~Chapter 20~
To others, it might not have meant much.
But to Clover and Lucky, it was everything.
Clover had always tried her best to make more sprouts, just one more, as many as possible.
Lucky had always been there, helping her.
But no matter how hard she tried, the limit was always two. That wasn’t only Clover’s fault — it was also because of the Demper family.
Clover’s power was to bring forth sprouts that bloomed from warm, caring hearts.
But in the Demper household, there wasn’t a single person who gave her that kind of warmth. How could she have bloomed them there?
So, when she came to the Claudian household, Clover allowed herself a small hope.
Maybe here, she could sprout more than before.
And now — four sprouts!
***
[ So proud! So proud of you, little one! I’m bursting with pride, Clover! Mwah, mwah, mwah! ]
“Uwaaah…!”
Clover’s eyes went round as saucers, completely stunned.
She carefully scooped up one of the sprouts.
Rustle.
A handful of dirt and the tiny, delicate sprout filled her two little palms.
Clover lifted it to eye level, staring in awe, gasping little sounds like hiyaaa and fwaaah.
“Clover… did it….”
A total genius.
She must be a real genius.
Not two to three — but straight from two to four!
This was an amazing, incredible improvement.
At that moment, Arwin poked one of the sprouts and asked,
“Huh? Did you do this, Clover?”
“Then that means she really used her power. My sister did it.”
Arwin and Damian exchanged words as they looked at Clover’s ‘tiny’ sprout.
Clover was about to answer her brothers when—
“Mm, Clover did….”
A breeze blew by, making her precious sprout sway dangerously. Clover’s face filled with panic.
Oh no, it can’t wilt already!
She had managed four, but keeping them alive was another problem.
In truth, Clover had always faced one more issue besides the limit of two sprouts:
Every sprout she made withered away too quickly.
“Nooo, not yet! I have to show it off… I need to show it off!”
Hurry, hurry—
Clover stretched out her arms, showing the sprout to Arwin and Damian.
“Ta-da!”
“Wow! That’s amazing. It’s so tiny.”
“Yeah, it looks just like you.”
Both brothers gave their ‘praise,’ one after another.
Good. She showed them.
‘Then the next turn is…’
Clover turned her head quickly toward Khalid.
Khalid was rising to his feet in the distance. Seeing him, Clover’s face bloomed with a bright smile.
“Daddy!”
Before the sprout in her hands could wilt and die, Clover dashed toward him as fast as she could.
“Clover, careful, you’ll trip.”
“Daddy, Daddy! Look at this!”
Breathless from running, Clover shoved her grubby little hands forward, showing him the dirt and sprout she carried.
“See? Clover did it. I made four this time…!”
Maybe even Count Demper — who had always scolded her — wouldn’t scold her anymore if he knew she could make four sprouts.
He might even regret it!
Just imagining it made Clover’s mood soar, and she bounced excitedly on her toes.
“It’s so amazing! Isn’t it super amazing…?”
Her heart thumped wildly with anticipation, waiting for praise.
But then—
‘…Huh?’
What if Lucky was wrong?
What if four sprouts wasn’t really amazing at all?
What if Daddy got disappointed, like her mean aunt did?
Disappointed…
Clover’s little hands grew cold at the thought.
Her hands trembled, making the sprout quiver slightly.
She couldn’t meet Khalid’s eyes anymore and let her gaze drop.
But then—
“Clover, you did so well. I’m proud of you.”
Khalid’s large, warm hand came down gently to rest on her small head.
“…Mm.”
Clover slowly looked up at him.
And there he was — gazing at her with the warmest eyes in the world.
“Amazing.”
Rustle.
His hand ruffled her soft hair.
He said she was amazing. Daddy said it.
He didn’t call it useless or worthless.
Clover’s heart began pounding again.
And just then, the sprout in her hand, which had been wilting, perked up a little.
Of course, it didn’t last long. Soon it withered and drooped completely.
But that didn’t matter right now.
“Smoke…”
Clover muttered blankly, staring at Khalid. That ‘smoke’ was seeping out of him again.
And now, she could see its color.
It was the same blue as her daddy’s hair.
“Hm?”
Khalid tilted his head, puzzled at Clover’s dazed look. Was something on his face?
At that moment, Clover quickly crouched down to bury the sprout back in the dirt. Then she brushed off her muddy hands and looked back up at him.
The smoke was slowly drifting toward her.
It didn’t seem harmful at all, just like the tiny droplets she had seen at the Claudian estate.
Hello there…
In fact, it almost seemed… happy to see her.
The blue smoke shimmered faintly in Clover’s wide eyes.
[ Little one, this…! ]
It’s happy to see you, Clover.
Right then, even Lucky’s voice barely reached her.
Clover pressed her dirty hands together politely, just as she had when the storm’s power gathered in her palms.
Then, standing on tiptoes, she stretched out her hands.
“Here—”
She reached toward the smoke.
She was sure it would come to her.
No one had told her, but she simply knew it deep inside.
And then—
Whoosh.
The blue smoke that had swirled like clouds around Khalid wrapped around him once, then drifted straight into Clover’s palms.
And gathered there in a round little ball.
At that moment—
Flash!
A bright, light-green glow burst from Clover’s hands.
It was Clover’s own power of sprouts.
The tiny force flowing through her little body.
Could it be—
Another sprout, blooming right here in her hands?
So exciting!
Her heart raced as she stared at it.
And then—
Pop!
The blue smoke vanished all at once, leaving behind—
“Huh?”
A single small seed, resting in her palm.
Blink, blink.
Clover rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.
But the seed didn’t disappear. It remained there.
***
‘This isn’t amazing at all!’
She had thought something incredible was about to happen.
But it was just… a seed?
Clover had felt the powerful pull of something great.
She was so sure something extraordinary was about to happen in her hands.
And yet — just a small blue seed.
She turned it over and over, examining it closely.
But no matter how she looked at it—
‘Nope. Totally ordinary….’
The conclusion was simple: it was just an ordinary seed. The kind she could make ten of anytime she wanted.
Her big plan — to make something amazing and gift it to her daddy — crumbled to dust.
“Disappointed…”
Clover pouted, sticking out her lips.
But then, Khalid slipped his arm under hers and lifted her up high into his arms.
“You can sprout leaves.”
“Hmph…”
“You can even make seeds.”
“Mm…”
“My daughter is a genius.”
“But Daddy, this one’s just normal.”
Not amazing at all. Still?
But Khalid didn’t care in the slightest. He held her close and stroked her hair.
“Anything you make is amazing. Nothing you make is ordinary.”
“Mmm.”
Daddy… I love you so much.
Even for just a seed, he was touched. He praised her so much.
As Lucky always said — a perfect daddy, 100 out of 100.
Moved deeply by Khalid’s words, Clover clenched the seed tightly and buried her head against his chest.
So happy…
Just then, Lucky, who had been quietly watching everything, finally spoke.
[ Your daddy is right. ]
Clover lifted her head slightly.
“What is?”
A brief silence.
Why was he pausing so much?
And then—
[ …The seed you made isn’t ordinary. It’s something incredible! ]
From Lucky’s small body, golden light poured out in a flood. That only happened when Lucky was extremely excited.
Blink.
Clover blinked again in wonder.
