The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family - Chapter 98

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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 98
“Woof?”
Someone outside was calling for Clover!
Clover sprang to her feet and scurried toward the door.
She poked her head through the narrow gap.
“Come on out, quick! Look what I brought you!”
Arwin stood outside, practically vibrating with excitement.
“Woof?”
“Hurry, hurry!”
Whoosh!
Arwin snatched Clover up and bolted down the hallway with her bundled in his arms.
“Yelp, yip, yap.”
With each bounce as Arwin ran, Clover’s body jostled and she let out little squeaks of protest.
But Arwin, far too thrilled to notice, simply clutched her tighter and dashed into the room, setting her down on the floor.
The rest of the family was gathered there again. Pluto was with them too.
“Come here, Clover.”
Demian smiled warmly.
“We went out and brought back gifts for you. We got two so you and your friend can play together—go on, unwrap them.”
Demian and Arwin slid the gift boxes toward Clover.
‘Gifts?’
What could they be?
They had to be wonderful. If her brothers were giving them to her, they were absolutely bound to be amazing.
Clover’s heart swelled with anticipation as she plopped down right there and yanked the ribbon from the first box.
She tore away the wrapping, and two toy guns emerged from inside.
“Huh……?”
[A gun……?]
On the Other Continent, there were no wielders of Authority, so they used guns as weapons. A single shot was said to be powerful enough to kill a person instantly.
And what lay before her looked exactly like the guns from the book Belze had shown her once.
Remembering that story from before, Clover picked up the gun, her palms already sweating.
‘Clover, you got a gun?’
What do I do? Is it really okay to pull the trigger on something this terrifying?
Cold sweat poured down Clover’s forehead. Normally Lucky would have said something by now, but for some reason, Lucky was silent today.
“Go on, Clover, pull the trigger!”
“Yeah, pull it!”
Demian and Arwin urged her on. Clover stared at the gun, sweat trickling down her face.
It was light enough for a child like Clover to hold. But she had no idea what might come out of it.
After a moment of hesitation, Clover squeezed her eyes shut and made the choice to press the button.
It was a gift her brothers bought with their allowance. So it couldn’t possibly hurt her! That was the trust that lived in the child’s heart.
Clover steeled herself and pressed the trigger.
Pop.
Whoooosh.
Whoooosh.
Transparent, glistening bubbles burst out from the “gun” in an instant.
Startled by the sudden event, Clover’s eyes went wide as she watched the bubbles drift away.
What is this?
Jewel-like things floating gently through the air!
“Beads……!?”
“It’s called a Bubble Gun—it came from the neighboring continent. It’s got a Mana Stone inside, and the stone’s power makes it work, so it’s incredibly expensive.”
Arwin crouched down beside Clover, slipping in the explanation with barely concealed pride.
But Arwin’s words never reached Clover’s ears.
‘Bubbles……?’
So perfectly round, so sparkly, so many of them!
“Wooooow…….”
It was the first time in her four years of life that she’d seen anything like this. Clover’s eyes glazed over as she pressed the button again.
Whoooosh.
Another torrent of bubbles poured from the gun in her paws.
“Th-this is amazing……! This is the most amazing thing Clover’s ever seen in her whole life……!!”
Bubbles really were incredible!
Of all the toys Clover had ever received since she was born, this was the most magnificent and wonderful of them all.
“You’re still young, little one.”
Demian accepted it gently. But regardless of what the others did, Clover’s gaze remained fixed entirely on the bubbles.
As Clover pressed the button and dashed forward, the bubbles drifted lazily in her wake.
Pop-pop-pop-pop.
Whirr-whirr-whirr!
A tiny thing no bigger than a pea in chick-sound shoes, Bubble Gun clutched in one small hand, giggled and tore through the room—and in an instant, the chamber had become nothing less than a children’s playground.
“Hee, so much fun!”
Yet no one remarked upon it. Kalid and Sone, Demian and Arwin—even the servants—watched with warm, contented smiles.
Then it happened.
“Here, this one’s yours.”
Demian handed a Bubble Gun to Pluto—who was Tesha now—and Pluto stared at it blankly, then at Demian.
Demian beamed.
“You’re supposed to play with toys together when you’re friends, so I bought one for you too. That way Clover will have twice as much fun. Don’t thank me too much—just enjoy playing with it.”
Pluto gazed at Demian in stunned silence. The young prince’s feet still wore the chick-sound shoes.
None of it was what Pluto would have chosen. But that didn’t mean he disliked any of it either.
Pluto watched Clover dart about pursuing the bubbles, then pressed the button on what he held in his hand.
Whirr.
A few bubbles spurted from the nozzle. Pluto’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Whirr.
Whirr.
After that, Pluto pressed the button a few more times when no one was looking.
“Tesha, are you having fun too?”
Clover, spotting this, broke into a wide smile and came close to Pluto.
Caught, Pluto’s face flushed with embarrassment and he shook his head frantically.
“That’s strange—you looked like you were having fun though…”
But it was no use deceiving Clover. The tips of Pluto’s ears flushed red again at being caught in such an ‘undignified’ moment.
***
Sone, Demian, and Arwin finished preparing to take Clover back to Festival Street.
They brought more money than yesterday, and fitted her with a Festival Headwrap that would conceal her hair and face well.
Now properly disguised, she looked far more like a child out to enjoy the festival than a noble’s daughter. Demian’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction as he held Clover and Pluto’s hands in each of his.
He had thoroughly learned what Father had done yesterday to entertain Clover.
Seeing the same places twice would be boring, so today he planned to take Clover and Pluto to the spots Kalid hadn’t visited.
Both Demian and Arwin felt their chests swell with anticipation.
Meanwhile.
“Clover, don’t you look absolutely dashing right now?”
Clover held the Bubble Gun in one hand and stretched out a foot clad in chick-sound shoes with a shrug of her shoulders.
[That’s right! I’m completely dashing, no joke, the finest little one, the most stylish child in the world!]
As Lucky eagerly played along to lift Clover’s spirits, her shoulders rose higher and higher.
But then.
“Clover, you can’t take this. Let’s play with it when we get back.”
Sone caught the end of the Bubble Gun Clover was holding.
Click.
Clover’s face suddenly fell into shadow as the Bubble Gun was confiscated.
“Why, why? I want to play with it outside…”
“You might lose it if you carry it around, and something this expensive would draw attention if you’re trying to keep a low profile. Hand it over.”
Sone extended her hand. Clover, pouting, reluctantly placed the Bubble Gun on Sone’s palm.
“Okay…”
“You can play with it when we’re back, and we’ll buy you new toys while we’re out.”
Sone handed the bubbles to a waiting maid and gently stroked Clover’s head.
Clover nodded obediently.
She herself knew the Bubble Gun was far too conspicuous an object.
Besides, having just received it as a gift, losing it on an outing would be truly heartbreaking.
Having lost one of her confidence-boosting items, Clover walked along with a somewhat dejected expression.
But it didn’t last long.
“Ooh, wow!”
When they arrived at Festival Street, Clover’s eyes grew wide at the sight of yet another section of the festival unlike yesterday’s.
In her pupils, the image of children cradling enormous stuffed animals flickered into view.

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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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