The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family
Chapter 11
After murmuring softly to herself, Clover hopped down from the chair, pattered over, and hid behind Belze. Grasping the edge of Belze’s skirt tightly, she peeked her little face out.
Startled, Demian and Arwin instantly took five quick steps back.
It was not as if they had come without knowing Clover’s body was far too weak to withstand the Authority of the Storm.
They knew, but they had thought it would be fine if it was just them.
After all, they were not Claudians with ‘complete Authorities,’ but incomplete Claudians who each possessed only half of the Authority of the Storm.
The power of the Authority leaking out unconsciously was likely similar in strength to Khalid’s summon. Thus, they had figured that if Clover got along well with the Lion of the North Wind, she could easily tolerate being around them too.
Even so, there was no telling what might happen if they got too close. Having stepped back quickly, Demian raised a hand with a smile.
“Hello. Oppa is glad to meet you.”
“Oppa?”
“Yeah, I’m your oppa. My name is Demian Claudian, your first oppa, Clover.”
Standing beside him, Arwin chimed in immediately.
“My name is Arwin, your second oppa.”
“Demian, Arwin?”
Just as Clover murmured her oppas’ names softly and took a step forward—
“!”
“!”
Demian and Arwin flinched in fright and stepped back another pace together. They were now practically pressed against the hallway window.
They looked ready to jump out the window if Clover came any closer. Equally flustered, Clover took two steps backward.
“Phew.”
At that, Demian and Arwin breathed a sigh of relief and stepped two paces forward.
Puzzled by this strange standoff, Clover looked up at Demian and Arwin.
“If you’re my oppas…… are you Clover’s family?”
Smiling gently at her question, Demian and Arwin answered.
“Yes, I’m your family.”
“This is probably your first time seeing us, but we’ve seen you before. When you were really little.”
I see, they’ve seen me when I was little.
Then they really must be family.
‘Family, I really love it……!’
For four whole years, Clover had looked forward to the day she would meet her family.
And yet.
“But, why aren’t you coming close……?”
“Huh?”
“Is it ’cause you’re afraid Clover will hurt, so you can’t come close? Like Daddy?”
Clover added.
“Because you’re worried?”
Her clear, bright voice rang out. Demian hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“Yeah, because we’re worried about Clover.”
Demian smiled broadly.
“That’s why we’re saying hello from here, Clover. If our little sister hurts, your oppas’ hearts will hurt too.”
His voice was sweet and gentle, just like the morning sunlight. Feeling a strange tickle in her chest, Clover nodded and answered.
“Yes.”
And she clenched and uncurled her little hands.
‘They said they’re worried about me……!’
At Demper, no one had ever said such things to her.
Of course, whenever Clover fell ill, a maid of the Demper family would attend to her out of mere courtesy.
Yet they never said things like ‘I’m worried about you’ or ‘Don’t be sick.’ Until now, she had only ever heard such words from Lucky.
And yet here, she was being cared for without having done a single thing.
‘Oppas are so gentle.’
They seem like really good people.
Then, just as she had always imagined, would they cherish and love Clover?
Hiding softly behind Belze once more, Clover stared intently at Demian and Arwin as if weighing her thoughts.
“By the way, Clover, is this your summon?”
Just then, Arwin pointed at the golden four-leaf clover floating above Clover’s head—‘Lucky’—and asked.
Following Arwin’s gesture, Clover looked up, spotted Lucky, and nodded.
“Uh-huh, yes. Clover’s summon.”
When Clover stretched out her hand, Lucky scattered a golden radiance and settled gently onto her tiny palm.
“You can say hi. His name is Lucky.”
“I see…… You’re super cute.”
“I know, right? This summon looks completely like Clover too. I guess that’s natural, since summons originate from one’s Authority.”
Arwin and Demian looked at each other and exchanged remarks.
“Origi……?”
[It means it was born from there.]
When Clover tilted her head, unable to understand the difficult word, Lucky swayed atop her palm and spoke.
Since Lucky was Clover’s summon, fortunately, his voice did not reach Arwin.
Smiling brightly at the voice only she could hear, Clover nodded.
“Thas right…… it origi-nated from Clover.”
“Origi-nated?”
When Demian asked in return, Arwin nudged Demian with his elbow knowingly.
“She means originated.”
“Whoa, that’s completely adorable.”
“Tell me about it.”
The brothers couldn’t take their eyes off Clover, whom they were seeing in person for the first time in their lives. And the same went for Clover.
A little sister they were seeing for the first time in four years.
Oppas she was seeing for the first time in her life.
How could they not find each other fascinating? Demian, Arwin, and Clover gazed at each other, somehow managing to maintain that ‘safe distance.’
And had they been left alone, the three siblings would have stared at each other until the next morning, sandwiching a troubled-looking Belze between them.
However, that was not to happen.
“Young Masters!”
For upon hearing of this brief encounter, Duke Claudian promptly summoned his two sons.
“The Duke is looking for you. He asked you to come at once.”
The Lion of the North Wind was an entity born of Khalid’s Authority. His summon.
Therefore, Khalid could see and hear everything his summon saw and heard.
Yet, earlier, when the Lion of the North Wind met Clover, he couldn’t perceive any of it.
It was as if the other side had unilaterally blocked all sensory connections.
‘Why?’
If only the summon could speak, he would have asked for a specific reason.
But he couldn’t. Summons couldn’t talk.
The only way for a summon and an Authority user to communicate was through the feelings shared across their mental bond. So naturally, there was no way he could hear a detailed explanation.
The only silver lining was that the Lion of the North Wind had been exceptionally favorable toward Clover.
‘I’ve never seen the Lion of the North Wind act so gentle before!’
‘It looked just like a little kitten……!’
Those who had watched the encounter between the summon and Clover from afar had all said in unison.
So while there was no real cause for concern……
‘Still, I can’t help but wonder.’
It was right when Khalid was lost in thought about Clover, unable to focus on his administrative duties.
“The young masters have gone to see Lady Clover.”
A maid brought news that Demian and Arwin had gone to see Clover.
Surprised, Khalid asked back.
“Clover?”
Clover’s body hadn’t fully recovered yet. And they went to see her?
“They said that if she could meet the Lion of the North Wind, it would be fine for the young masters as well……”
The reporting maid watched Khalid’s expression carefully. After a brief moment of deliberation, Khalid spoke.
“Still, it’s too early. Call the boys here.”
“Yes, Khalid-nim.”
The maid replied immediately and left the office. And not long after.
“Father, did you call for us?”
“Ah! Dad, I was just saying hi to Clover!”
Demian and Arwin entered the office one after the other. The brothers plopped down onto the office sofa before Khalid could even tell them to take a seat.
“By the way, she was seriously cute……”
And before Khalid could say a word, Arwin spoke with a solemn look on his face.
His fingers were interlaced beneath his chin.
Demian readily agreed.
“Right? Wasn’t she adorable?”
“Are all babies that cute?”
“No way, she’s cute because she’s my sister.”
“Hmm?”
Khalid, who had been quietly listening to Arwin and Demian’s conversation, tapped the wooden desk with his knuckles. If he kept listening to their chatter, he might end up forgetting why he had called them in the first place.
“Enough, enough.”
As Khalid spoke, the brothers’ attention turned to him.
“I believe I told you that Clover is unwell and that you shouldn’t meet her yet. Did my words just go in one ear and out the other, sons?”
At Khalid’s chilled tone, Arwin sprang to his feet in protest.
“But, Dad!”
“Get permission before you speak.”
Demian raised his hand high.
“Father.”
“Speak.”
Ahem. Having obtained permission to speak, Demian cleared his throat and spoke, his open palm still held aloft.
“She was playing just fine with the Lion of the North Wind, though. If she can play with the Lion of the North Wind, meeting us won’t cause any problems.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Arwin chimed in.
Demian paused for a moment before continuing very slowly.
“Because our Authorities…… aren’t complete.”
Listening quietly to Demian’s words, Khalid’s brow arched upward.
