The Baby Sprout Who Bloomed in the Villain Duke’s Family
Chapter 8
‘That can’t be right.’
Dad looked so sorry to me, though.
‘He’s going to send me away again?’
Lucky couldn’t say a word this time either, merely sweating profusely. Clover stared at Lucky for a moment, then clenched her little fists tight.
“I’m gonna check if Dad’s really gonna send me away…”
[What? How are you going to check?]
“I got a way.”
Pitter-patter! Clover darted across the room, dragged a chair that was as big as her whole body over to the window, and hopped right up onto it.
She reached out both arms and grabbed the potted plant sitting on the windowsill.
[Baby, you…]
“Sorry.”
Clover apologized to the potted plant and plucked off one tiny leaf with a crisp snap.
Then, she quietly closed her eyes.
Immediately, the faint sounds traveling through the leaf resonated inside Clover’s mind.
Her Authority of the Sprout wasn't limited to merely blooming buds.
Clover could also listen to sounds transmitted through plants.
Of course, she couldn’t use it very often.
Alright, done.
“Lucky, follow me.”
Hop, thud.
Leaping lightly down from the chair, Clover dashed off somewhere again.
As she pushed the room door open, Belze and the head butler of Claudian, who were just about to step inside, widened their eyes in surprise upon seeing her.
This was Clover’s first time seeing the butler. Startled by the appearance of an unfamiliar man, Clover froze slightly.
“Oh my, my lady. Where are you heading?”
“Uh-huh, to Belze. Belze, hold Clover.”
When Clover stretched out her stubby little arms, Belze beamed brightly and scooped her up into her embrace.
“My lady, are you feeling better now?”
“Uh-huh.”
She seemed to think that eating the cake had cheered Clover up. Clover wasn’t cheered up at all yet, though.
“By the way, who is that mister?”
Snuggled warmly in Belze’s arms, Clover asked in a voice brimming with curiosity. The man let out a hearty laugh.
“I am Cerenio, the head butler who oversees this Claudian estate. I have been serving Claudian since my father’s generation. It is an honor to meet you, my lady.”
“Head butler?”
There seemed to have been a mister with a similar role at the Demper estate too. And he had stuck to Count Demper’s side every single day.
Twinkle!
Clover’s eyes sparkled. Alright, eavesdropping target decided!
Clover held out the leaf she had been clutching so preciously toward Cerenio and spoke.
“Here, take this.”
“What might this be, my lady?”
“A present. Don’t throw it away, keep it with you. Then good luck will come.”
Clover pointed to her four-leaf clover summon, Lucky, as she spoke. Lucky flared with brilliant golden light to play along with Clover.
At that, Cerenio chuckled warmly.
“Thank you, my lady. I shall treasure it deeply.”
“Carry it well. I wish you good luck, Head Butler. Good Lucky boy.”
“Our little lady, you already know the word ‘luck’? How truly clever. I will be sure to keep it on me so I don’t lose it. Thank you.”
Watching Cerenio slip the leaf into his front pocket, Clover broke into a sweet smile. That was the perfect spot to eavesdrop on conversations.
Just then, however, she felt Belze gazing at her with a slightly wistful look.
Cold sweat beading down her neck, Clover did her best to avoid Belze’s gaze.
She only had one leaf prepared, so she couldn't give one to Belze. Besides, right now, she hadn't given it out of genuine goodwill anyway.
So she could just give one to Belze next time.
Even so.
‘My heart kinda hurts…’
Snuggled tight in Belze’s arms, Clover stealthily turned her head away.
***
“How is the child? Is she still very despondent?”
“She appeared to be fine just now. According to her dedicated maid, she ate the cake brought to her quite heartily and in great amounts. I believe eating the cake might have lifted her spirits.”
“I see. That is a relief.”
“By the way, what are you looking at so intently?”
“I am reviewing ways to retrieve the Branch of the World Tree from the Demper family, hire a wet nurse, and raise the child in a separate villa. And…”
Khalid brushed his fingertips over the worn parchment.
“I was also searching for a way to raise the child here in the Claudian estate without having to resort to such measures.”
“…You are still searching for the Treasure of Claudian, I see.”
Khalid nodded.
The Treasure of Claudian.
That grandiose title referred to a single ring.
A ring set with a blue sapphire in its center, tightly encircled by diamonds.
It was a family heirloom passed down through the direct bloodline of Claudian since ancient times.
The reason the ring was treated as a treasure was partly because the central sapphire was extraordinarily rare and valuable, but…
‘It wasn't merely for such a trivial reason.’
That ring possessed the power to neutralize the Authority carried by Claudian.
Long ago, the husband of Teana Claudian, the First Head of the Family, possessed a constitution too frail to endure her Authority.
For the sake of her husband, Teana Claudian forged a ring imbued with the Protection of the Storm, allowing Teana’s husband to live in good health under the storm’s protection.
For that reason, it was once treated as a ring passed down through generations to the head of the family’s spouse.
However.
‘It is gone now.’
To be more precise, it had been ‘eliminated by Claudian.’
The reason was simple. If a ring capable of nullifying an Authority were ever leaked outside the family, it would cause an immense catastrophe.
In fact, other families who discovered the ring’s secret had targeted the spouses of the family heads on numerous occasions. When such incidents repeated themselves, Claudian disposed of the ring entirely.
So that no one could ever covet it again.
‘Damn it… Is it truly gone?’
Yet Khalid Claudian had been frantically scouring everywhere for that ring for the past four years.
Khalid had piled ancient Claudian tomes high around him, flipping through them in a desperate attempt to unearth any clue regarding the ring’s whereabouts.
“Your Grace, as you well know from your search thus far…”
“I know, Cerenio. But the records do not state by what method the ring was destroyed. The Protection of the Storm is hardly something that vanishes so easily.”
Which meant there was still a possibility it had not been destroyed at all. Khalid had been clinging to that sliver of hope for four years.
‘If I find it, I can raise Clover in Claudian.’
He wouldn’t have to hold her while constantly worrying he might hurt her, nor would he have to leave his beloved daughter alone in some distant place.
That alone made it well worth never giving up. Flipping through the ancient tome, Khalid spoke.
“If I cannot find it, I intend to research whether there is a way to recreate the ‘treasure.’ If the First Head of the Family forged it using her Authority, I should be able to achieve it as well once I discover the method.”
Indeed, Khalid Claudian was a man lauded as possessing the most powerful Authority since the First Head of the Family.
It was by no means impossible.
Standing beside him and listening quietly, Cerenio looked at Khalid and asked.
“Then, my lord, if you truly find the treasure, will Lady Clover be able to live here in Claudian?”
“Yes. For that ring is said to possess the power to disregard our Authority.”
Cerenio recalled the tiny girl he had seen just moments ago.
A little child with light green hair, round eyes as dark as seeds, and rosy pink cheeks.
‘Carry it well. I wish you good luck, Head Butler. Good Lucky boy.’
Recalling Clover brought a natural smile to Cerenio’s face. Thinking that they might be able to raise that young lady in this estate starting now, he couldn’t conceal his smile.
Until now, Cerenio had repeatedly pleaded with Khalid not to obsess over an ‘impossible task.’
Yet having seen Clover with his own eyes, he found himself unable to utter such pleas ever again.
Cerenio nodded.
“I shall assist you as well. Please give me any order you see fit. If only we could… care for the young lady here in Claudian, that would be wonderful.”
“Indeed.”
Just as Khalid nodded and was about to turn his gaze back down to the ancient tome, his eyebrows lifted upon noticing something.
“By the way, Cerenio, what is that in your pocket?”
“Pardon?”
At Khalid’s words, Cerenio absentmindedly touched his pocket. His fingertips brushed against the leaf Clover had given him moments ago.
“Ah!”
He chuckled softly, carefully slipping the leaf back into his pocket.
“It is a gift from Lady Clover. She told me that keeping it on me would bring good luck. It is a gift as adorable as the young lady herself.”
“…From Clover?”
“Yes.”
“I envy you.”
Khalid muttered, staring intently at the pocket. Just as Cerenio had said, that tiny leaf resembling Clover seemed as if it truly would bring good fortune just by keeping it close.
***
Meanwhile, Clover, who had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation…
“Gasp, he really was gonna send me away…”
