Lady Baby Is a Revenge Maker Chapter 41

Autumn had passed, and the cold winter had come to an end.

 

‘I’m going to be six soon.’

 

Sephiel thought as she read a storybook on the soft carpet.

 

‘Not long ago, I was shivering through winter in a cold underground prison.’

 

Back then, she was given only enough to barely survive—a worn-out cotton blanket and a brazier only on the coldest days.

 

‘Thinking back, it’s a miracle I made it out alive.’

 

But now…

 

Sephiel glanced around her pretty, pink-colored room.

 

The Grand Duke’s family was wealthy. Each room had magic stones embedded in the walls, and a magic spell that generated heat was cast through the magic stones.

 

‘Thanks to that, I didn’t have to rub my feet together and shiver through winter this year.’

 

It was the warmest winter she had ever experienced.

 

Sephiel suddenly looked outside.

 

She opened the balcony door with a groan.

 

‘Oh, it seems less cold today.’

 

She sniffed the air. It smelled faintly of grass and flowers.

 

‘It’s been cold these past few days so I haven’t been able to go outside.’

 

Berry hadn’t allowed her to, after all.

 

Sephiel stood up, pulled on her long boots over her white stockings, and dashed out into the hallway.

 

“Beyyi!” Sephiel said with sparkling eyes.

 

“Today’s that day, right? ‘The First Day of Spring’!”

 

She vaguely remembered hearing that today was the beginning of spring.

 

“Can I go out to the garden and play every day now?”

 

“Hm. Yes, it’s gotten much warmer now. But you can’t stay out too long.”

 

Berry, worried Sepiel might catch a cold, wrapped a handkerchief around her neck, then added a scarf on top.

 

After putting on a cloak as well, Sephiel looked round like a snowman.

 

“Okay, you can go out now.”

 

“Yay!”

 

Sephiel ran out, her little feet pattering.

 

“Oh my, she really does love playing in the garden.”

 

Berry muttered happily.

 

Sephiel’s destination was the garden she had been allowed to enter a few months ago with Daihan’s permission.

 

“Hehehe, a sparkling flower garden….”

 

As soon as she arrived at the hill garden, Sephiel looked around and grinned mischievously.

 

Then she passed the usual hill she played on and headed toward an old, nearly-collapsed greenhouse.

 

‘There are treasures here. Herbs that can make money!’

 

Sephiel crawled inside, wiggling her bottom, and began gathering herbs that had grown wild all over the place.

 

‘When I was first allowed into this garden, I thought it was just a weed.’

 

This garden where Sephiel played every day was the Grand Duchess’s garden.

 

It turns out that Erga’s mother, the Grand Duchess, was a famous wizard who dealt with plants.

 

And this greenhouse was the precious herb garden she had cared for deeply.

 

‘Someone should’ve told me it was so important!’

 

Plant wizards—magicians known for cultivating rare flowers and herbs used in magical potions.

 

Sephiel knew it very well, because…

 

‘One of the main sources of income for my damned homeland, the Kingdom of Allegro, was the herb trade.’

 

Looking back, the Sephiel from her previous life had truly been used to the fullest in every way.

 

It was natural because she could quickly and easily learn anything she was taught.

 

<Let’s learn this too, this too.> 

 

When his father discovered that Sephiel was not just a little smart, but a true genius, he taught Sephiel all sorts of things.

 

One of the things Sephiel excelled at was handling difficult herbs.

 

‘Magic plants are best raised by those with a lot of magical power.’

 

So Sephiel knew the value of the herbs and flowers that grew luxuriantly in this abandoned greenhouse.

 

‘Well-dried magical herbs can last for over ten years.’

 

She had hidden them well in her room whenever the opportunity arose, planning to sell them when she left this house.

 

For that, she has been tending to plants and even sneaking fertilizer from the barn.

 

‘Though my clothes got filthy that day and made Berry suspicious.’

 

Fortunately, she managed to brush it off with a promise not to roll around too much next time.

 

‘Yep, this is my second backup plan for the future.’

 

Sephiel felt so happy that she wanted to jump for joy just thinking about the day she could sell that.

 

‘Today too, I’ll secretly pick as many herbs as I want.’

 

A teddy bear-shaped crossbody bag with soft fur, Sephiel sneakily picked some herbs and put them in her bag.

 

‘Which one is the best?’

 

Sephiel looked around. Then she leaned down between the lush grass near the greenhouse entrance.

 

‘The legendary flower, <Candle Flower!>’

 

Sephiel was so happy that she wanted to scream “Kyahahaha” like a three-year-old.

 

‘This flower takes five whole years to sprout from seed, and it only blooms if a top-tier plant wizard creates the perfect environment.’

 

Candle flower. It was an ancient, mysterious, magical plant.

 

Right now, its small bud was tightly closed, but once it bloomed, the wick inside would flicker like a candle flame.

 

‘A magical flame, exactly.’

 

And it was so precious that it was beyond words.

 

‘I can’t wait to harvest it.’

 

Just to be sure, Sephiel glanced around once more. Seeing no one nearby, she giggled.

 

‘Thank goodness I recognized its value. I never even saw one in my past life. But I remembered the illustrations from the herb encyclopedia really well.’

 

* * *

 

Late afternoon of the same day.

 

Daihan arrived at the Grand Duke’s house.

 

Today, Elton was able to go out to greet Daihan because he came in through the main gate instead of riding a wyvern.

 

“Welcome back, Master. How was your journey?”

 

Daihan nodded to Elton, who greeted him politely.

 

“Hmm.”

 

That meant “fine,” as far as Elton could tell.

 

“How is the situation on the Western Front?”

 

“It seems that the remnants of the demons are still active. Even after Florentin went underground, there seem to be some who have been sneaking out and raiding nearby villages.”

 

“That’s no small task for the Grand Duke of Fuller.”

 

“He’s one of the more competent humans. Seems to be handling it well.”

 

Long ago, the demons ruled the lands of the United Kingdom.

 

After losing to the alliance of Remdragon and the Three Lords, they retreated to the western borderlands.

 

Those borderlands were adjacent to the territory of Duke Fuller of the West. Thus, the West remained a constant battleground.

 

It was also the main area where Daihan operated under the guise of a mercenary.

 

Whenever he left home, it wasn’t unusual for him to be away from the Grand Duke’s estate for two or three years at a time.

 

“This time, you’ve come back in less than a year. Are you here to see Miss Baby?”

 

“…..”

 

Daihan frowned.

 

“Don’t talk nonsense, Elton.”

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

Elton smiled faintly.

 

“More importantly, how is Erga’s condition?”

 

“Not good. He’s been sleeping most of the time lately.”

 

“How is the disease progressing?”

 

“The doctor is somehow trying to stop the progress, but as I told you in the letter,… A second seizure occurred.”

 

“That child carries the blood of dragons, so he will endure it well. That disease is like the fate of our family.”

 

At the mention of that disease, the smile on Elton’s lips faded slightly.

 

“In any case, it was fortunate that the bride was chosen in advance. At least he selected her when he was in his best state. Even so, the young master should at least see the face of the bride he’s to marry.”

 

“Yes. It was a good thing I gave in to his stubbornness. At first, I was horrified when he insisted on choosing his own bride.”

 

Even as he spoke of Erga, Daihan kept glancing around, as if he were looking for someone.

 

Noticing this, Elton said:

 

“The Miss Baby is playing in the garden.”

 

“Garden?”

 

“Don’t you remember, Master? You gave her permission to enter the Grand Duchess’s Garden.”

 

Daihan frowned.

 

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s what I did.”

 

That garden was a cherished place of the late Grand Duchess—Erga’s mother, and Daihan’s wife.

 

It was also where she had been confined after losing her mind shortly after giving birth to Erga.

 

“That garden must be in terrible condition. Right before her death, she planted all sorts of temperamental plants there.”

 

Elton lowered his eyes.

 

“She was a very good plant magician and green magician.”

 

People who grow magical plants are called green magicians.

 

The late Grand Duchess had been the most famous Green magician and herbalist in the world.

 

“Shall I bring the Miss Baby?”

 

“No. I’ll go myself.”

 

Daihan went to find Sephiel himself.

 

The last time he remembered that place, it was winter— bleak, cold, and desolate.

 

Daihan was speechless for a moment. It was a garden on a low hill that had been neglected for years.

 

There, lush wildflowers were growing in thickets.

 

—Rustle. Rustle.

 

A warm breeze blew, causing the flowers in the garden to rub against each other.

 

The smell of herbs.

 

Since there was no way anyone would have cared for them, it seems that the herbs that had somehow survived had grown on their own.

 

‘Is it already the season for flowers to bloom?’

 

Daihan slowly looked over the hill. Then—

 

—Rustle!

 

A small, round head popped out from the bushes.

 

“……”

 

It was Sephiel, with tousled hair and bits of leaves stuck all over, blinking wide, startled rabbit eyes.

 

“Uh…..”

 

“Baby raccoon….?”

 

“Gyand Duke uncle!”

 

Sephiel smiles with her mouth wide open.

 

“Wow! Spring came and Uncle came too.”

 

At that moment, a memory from the past flashed through Daihan’s mind.

 

It was a memory of the happiest time in his life.

 

The late Grand Duchess—When she had been pregnant, she would gently stroke her rounded belly and smile.

 

<I want to show this garden I’ve carefully tended to the baby in my belly. You, me, and Erga. The three of us will be happy together forever.> 

 

<You know, I’ll hide a secret in this garden, you have to come find it. I’ll tell you on your next birthday.… >

 

Why had that memory come back to him just now?

 

“How did you get here! Duke Uncle, it’s been so long!”

 

Sephiel said with a bright smile.

 

Behind her, spring flowers were blooming all over the hill.

 

When the Grand Duchess was alive, she once said:

 

<Spring always comes, even if you try to avoid it.> 

 

It was true. Spring had already come to their castle, where they were just waiting for the day to leave.

 

“Baby raccoon.”

 

Daihan called her.

 

Sephiel came out of the bushes.

 

Sephiel, carrying a teddy bear bag full of leaves, looked up at Daihan with a grin.

 

“What is this sight?”

 

Sephiel clapped her chubby hands and brushed off the dirt, straightening her clothes.

 

“I’m clean now.”

 

“Yeah. Good job. You’ve grown a lot.”

 

Yes—children grow in the blink of an eye when you take your eyes off them even for a moment.

 

A faint smile had already formed on Daihan’s lips.

 

“Have you been well, baby raccoon?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Sephiel nodded vigorously.

 

“How have you been?”

 

“I study and also do hobbies with gyandpa.”

 

“Hobbies?”

 

“Yup! I made money with Gyandpa!”

 

Daihan walked through the garden with Sephiel, listening to her stories.

 

“My father had a hard time avoiding hardships, but thanks to you, he finally achieved great things. He must have been very happy because he was a person who loved to achieve things.”

 

Daihan observed her carefully.

 

“And you speak quite well now.”

 

“Hehehe.”

 

“And so the rumors of your genius weren’t a joke. Once in a while, a child like you is born among humans.”

 

“……”

 

“Yeah. You’ve done amazing things.”

 

“Is that bad?”

 

At those words, Sephiel glanced at him and asked.

 

Daihan shook his head.

 

“No, it’s good.”

 

“……”

 

“Do whatever you want. That’s how a child in our house should live.”

 

Daihan said.

 

“You’re doing well. Whatever it is.”

 

* * *