Chapter 12

12

Thud.

Swish.

I opened my eyes again, feeling the dull sound of flesh being pierced and the sticky liquid drenching my body.

The first thing I saw was a huge window deeply embedded in the griffin's mouth.

The griffin died without even letting out a final scream.

The massive body fell to the ground with a heavy thud, and the griffin's corpse was so large it took up half the room.

I was still lying on the floor, covered in blood.

My clothes were soaked, my hands and feet were sticky, and the food I had gathered over two weeks was mostly squished beyond recognition.

"Ah..."

A sigh escaped me involuntarily.

‘Thank goodness. At least I can breathe a sigh of relief.’

I threw the single, deep blue fruit I was clutching in my hand onto the griffin's corpse.

"Haish!"

Damn it, you really are a bad kid! How can it be so miserable to have to rely on a clown like Sharant?

My body was trembling, and I felt a gaze directed at me.

Regardless, I deliberately avoided looking in that direction and stared fiercely at the griffin's corpse.

If I could, I would bring this thing back to life and kill it over and over again!

"…Cockroach?"

Sharant Clown's words, delivered while he was punching the corpse with his small, sturdy fists, made me turn my head involuntarily.

‘What, insect...?’

C, c... c...

Who did he just call that name, which I can't even bring myself to say or think?

‘It can't be me, right?’

Is there a c... c... c... around here? I quickly turned my head to look around.

‘No.’

I turned my head back to look at the creature.

A standoff where no one averted their gaze lasted for a while.

"Sharant! The griffin... "

Both heads turned.

"I took care of it... Why is this kid here?"

Why, of course! This was my room!

I glared at them and then slowly crawled over to look at the fruit.

I had brought both ripe fruit that I could eat immediately and unripe fruit that I could store for later.

My mood hit rock bottom.

Even the apples I had barely managed to bring.

How hard it was to sneak into the kitchen and steal them, and now...

My eyes burned with sorrow.

These were the food supplies I had painstakingly gathered.

My body, having shrunk, seemed to have also regressed in its ability to control emotions.

Still, I couldn't allow myself to cry, so I glared at the apple, now reduced to just juice, and let my shoulders sag.

To think that I couldn't even take down that griffin in one go and ended up in this state with my daily bread.

I felt a gaze boring into me from behind, but I ignored it.

I am currently feeling very, very bad because my survival is being threatened.

Thump.

After the sadness passed, now only frustration and mischief remained.

I swung one of my short legs carelessly and sucked on a lollipop.

"Keep asking why this kid is here."

"I don't know, it's not my business."

Sharant Clown's indifferent words made my eyes spark with anger.

I turned my head and glared at Sharant Clown.

Sharant Clown, still smiling, turned his head as if he didn't care.

"And what is this place in such a state?"

"I don't know. It seems to have been used as a hideout."

Deshar Clown's forehead creased deeply at Sharant Clown's indifferent words.

He looked at me with a clearly displeased expression.

Regardless, I gathered the squished food with my palms and mourned the food that had been destroyed.

"Where is the maid in charge of this child? Even if she's only half, this is the state of a child who carries the blood of the Clown family! Kant, bring the maid in charge immediately!"

"Understood."

"Why are you so worked up over something like this, Father?"

Sharant Clown soothed the agitated Deshar Clown with a soft voice.

He glanced at me, carefully observing my blood-soaked appearance and the scattered food, and furrowed his brow.

‘Did he notice...?’

My back stiffened, fearing he might have noticed the things I stole from his garden.

"Tsk, no matter how heartless you are, this is your brother Valian's child. And he was my child. Don't say such things."

"Time is truly fleeting. It has made you so soft, Father."

Sharant Clown shook his head in a seemingly regretful manner and approached me.

I had been observing the two Clowns, but I quickly lowered my gaze.

I shouldn't be intimidated, but I had been thoroughly raiding his garden.

I didn't think Sharant Clown would let a garden thief off with a smile.

"Still... every time you raid someone's garden and take the fruit, I didn't expect you to hide it here."

"…Garden? Are you talking about the garden of the daughter-in-law?"

In response to Deshar Clown's question, Sharant Clown smiled, a symbol of his character.

I looked up at Sharant Clown. He was examining me as if looking for something.

"If I'm not mistaken, you seem even thinner than last time."

"Thinner?"

"Yes."

Sharant Clown reached out his hand toward the back of my neck.

It was clear he was trying to pick me up and embarrass me.

Swish.

I quickly rolled on the floor to avoid Sharant Clown's hand.

My knees hurt, but this level of pain was nothing. I could think of it as training to get stronger.

Sharant Clown withdrew his hand, which had cut through the air, and looked at me.

I stared at Sharant Clown and Deshar Clown from a distance.

‘Sigh, do I need to find a new room?’

I wonder if there are any empty rooms.

‘As long as it's not in a more secluded corner, it would be fine.’

My knees already hurt enough; if it were in a more secluded corner, they might give out.

"What is your name?"

"I don't know."

In response to Sharant Clown's question, Deshar Clown's answer made me narrow my eyes, and I slowly crawled toward the door on all fours.

I didn't want to stay in this blood-soaked place.

‘I need to go back and wash up.’

The clothes will dry eventually, even if they feel uncomfortable.

"…Valian wanted to tell me, but I didn't listen."

Sigh, our poor host.

He's already dead, but I'll give him the world.

There's no need to care about heartless humans.

The world is a place to live alone.

I can give him a new name or later, when I recover my magic, look into the original owner's memories.

‘To do that, I need to grow up healthy.’

First, I need to maintain cleanliness by washing my body.

"Where are you going?"

I ignored Deshar Clown's question and calmly left the room.

Fortunately, I didn't need to force the door open because Sharant Clown had broken it when he entered.

However, as I was about to leave, a shadow fell in front of me. I lifted my head to see a line of uninviting people standing like sausages.

I turned my head sharply.

"Your Grace, I have brought them."

A man who looked like a butler in a tuxedo said.

"…I only asked for the maid in charge of this child. Why are there so many?"

I snorted at the voice behind me as I tried to leave.

No one dared to speak in response to Deshar Clown's question.

Only the butler, who seemed to have heard the details, looked at the maids with a stern expression.

"Do you think I enjoy asking the same question twice?"

"T... That... The youngest miss was being cared for by all of us maids in turns, so there isn't a specific maid in charge..."

The most senior maid explained, trembling.

I was trapped between Deshar Clown and the maids, unable to move.

‘Damn...’

There was no way out.

I tried moving left and right, but my small body couldn't find a gap to squeeze through.

I turned my head to the hot gaze from the side and saw Sharant Clown watching my actions, leaning against the wall.

I crossed my arms and looked at him, then turned my head sharply.