Lady Baby Is a Revenge Maker Chapter 44

‘Hmm. I can’t stop thinking about it. The Duchess… Erga…’

 

The next morning, as soon as Sephiel opened her eyes, the things Marie had told her yesterday began spinning around in her mind

 

“Are you awake, Miss Baby?”

 

“Should we do Bubble Bubble?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll do it.”

 

“You’ve grown up so much. Dressing yourself, washing your face all on your own.”

 

Sephiel washed her face with her small hands and patted her face.

 

While she was washing my face like that, she heard a knock on the door.

 

“Hello, Miss Baby.”

 

“Mmm, Elton, hello.”

 

Elton smiled, and Berry wiped Sephiel’s face for her.

 

“Miss Baby, there is an important event at the Grand Duke’s castle today, so I think it would be better for you to take classes in your room for a day and play quietly.”

 

“Mm… okay, but what kind of event is it? Can’t I see it?”

 

“Hmm, it’s not exactly forbidden… but Master is in a bad mood.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Well, adults are complicated.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

Elton had a habit of speaking in riddles like this sometimes.

 

“It’s the anniversary of the late Grand Duchess’s death. It’s been a long time since she passed… but today is the first time a memorial ceremony will be held.”

 

“…….”

 

A memorial ceremony was an event held to comfort the soul of someone who had died unjustly or tragically.

 

‘They said the Grand Duchess went mad before she died.’

 

Usually, in noble families, if the death was not a good one, a very small funeral was held followed by a large memorial ceremony.

 

‘Even if it’s the Grand Duke’s castle, it seems to follow human culture. However, to hold such an event now……’

 

Only then did Sephiel understand what Elton meant when he said that adults are complicated.

 

‘There must’ve been a lot of tangled emotions involved.’

 

Sephiel accepted it with that understanding.

 

Someone once said that the relationship between a married couple is a love-hate relationship.

 

‘Indeed, adults could be very difficult,’ Sephiel thought.

 

‘No wonder he’s in a bad mood. I’d better not bother him.’

 

“Then please bear with it for just one day. When the Grand Duke is in a bad mood, everyone is careful.”

 

“Yes…”

 

Sephiel nodded obediently.

 

Before Elton closed the door and left, Berry approached from the other side.

 

It seemed like Berry and Elton were having a conversation about something.

 

At that moment, Marie came out of the dressing room across from Sephiel with some clothes.

 

“Miss Baby, you need to change your clothes.”

 

“Marie. I want to wear that today. Black clothes.”

 

“Ah, yes. Since it’s the day of the memorial ceremony, it would be good to wear something modest and calm. I’ll switch it out.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Marie went back into the dressing room.

 

Sephiel quickly ran to the door and opened it very gently, very carefully.

 

“But Miss Baby has had a good influence on him. For him to hold a memorial…”

 

“That’s right. If things continue like this, there’s no need to worry about Miss Baby’s future.…”

 

Elton and Berry were whispering.

 

But since they began walking down the hall together, Sephiel couldn’t hear the rest of their conversation.

 

* * *

 

But by afternoon, Sephiel’s mood had changed drastically.

 

“Oh my, it looks like it’s going to rain a lot,” Berry said.

 

Sephiel looked out the window anxiously.

 

‘No!’

 

‘That precious ‘candle flower’ has budded!’

 

The Grand Duchess’s greenhouse—though “greenhouse” was just a name.

 

It hadn’t been maintained in ages, and holes had formed in the ceiling tarp.

 

‘It’s definitely going to rain. No, what if the wind gets too strong and the whole place gets blown away.’

 

Candle flowers are magical flowers that wait five whole years underground before sprouting.

 

Once they bud, they become extremely delicate—just a strong rain could kill them.

 

For example, it was a delicate flower that would die immediately if hit by even a heavy rain.

 

‘The candle flower I found! It shouldn’t get wet in the rain.’

 

Sephiel thought and became sad.

 

“Miss Baby, you should take a nap.”

 

“Hmm….”

 

But Berry didn’t seem like she would let her go outside.

 

In the end, Sephiel reluctantly laid down on her bed.

 

‘A nap… I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep today.’

 

—Swuuush.

 

As soon as the rain began to fall, Sephiel abruptly got up from her bed.

 

Thankfully, Berry had been letting her nap alone lately.

 

Sephiel put on her boots and walked outside with a brisk pace.

 

‘That’s right, I need matches.’

 

Candle flowers were fire-element magical plants.

 

When a bud formed, it conceived a small magical flame inside it.

 

Because of that, they had a special property—when lit by fire, they absorbed heat and bloomed beautifully, like a single candle flame.

 

That was a candle flower.

 

‘First, block the rain, light a fire to warm the flower. It’s better to make it bloom today than risk it dying.’

 

Sephiel grabbed an umbrella from the corner of the room.

 

It had a raccoon pattern and was a gift from Cherno not long ago.

 

She carefully made her way down to the first floor.

 

‘But where can I get matches?’

 

Then something caught Sephiel’s eye.

 

‘That’s the Grand Duke’s study, right?’

 

It was the room Daihan used during the day.

 

Elton had told her not to enter it carelessly.

 

The door was slightly open.

 

‘I’m really sorry, Uncle.’

 

Sephiel apologized quietly in her heart.

 

Then she slipped into the room.

 

<A Fire Dragon using matches? Master Cherno would tease you.> 

 

<Matches are convenient. My fire can burn down the house if used incorrectly.>

 

She had heard Elton and Daihan joking like that before.

 

Her instincts were right.

 

‘There it is!’

 

She stood on tiptoe and spotted a small matchbox on the desk.

 

‘Sorry… I’ll return it right away.’

 

‘This is all to protect the precious ‘candle flower’.’

 

Sephiel made excuses inwardly as she stretched with all her might to grab the matches.

 

‘Let’s see if it lights properly first.’

 

She clutched the match in her tiny hand and struck it once with a flick.

 

It was at that moment.

 

—Bang.

 

The door burst open.

 

Sephiel froze like a puppy caught stealing snacks. Two large men stood beyond the door.

 

One was Elton, and the other—

 

“Erga just laughed at the news of the memorial ceremony.”

 

The remaining one was Daihan.

 

“To him, his birth mother is just the woman who once tried to kill him as a child. Just try to appease him and don’t let him feel bad.”

 

It was then that Sephiel, frozen like ice, met Daihan’s eyes.

 

‘Ah, he’s really in a bad mood.’

 

Daihan’s expression, which had become colder than usual, was even colder.

 

“Baby raccoon.”

 

“……”

 

“What are you doing in my room right now? Didn’t I tell you to stay in your room?”

 

“……”

 

“You’re going to steal matches and play with fire on a day like this. You’re going to be in big trouble.”

 

His voice was cold.

 

Sephiel flinched.

 

“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”

 

Sephiel ran to the window, then leaped out through the open window and into the garden.

 

“Baby Raccoon!”

 

Daihan shouted.

 

“Miss Baby, it’s dangerous!”

 

Elton was also terrified.

 

But it was the first floor, so Sephiel landed safely in the bushes.

 

‘It really wasn’t just fire play. I’m sorry!’

 

Without looking back, Sephiel ran across the garden.

 

‘If I get caught, I’ll be in big trouble.’

 

Daihan’s stern expression, one Sephiel had never seen before, was terrifying.

 

“What on earth…”

 

Daihan checked outside the window to make sure Sephiel was safe, then let out a sigh of relief and rushed out of the room.

 

“Miss Baby!”

 

Sephiel ignored those who called her and ran into the rain.

 

She desperately held the matches in her arms and ran up the hill.

 

Behind her, he could hear the heavy footsteps of someone chasing after her.

 

—bang!

 

She managed to close the door leading to the duchess’s garden with her small hands, then crawled up the hill.

 

“Where did she go?”

 

“She went towards the hill.”

 

“Baby Raccoon, don’t run, it’s raining!”

 

The voices of the adults could be heard from afar. Sephiel pushed through the bushes and entered the greenhouse with holes in the ceiling here and there.

 

Small puddles had formed on the ground, but—

 

‘Thank goodness.’

 

The candle flower was still alive.

 

‘According to ancient books, if you light a fire near a candle flower, it will swallow the fire and not die even in the rain.’

 

Sephiel had read that in one of the many books she read randomly.

 

Sephiel opened her umbrella over the flowers and took a match out of her matchbox.

 

—Snap. Snap. 

 

She struck the match and got a flame.

 

‘Ah, it lit.’

 

The match was damp, so it took a moment to ignite, but once it was lit, that was all she needed.

 

“Come here, baby raccoon.”

 

Footsteps approached—Daihan, followed closely by Elton.

 

Sephiel blinked like a startled animal raising its tail.

 

“Hand it over.”

 

“No!”

 

Sephiel shook her head.

 

“This isn’t just playing with fire.”

 

“Even on a rainy day, you could burn down the garden. Incidents have happened in plant wizards’ gardens before.”

 

Sephiel shook her head more vigorously.

 

“I… I’m trying to protect it.”

 

And Sephiel threw the lit match toward the candle flower.

 

“What?”

 

Only then did Daihan see the single flower Sephiel had been crouching over and shielding with her body.

 

‘That flower…’

 

It looked familiar. His late wife had once talked about such a flower before giving birth to Erga.

 

<This magical plant rarely blooms. I’ve planted its seeds so many times. It only grows in very specific magical conditions. Someday, I’ll get it to bloom at least once in my life.> 

 

She had said that while showing him an open book—that flower looked exactly like the one illustrated in it.

 

“……!”

 

The flame from the match landed on the bud of the flower. The candle flower caught fire with a whoosh.

 

Then, slowly, the bud opened, and inside it was a small flame burning.

 

It looked like a single candle standing tall.

 

“Sephiel!”

 

Daihan called out and quickly rushed to pick up the child.

 

As Sephiel reached out to be held, he tugged on Daihan’s collar.

 

“It’s okay!”

 

“What…?”

 

“It doesn’t burn. It’s not hot.”

 

The flame on the candle flower began to spread like a fuse, reaching outward.

 

Daihan frowned.

 

‘Come to think of it, this isn’t real fire.’

 

The flame that reached his feet wasn’t hot at all.

 

It was an illusion—flickering in the shape of fire.

 

“Is this the magical plant’s effect?”

 

“Yes!” Sephiel said.

 

Daihan took Sephiel out of the greenhouse.

 

“Ha. This is spectacular.”

 

Daihan muttered.

 

The entire hill was now aglow in a sea of vivid red flame.

 

From a distance, it looked like it was being engulfed in flames.

 

“I read it in a book….”

 

Sephiel looked at the sight and said.

 

“The candle flower takes five years to sprout. And once it blooms… you have to light it on fire.”

 

The rippling flames — they were flowers, just as the name suggested.

 

“Then the candle flower creates a fake flame like this. But this is magic, so it’s just an illusion. It’s not a real fire.”

 

“…..”

 

Daihan furrowed his brow. He vaguely remembered his wife saying something like that, once.

 

“Yeah, I think I’ve heard of it.”

 

‘Why had she said that?’

 

Daihan recalled what his wife had said.

 

‘I planted the candle flower while thinking of you.’

 

‘The Fire Dragon. The most beautiful flame in the world.’

 

That’s what his wife used to call him.

 

Sephiel, still nestled in his arms, looked up at him and smiled.

 

“Oh, don’t be angry. I just wanted to show you.…”

 

“……”

 

“When the candle-flower burns like this, its flame…”

 

Sephiel spoke softly.

 

“In Ancient Elvish, they called it Zer. The most beautiful flame.”

 

“……”

 

The rain had subsided and was now drizzling lightly.

 

The flames that had overtaken the hill still shimmered, glowing like rubies.

 

<You’re like a fire I can touch without getting burned. Hot, but safe.> 

 

Another memory surfaced — something the late duchess had once said.

 

“It’s so pretty, isn’t it?” Sephiel said.

 

Literally, the flames were shining like jewels.

 

—Whoosh

 

After burning for a while, the flames vanished.

 

The rain had stopped, and in the places where the fire had been, beautiful golden flowers began to bloom.

 

“And the flowers that bloom where the candle-flower burns are called ‘Erga’.”

 

Sephiel rummaged through her bag and pulled out a book written by the duchess.

 

The most precious thing that has blossomed. That is the meaning of the name Erga.

 

Before they knew it, the hill was filled with beautiful golden flowers. It was a dazzling and enchanting scene.

 

Murmurs.

 

A small crowd had gathered at the base of the hill, gazing up at the scene.

 

Golden flowers, blooming like a miracle from within the flames.

 

“How did you know how to make this flower bloom?”

 

“I just read it in a book,” Sephiel replied shyly.

 

‘Truth is… I learned it in my past life, while studying pharmacology.

 

It was only theory back then, but I somehow made it work here.’

 

Candle flower, the seasonal flower of the ancient elves.

 

The burning flame is called Zer.

 

The flowers that grow afterward are called Erga.

 

Back in her past life, the Allegro Research Lab poured a fortune into this, but they never succeeded in making it bloom. Because the flower reveals its true worth only after it burns away.

 

The Erga flower.

 

Once it has bloomed even once, the land it grew in— Becomes unbelievably fertile.

 

And not just fertile. How fertile, exactly?

 

There are rare medicinal herbs that are extremely delicate.

 

But in this soil, they grow strong and large.

 

And some of those herbs are incredibly expensive.

 

‘In other words, this field—?’

 

‘It’s every herbalist’s dream come true.’

 

The ultimate cheat code in plant alchemy. The hero of herb farming. With this, you can grow anything.

 

‘To think the duchess had actually succeeded in this — she must’ve been an extraordinary magician.’

 

‘Oops. I should apologize.’

 

Sephiel looked at Daihan.

 

“I’m sorry for taking the matches without permission. But I only used one…..”

 

* * *