~Chapter 23~
The identity of that strange lump was simple.
[Something that couldn’t quite become.]
A being that had failed to become a spirit.
The land itself was made from the powers of countless spirits — those under the command of the gods sustained the sky, nurtured the earth, and helped plants grow.
But hundreds of years ago, something happened.
Because of that event, almost all flower and tree spirits disappeared.
The spirits of flowers all died, and the flowers that should’ve bloomed beautifully instead turned grotesque and twisted.
The trees barely survived only by relying on the power of Elicia, the last remaining tree spirit.
That was the state of the world.
Flowers and trees were dying with no hope left. If things went on like that, the balance of nature would eventually collapse.
But then—
[Kid.]
On the day Clover was born — when Lucky was reborn from the newborn’s power — he had seen a spark of hope within that baby’s divine energy.
If Clover’s power grew strong enough, maybe she could bring those dead spirits back to life.
That was why Lucky had trained her nonstop — helping her awaken and grow that gift.
And now, finally—
[Something incomplete. Something ugly. If we called that a spirit, the true spirits who already returned to nature would be flailing their arms in outrage.]
“Huhh…”
[But still, you did it, kid.]
In Clover’s small hands, a wobbly, jelly-like thing wriggled to life.
It was so lowly and weak that even calling it a “spirit” felt like an insult to real ones — it had almost no power.
But even so, it did have a faint energy that resembled that of spirits.
And just its presence was enough to make the surrounding plants perk up and lift their heads in joy.
Clover stared at the floating blob of soft green liquid.
“I did it…!”
Back at the Demper estate, she had practiced this with Lucky a few times before.
But nine out of ten times, the light would flicker out before it could even be born.
And the one time it did appear, it quickly dissolved back into the soil.
Even with Lucky’s help, it couldn’t hold itself together.
But this time—
Float, float.
It didn’t fade away or melt into the ground.
Instead, it hovered in front of Clover, as if waiting for her command.
She looked at the clear green blob and grinned wide.
“Hehe, I did it!”
It had no eyes, no nose, no mouth. No ears either.
But it could understand Clover’s feelings and hear her voice — because she was its creator.
[Good job, kid. Smart little one. But do you remember what I told you?]
“Remember?”
[This is a secret, Clover. Only you can do this — so you must keep it hidden.]
Clover nodded quickly, remembering what Lucky had told her a long time ago.
“Yesh, gotta keep it a secwet.”
[Good.]
Because if anyone found out, she could be in danger.
She already knew that — she’d heard it over and over back at the Demper mansion.
Lucky had told her clearly: no one else in the world could create spirits.
Normally, when a person with divine power (a Gifted) created something, it didn’t become a spirit. It would be tied to the creator themselves, not to nature — so people called them summoned beings, not spirits.
But the one Clover made wasn’t tied to her. It was tied to the garden itself.
That meant it really was a spirit — even if incomplete.
And Clover was the only person in the entire world who could do such a thing.
No one else could. That’s why it had to stay secret.
Clover was a smart child, so keeping a secret was easy for her.
She nodded seriously again—
[Wait, your feet—!]
“Huh? My feet?”
Before Lucky’s warning even finished, Clover looked down—
—and suddenly, the ground beneath her sank in.
Her body dropped straight down before she could even scream.
“!!”
Out of nowhere, a black hand shot out from the hole and yanked her down in an instant.
***
At that same time—
The Siddew family had long served as loyal vassals to House Claudian.
So the reason Count Siddew came to visit Duke Claudian was simple.
“What? He actually brought that powerless youngest girl back to the mansion?”
She was supposed to stay with the Dempers until she turned ten — why change that now?
The truth was, Count Siddew had wasted most of his inheritance through a life of indulgence after his father died.
The only remaining part of his wealth was tied up in a joint venture at Hickleste Port.
If that business with the Demper family succeeded, he could finally recover his losses.
But now, that brat had returned to Claudian!
Rumor said the Duke had found proof that the Dempers had abused the child — and that House Demper was about to be destroyed.
Apparently, Duke Claudian had even received imperial authority to investigate all of the Demper family’s illegal dealings.
If he started digging into those businesses, it was only a matter of time before Siddew’s involvement was exposed.
The Count was desperate and had no idea how to handle it.
So, to test the waters and read the Duke’s mood, he decided to personally visit the Claudian estate.
But then—
Swoosh—
“Wha—?! Ack!”
A small figure suddenly appeared right in front of him.
A little girl had fallen face-first onto the lawn — as if something had grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her here.
Even the grass behind her showed a long, sunken trail where she’d been pulled.
“Wha…?”
The child trembled like a rabbit cornered by a wolf.
When her wide black eyes met the Count’s, she gasped and covered her head in fear.
“Wha—!”
He had never seen this girl before in his life. Why was she acting like this in front of him?
“Who is this kid…? Wait a minute.”
The Count squinted at her.
Round, mint-green hair.
Big black eyes.
Tiny hands and feet.
“No way… The youngest Claudian princess?”
If there was a child with green hair in this house, it had to be Clover Claudian.
Count Siddew stared at her in disbelief.
Who on earth had dragged her all the way here — to him, of all people?
It was true that he didn’t like the girl. That was no secret.
But that didn’t mean he’d ever hurt her. Who in their right mind would dare to touch the Duke’s daughter inside the Claudian mansion?
He’d also heard she was fragile — that she’d collapse just from standing too close to someone with strong power.
There was no way he’d risk getting caught up in trouble like that.
He already had enough headaches because of her existence ruining his business deals — and now she suddenly appeared in front of him like this?
“Ahem.”
The Count straightened up and tried to compose himself.
“G-good day, Young Lady. It’s an honor to meet you. I am Count Si—”
“Scawy.”
Before he could finish, Clover covered her face with both hands.
“Scawy…?”
Did she just say scary?
Why? He hadn’t even done anything!
“Uh, Young Lady?”
“You bwing me here! Bad man bwing me here!”
“What?”
Completely thrown off by her words, the Count stepped closer.
“Don’t come! Bad man!”
And right then—
“Step away.”
Whoosh!
A sharp gust of wind sliced between them, clean and clear.
The powerful current lifted Clover gently off the ground while shoving Count Siddew harshly backward.
“Ugh!”
The storm-force wind slammed into him and sent him tumbling across the grass.
“Ughh…”
And before he could recover, an icy, commanding voice fell upon him — colder than the north wind itself.
“What are you doing here?”
“Y-Y-Your Grace!”
“I asked what you did to my daughter.”
The wind carried Clover softly into Khalid Claudian’s arms.
The little girl was pale as a sheet, clutching his collar tightly.
“So, you don’t want to answer.”
Khalid’s expression was frozen solid, his voice cold as steel.
Count Siddew stared up at him, completely dazed, still not understanding what on earth had just happened.
