Chapter 237 Whispers of the Bonsai
On Envy's side, after her disappointment with Daniel's ruthlessness, she decided to visit Sylvana, who was at home with Michaela. Even though she had prepared breakfast for little Sylvana, she expected that when Sylvana woke up, the food would have already gone cold. Moreover, Michaela's cooking skills were notoriously bad, to the point where even heating up pre-made food was a challenge for her.
At Daniel's home on the rooftop of the condominium within the base, Envy emerged from the elevator outside the house, where the lawn was located. She immediately noticed a pungent smell, like something was burning, emanating from the house.
Alarmed by the smell, Envy rushed into the house. The scene that greeted her made her want to scream. A microwave was on fire on the balcony just outside the kitchen, and Michaela was desperately attempting to douse the flames using a teacup filled with water. Little Sylvana was jumping up and down frantically, shouting at Michaela.
"Big sis Michaela! Quick, quick! Daddy's favorite bonsai is on fire!" Little Sylvana yelled in a panic, pointing to the bonsai in a pot on the balcony that was now ablaze from the microwave fire.
Envy was momentarily stunned by Michaela's disastrous cooking skills. [How can something as simple as heating go so wrong? Isn't it just a matter of setting the time, heat, and pushing a button?] she wondered to herself.
Envy quickly regained her composure and entered the kitchen to help Michaela. She used a simple water spell to extinguish the flames. However, it was too late; Daniel's favorite bonsai was partially burnt, and Michaela's face turned pale as she anticipated the scolding she was sure to receive from her lord.
"Eww... big sis Michaela, Daddy's going to be angry for sure," little Sylvana remarked while looking at a half burnt bonsai, concerned for her big sister and bodyguard.
Envy sat down on the sofa across from Sylvana and Michaela and asked, "Okay, what happened?"
"Aunt Envy..." Sylvana began, her tone somewhat downcast in light of the recent mishap.
Usually, both Sylvana and her big sis Michaela would have jumped for joy, as Envy's cooking skills were exceptional, surpassing even those of many 5-star chefs in luxury hotels.
However, in this situation, little Sylvana didn't know what to do next. She hoped that her aunt Envy might have some magic that could fix her daddy's bonsai, so she decided to explain everything that had happened to Envy. "Er... it's like this, Aunt Envy."
This incident occurred because when Sylvana woke up and felt hungry, she headed to the dining room. There, she found a set of food that had already been prepared, neatly covered in aluminum foil to keep it warm.
Then, Michaela came in from outside and noticed Sylvana was about to eat. She scolded Sylvana, insisting that she brush her teeth and take a morning bath first. Michaela promised Sylvana that she would take care of the food and heat it up for her.
Sylvana, aware of Michaela's disastrously bad cooking skills, didn't expect anything to go wrong since it was just a matter of reheating. After all, even she could use a microwave without her daddy making a fuss. Besides, Michaela was an adult; what could possibly go wrong?n()0vεlB1n
Time passed, and when Sylvana had finished her bath and changed into fresh clothes, she detected an unpleasant odor. She emerged from the bathroom, curious to identify the source. To her surprise, she found Michaela in the living room, tears streaming down her face as she watched her favorite Korean drama on TV.
Gradually, Michaela also noticed the noxious smell and observed flames inside the microwave. In a rush, she moved the microwave out onto the balcony, placing it dangerously close to Daniel's cherished bonsai. Just then, Envy entered the scene.
Upon learning what had occurred, Envy let out a sigh. She had never anticipated that Michaela would struggle so much in the kitchen.
"Michaela, putting aluminum foil in the microwave is a terrible mistake. I hope you'll remember not to do it again, okay?" Envy advised Michaela gently, understanding that as an archangel, Michaela might not be familiar with such common kitchen precautions. She decided to teach her rather than blame her.
"Aunt Envy... Do you have any magic to restore Daddy's bonsai? Otherwise, Big Sis Michaela will surely be scolded by Daddy," Sylvana asked, her eyes pleading as she put on her cutest act.
Seeing this, Michaela managed a smile and tenderly stroked Sylvana's hair.
"I'm sorry, Sylvy, but plant magic is not my strong suit," Envy replied with a hint of disappointment in herself. She then turned to Michaela, who had sunk into a state of depression, dreading her lord's reprimand.
"Michaela, let's look in the internet shop and choose a new bonsai that's very similar to this one. With any luck, Daniel might not even notice that his bonsai was replaced," Envy suggested, trying to comfort the depressed Michaela.
Upon hearing Envy's solution, Michaela's face lit up, as if she had found a ray of hope.
"Lady Envy, thank you very much!" Michaela expressed her gratitude before joining Envy to search for a replacement bonsai online, using a notebook in the living room.
While the two women browsed the internet in search of a new bonsai resembling the one that had been burnt, little Sylvana observed the half-burnt bonsai with curiosity. An eerie, faint voice that she had never heard before resonated in her ears. It seemed like a cry for help, filled with extreme agony. Sylvana began hearing this voice the moment her daddy's bonsai had been burned.
Sylvana cautiously brought her face closer to the partially charred bonsai, attempting to discern the source of the voice. To her surprise, the voice grew louder the closer she got.
"Help me!" The voice cried out loudly.
Startled, Sylvana quickly recoiled, having heard the plea clearly. She then started hearing faint whispers from the plant on the balcony. The whispers grew progressively clearer with each passing moment.
Little Sylvana observed the plants on the balcony. She walked closer to them, believing she could hear their conversation.
Tiny Daisy: "Did you see that little bonsai? It's in a sorry state, almost turned into ashes. Real pity."
Miniature Fern: "Yeah, all 'cause of that archangel. She dropped a dangerous thing right next to us, man. I mean, seriously, bro? She's supposed to be an archangel? I'd sooner think she's a demon from hell."
Petite Orchid: "I could hear the bonsai crying out for help. Must've been a nightmare. I hope it's gonna be okay."
Mini Cactus: "Chill, Fern, we made it, man. No need to get all worked up. Too much anger ain't good for our growth."
Miniature Fern: "Chill my, um, spikes, Cactus. She nearly torched us alive, and I'm sittin' right next to that unlucky bonsai. Try standin' in my spot and chill for me, man."
"You all can speak!?" Little Sylvana asked the cactus, who seemed to be the most laid-back among the potted plants on her daddy's balcony.
"Wait... little lady... you heard us!? Bro, a human heard us, bro! Help me check if I'm high or not," Fern said to the cactus.
"Bro, last time I checked, our human master didn't plant weed near us, and I'm sure as hell that we didn't have any relationship with those guys. Besides, how can I check you, man? I didn't have arms," Cactus answered in the same manner.
"Whoa, you guys are so cool! You can talk!!" Little Sylvana exclaimed with a bright smile, as if she had just discovered a new world.
"No, I don't think so. We've been talking like this every day, even before we were brought here by our human master from the plant shop outside of this place. You've just heard us talk for the first time. Besides, these two fern and cactus are chatterboxes, always bro-ing it up with each other. I'm pretty sure your ability to hear our voices just happened today," the orchid explained to little Sylvana.
Sylvana paid no heed to the orchid's explanation. Instead, she snatched the cactus and dashed inside the house, brimming with excitement.
"Aunt Envy, Aunt Envy, look, look! This little cactus can talk!" Sylvana exclaimed excitedly, showing the cactus to Envy, who gazed at it with curiosity.
"Hey, what are you doing, kid? Come on, don't you think you should've asked for my consent, little human? Jeez... Besides, apart from you, they won't hear our voices," the cactus complained under Envy's scrutinizing gaze.
After a moment of silence, Envy smiled at little Sylvana and affectionately stroked her hair.
"Huh? I didn't hear anything. Do you want to play with me? Be careful, though; don't drop the plant, or your daddy might come back and scold you. Now isn't the time, Sylvy. I need to help big sis Michaela choose a new bonsai. Can you put this cactus back where it was?" Envy asked Sylvana, thinking that Sylvana simply wanted to play with her.