The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family - Chapter 96

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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 96
Clover had changed into fresh clothes and finished her preparations to venture out onto Foundation Day Festival Street with Pluto, now disguised as Tesha.
To hide her lime-green hair, she’d wrapped a plain handkerchief around her head and braided it in the simple style of a common girl—she looked almost like a doll.
Dressed in neat, modest clothing, she was the perfect image of a young lady freshly arrived in the capital from the Empire’s provinces.
Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink, which only heightened the effect. The handmaids who’d helped disguise Clover gasped and clutched their mouths, overwhelmed by how much more adorable she appeared than they’d anticipated.
“Goodness, she’s absolutely precious…!”
“Really, truly lovely! Oh, how on earth can she be so cute…?”
Any child looks like a baby angel in the right outfit, but Clover stood out even among them as an exceptionally angelic one. She’d probably look like an angel even dressed in burlap.
Pluto was already wearing unremarkable clothes, so there was nothing more to adjust. Demian and Arwin changed into neat attire and donned robes.
For boys their age, they were quite tall, and despite the disguise, they still carried an aristocratic bearing. After some consideration, the handmaids replaced their robes with hooded versions.
“Clover, how do I look?”
“Wonderful.”
“And me? Clover, what about me?”
“Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you guys?”
Clover, who’d already given three rounds of compliments to her brothers, let out a small, weary sigh.
She did love them, but answering the same question repeatedly was exhausting.
Then Sone strode over, glanced at Demian and Arwin once, bent down with something in her hands, and knelt beside Clover’s feet.
“You two, stop pestering her.”
“When did I pester her?”
“That’s right—we weren’t pestering, we just liked hearing her say it…!”
Arwin and Demian protested. But Sone paid them no mind, fiddling gently with Clover’s small feet.
“Clover, lift your foot for me.”
“My foot?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The moment Clover lifted her foot, Sone slipped something onto it.
It was a pair of shoes custom-made to fit a child’s size. Crafted from soft material, they fit perfectly—as if they’d been designed for Clover’s feet from the very beginning.
“Shoes…!”
“There we are. Now try walking.”
Sone lifted Clover and set her down from the sofa.
With Sone’s help, Clover hopped down and bounced once in place.
Then.
Squeak.
“Huh?”
Squeak-squeak-squeak.
Every time Clover moved her feet, the shoes made a squeaking sound.
Startled, Clover dropped to a crouch and examined her shoes.
“My shoes are making noise!”
“My sister found those especially for you. She said these are best when taking little ones out.”
At Sone’s explanation, Arwin asked.
“Why are they the best?”
“Because the child makes noise, you can find them anywhere.”
Sone laughed, gesturing toward Clover, who was now bouncing around gleefully.
“See? Easy to spot, right?”
Of course, in a crowded place, the squeaking would be drowned out by the noise of the crowd, making it harder to track. Still, it was better than nothing. Besides, Clover was utterly, absolutely delighted with shoes that squeaked with every step.

“This is amazing! I love them!”
“You like them?”
“Yes! They’re the best!”
Clover broke into a grin, and Sone laughed along with her as she sat Pluto down.
“?”
“What was his name again? Tesha?”
Sone reached out to put shoes on Pluto herself, but the shocked handmaids rushed to stop her.
“We’ll do that, miss!”
“Please, let us handle it!”
The handmaids didn’t know that Tesha was actually Pluto. They were horrified at the thought of a noblewoman of Sone’s station putting shoes on a child herself.
“It’s fine—I bought them anyway.”
But Sone was unbothered. Compared to her past, when her severe mysophobia had prevented her from even holding a child’s hand, this was indeed remarkable.
And Pluto was equally taken aback.
‘What…?’
Before he could react, Sone had grabbed his hand and slipped the Squeaky Shoes onto his feet. They appeared to be similar to the pair Clover was wearing.
“Clover’s shoes were custom-ordered in advance, so yours I just picked up roughly since I didn’t know your foot size.”
They were ready-made, but hardly cheap. The proof lay in how remarkably comfortable the shoes felt once his feet were inside them.
But that wasn’t what mattered.
‘I’m wearing shoes that… make noise……?’
He had never worn anything like this in his entire life. Though he’d been neglected and raised in poverty, Pluto was a prince.
Shoes that squeaked with every step were hardly fitting for a member of the imperial family. Pluto understood that much at least.
Besides, weren’t these the sort of things four-year-olds wore? Clover was four, so that was fine, but Pluto was six years old!
“All right, go on and walk.”
“…….”
“What are you doing? Take a step.”
But Sone, who didn’t know Pluto was Pluto and believed him to be Tesha, patted his back lightly regardless of his response.
That was when Pluto, shocked by the reality of wearing squeaky shoes, stood frozen like ice.
Squeak.
Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak.
Clover bounded toward him in the Squeaky Shoes, making little chirping sounds, and peeked at him curiously.
“Te-sha.”
“……Hm?”
“Why aren’t you moving? Look! They make noise!”
Clover pointed at her feet and giggled.
“Your shoes make chick sounds too! Chirp-chirp, see?”
Clover never imagined that Pluto remained motionless precisely because of those chirping sounds.
Of course not. What child wouldn’t love shoes that made little chick sounds with every step?
Clover genuinely believed these were the most wonderful shoes in the world. And she was absolutely certain Pluto thought the same way.
Pressed by Clover’s insistence and reading Sone’s expression, Pluto reluctantly took a step, moving cautiously.
Squeak.
Softer than the sound from Clover’s shoes, but unmistakably a little chick’s chirp.
Sone, confirming the sound, clapped her hands and swept back her hair.
“Good, no defects then.”
“Te-sha, they make noise! Chirp-chirp sounds!”
Clover beamed and grasped Pluto’s hand, shaking it enthusiastically.
With his soul half-departed from his body, Pluto was dragged along as Clover bounded across the room for a good while.
Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak!
As the shoes filled the room with their charming little chick chirps, smiles bloomed naturally on the faces of those watching—
All except for Tesha-Pluto, whose six-year-old pride had been cracked by the “chick-chirping shoes.”
***
Clover set out to Foundation Day Festival Street with Kalid and Pluto.
Sone, Demian, and Arwin didn’t join them today. The reason was simple: all of them together would draw too much attention.
Instead, today Kalid would take Clover to see the festival, and tomorrow the three of them would take Clover and Pluto. That was what they’d settled on.
Arwin and Demian, flush with pocket money, had vanished without escort, eager to enjoy themselves.
But there was nothing to worry about. All three children were powerful Authority Bearers, which meant they could protect themselves no matter what happened.
But Clover couldn’t do that. Which was why a guardian had to accompany her.
‘For now, anyway.’
Kalid bought two pieces of Star Candy and pressed one into each child’s hand, thinking ahead.
Someday Clover would be able to enjoy the festival alone, without needing Kalid’s protection.
Until that day came, he intended to take her like this and buy her Star Candy. That was a parent’s role, after all.
“Candy……? Wow, it looks so strange.”
“……I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Clover and Pluto murmured to themselves as they received the candy. Clover’s was white, Pluto’s was yellow.
Kalid stepped back from the Star Candy vendor and wiped the corners of both children’s mouths with a handkerchief.
“Of course—eating things bought on the street isn’t good for your body.”
“Ugh…….”
“But today is all right. Father bought it for you. Tesha, today is fine for you too.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Clover popped the Star Candy into her mouth and bit down. At once, a tingling sweetness burst across her tongue.
It was like tiny stars exploding right before her eyes. For a four-year-old child, the taste was wonderfully sweet and thrilling!
‘This is so, so delicious!’
[Oh dear, she’s going to develop a taste for candy…….]
Lucky, watching the scene unfold, muttered like a seventy-year-old elder.

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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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