empire, an Authority Bearer of formidable power, became an endlessly inadequate and fumbling mother before her daughter.
Ziteia wanted only to console Nia, to truly apologize to her.
Naeinia clung to Ziteia and wept openly. Ziteia, witnessing such tears from Naeinia for perhaps the first time, looked thoroughly flustered and clumsily stroked the child’s back with awkward hands.
After that commotion had settled.
Clover, who had witnessed everything—Manela being dragged away, Naeinia casting the Authority Covenant, Naeinia weeping—whispered into Kalid’s ear.
“Father, I have something to tell you…”
“Hmm.”
“Can Clover talk to Summoned Creatures even if the Duchess doesn’t know?”
As Clover whispered, Kalid, pondering for a moment, asked a question.
“You heard something from the Summoned Creature.”
Nod, nod.
Clover bobbed her head. After a brief moment of thought, Kalid looked at the servants in the room and spoke.
“Everyone out. Sone, Demian, Arwin—you too.”
“Us as well?”
“…Us as well?”
Arwin and Demian asked, their voices tinged with confusion.
“Yes, Father.”
But Sone did not hesitate to reply, then glanced once at Peson before ushering Demian and Arwin out of the room.
Now only the fallen Peson, Kalid, Clover, and Ziteia with Naeinia remained in the chamber.
“Your Grace, there’s something Clover must tell you.”
Once everyone had departed, Clover bounded down from Kalid’s arms and spoke.
Ziteia, who had been patting Naeinia to soothe her, lowered herself to bring her eyes level with Clover’s and asked.
“What is it?”
“Clover can talk to Summoned Creatures.”
When Clover cupped her hands together, Lucky, who had been waiting, climbed onto her palm as if on cue.
“You can speak with Summoned Creatures?”
Ziteia asked in astonishment. Clover nodded.
“Yes, not just my own Summoned Creature, but other ones too.”
Clover pointed this time to Naeinia’s sea lion.
“Clover can talk to it.”
Ziteia’s head whipped toward Kalid. She stared at him intently, her expression asking if this could truly be so.
When Kalid nodded, Ziteia laughed aloud. “Ha! Ha!”
“Clover…! You truly possess an extraordinary ability.”
To be able to converse with Summoned Creatures.
It was an ability that would cause tremendous upheaval if revealed. Only then did she understand why Kalid had sent everyone from the room.
Such a thing couldn’t be heard by just anyone. Ziteia looked at Clover.
“But why are you telling me this?”
“Peson’s Summoned Creature told Clover about it.”
Clover hesitated, glancing sideways at Naeinia nestled in Ziteia’s arms.
Ziteia understood what Clover wanted and gently soothed Naeinia before passing her to Kalid.
Naeinia sniffled quietly as she settled into Kalid’s embrace. Kalid covered both of her ears with his hands.
Since Naeinia was already sniffling and Kalid was shielding her ears, she wouldn’t be able to hear what Clover was about to say.
Once satisfied with this, Clover spoke hesitantly to Ziteia.
“Peson’s Summoned Creature said your body has grown so weak that you might die.”
“……What?”
“It said if you use your Authority any more, you could end up dead.”

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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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