The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family
Chapter 7
But Papa didn’t come.
She had waited so well and been so good,
‘Why isn’t he here?’
Curled up like a kitten, Clover glanced at the tightly shut door.
Could he have forgotten that Clover was waiting right here?
Until a little while ago, it had been all right since the maid, Belze, was with her, but Belze had stepped out, saying she would go find out when the Duke was coming.
“Mmm…….”
Ever since, Clover had been all by herself.
Just as Clover was fidgeting with her hands and feet, bored of waiting—
“Milady!”
Belze returned. Clover perked her head up with joy.
Did Daddy come?
‘Can I run and jump into his arms with my heart pounding now?’
But.
“Huh?”
Belze was alone.
“Why’re you alone……?”
Huh? Could it be?
Hop.
Patter, patter.
Scrambling down from the sofa, Clover scurried over and peeked behind Belze, wondering if Daddy might just be a step behind.
But.
“Not here…….”
He wasn’t there, really wasn’t!
Fully disappointed upon confirming Khalid really hadn’t come, Clover clutched tightly at Belze’s skirt. Belze reached her arms out to Clover.
“Oh dear, Milady……”
“……Belze, what ’bout Daddy?”
Unable to let go of her lingering hope, Clover asked softly. But Belze couldn’t answer right away and merely offered a smile.
‘I know that smile.’
It was the exact smile grown-ups put on when it was awkward to give a child an answer. The moment Clover saw that smile, she instinctively knew Daddy wouldn’t be coming.
Sure enough, Belze spoke.
“Lord Khalid has some matters to attend to, so he won’t be able to come today. But he said he will come to see you tomorrow instead.”
“Reawwy?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Okay…… I see.”
I see. If I sleep well and wait well, he’ll come.
But will he really?
She had waited today too, and he hadn’t come.
‘Daddy’s a dummy…….’
Unable to hide her sulkiness, Clover buried herself in Belze’s embrace.
Her tiny shoulders slumped. Her lower lip pouted out, and her grip around Belze tightened.
“Oh, my poor Milady…….”
Realizing just how disappointed Clover was, Belze coaxed the child gently.
“Instead, Lord Khalid said that come morning, he would buy up all kinds of toys to give you wonderful presents. He even told the kitchen to prepare a ‘special cake.’ Doesn’t that sound exciting?”
“Exciting…….”
Belze had hoped the child would cheer up even a little, but Clover’s response was completely devoid of energy.
Naturally. Such things couldn’t soothe Clover’s heart. Even if they brought a hundred toys or a magnificent cake, it wouldn’t comfort her.
Quick-witted, Belze asked softly.
“……You miss Lord Khalid, don’t you?”
A nod.
Having nodded without thinking, Clover gave a start and shook her head.
“No, I’m okay.”
“Pardon?”
Living at the villain aunt’s house, Clover had learned many things.
Grown-ups hated being tired.
So she mustn’t whine about missing him too much!
Clover didn’t want to make Daddy tired, nor did she want to seem like a bothersome child.
“I can wait! So it’s okay. I’ve been brave and waited well all this time.”
“Oh, my…….”
“So.”
Clover slowly cast her gaze downward and spoke.
“One night is okay.”
If it was just one night, she could endure it.
It was that evening when Lucky, who had vanished, returned.
Munch, munch.
Clover, who was busily scooping up the cake Belze had brought, had her eyes sparkle upon seeing the golden four-leaf clover fluttering toward her.
“Luckyy!”
Tossing aside the fork she was using to eat her cake, Clover dashed over and snatched Lucky with a quick clasp.
“Where were you?”
“Why did you leave Clover behind?”
“Why’re you only here now? Where were you and what did you do?”
And so she trapped Lucky, already held in her palms, inside yet another ‘prison of questions.’
As the four-year-old poured out question after question, Lucky answered in an exhausted, weary voice.
[I had something to look into for a moment…… Have you been well, squirt?]
“Yeah…….”
[By the way, why is my squirt looking so glum? Did someone say something to you? While I was gone?]
“It’s not that, but……”
Fidgeting, Clover spoke with difficulty.
And as if she had been waiting for this moment, she tattled every single detail to Lucky about how she had waited for Daddy, but Daddy hadn’t come.
Having listened to Clover’s story to the very end, Lucky snapped its stem and hopped in place.
[No, but he still should’ve shown his face. The kid woke up, and he didn’t even come to see her!?]
“Heung.”
[It’s not like I don’t understand he has his reasons, but how could he bring a child to this huge house and just leave her alone!? At the very least, he should’ve written a handwritten letter and left it by her bedside while she slept!]
“Mmm…….”
Clover, feeling a little better now that Lucky was taking her side, nodded.
“Still, don’t say bad things. He’s Clover’s Daddy.”
[Good grief…….]
“And I’m okay. Daddy said he’d come see me, so I can wait.”
[Right…… Goodness……. Even if he’s going to send you away, he should at least see the kid’s face first!]
Hm?
“……Send away?”
Clover, who had been answering bravely, lifted her head.
[……Huh?]
A momentary silence fell between Clover and Lucky.
[…….]
“?”
A chilling silence.
Clover stared intently at Lucky. Breaking into a cold sweat, Lucky averted its gaze.
“What’s dat mean?”
[…….]
“What does it mean? I won’t ask twice.”
[You just asked twice, kid.]
“I said I won’t ask twice.”
Clover asked for the third time, wearing an expression quite solemn for a four-year-old.
[……No, it was just a slip of the tongue. You don’t need to pay it any mind.]
“Liar.”
[Huh?]
“Lucky, you don’t make slips of the tongue.”
When Clover pointed it out sharply with crisp pronunciation, Lucky flinched.
Then, hesitating, it spoke.
[The thing is, Clover…….]
Lucky had thought:
‘Clover was entrusted to Demper because she couldn’t withstand Claudian’s Authority, but since I’m here, it’ll be fine!’
Or so it had believed.
And with good reason; as the summon Lucky’s power grew stronger, Clover’s own power grew slightly sturdier as well.
Of course, both were still in a weak state, but Lucky had believed it would still be enough to handle Claudian’s Authority.
In other words, that even if four-year-old Clover returned to Claudian right now, she would be safe under its protection.
But.
‘Ugh, Daddy…….’
Clover had collapsed.
Even with Lucky by her side, she couldn’t endure Claudian’s Authority.
Lucky received a huge shock.
Even if it hadn’t recovered its full strength, to collapse from just that?
[What a shock. A real shock…….]
So Lucky changed its mind.
Clover living happily with her family in a safe home was certainly important.
But that was not more important than Clover’s ‘health.’ If home was a place that harmed Clover’s body, she had to be sent somewhere with a Branch of the World Tree.
That was why it had gone to sound out the Duke of Claudian’s true intentions, and as it turned out, he shared the exact same thought as Lucky.
Clover had to be sent elsewhere.
However, Lucky didn’t want to be the one to tell Clover that she had to go somewhere else because she ‘couldn’t withstand the Duke of Claudian’s Authority.’
Explaining and persuading her of that was a parent’s role. No matter how much Lucky had been Clover’s guardian up until now, it could not rob them of that.
Thus, Lucky had no choice but to omit the crucial part when speaking.
[If you stay here, you’ll get hurt, Clover. To keep from being hurt, you have to go somewhere else.]
“Huh……?”
[You don’t want to be hurt, right?]
Clover looked at Lucky with teary, round eyes.
“Yeah……. But leaving is even worse. Can’t Clover just stay here even if it hurts a little?”
[It won’t just hurt a little; it’ll hurt a lot. That’s why your father is trying to send you away…….]
“Daddy…….”
Clover fidgeted with her hands.
“Daddy says he’s sending me away?”
