PGMTP - Chapter 12
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With a dull thud, I felt a sticky liquid soaking my body as I heard the sound of flesh being pierced. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a large window deeply embedded in the griffin's mouth. The griffin died without even being able to scream. The huge body fell to the ground with a thud. The Griffin's corpse was so large that it occupied half of the room. Then, I rolled on the ground, covered in blood. My clothes were damp and my body was sticky, and the food I had gathered over the past two weeks had been destroyed and there was hardly anything left. "Oh...." I let out a sigh of relief. 'I'm glad. At least I can take a breath now.' I threw a blue fruit I had desperately clutched in my hand at the griffin's corpse. "Haish!" Damn it, what a bastard! Can anything be more miserable than the fact that I had to ask for help from Sharent Clown? As I trembled, I felt someone's gaze on me. But I deliberately didn't turn my head and just stared fiercely at the griffin's corpse. If I could, I would revive this guy and kill him over and over again!
"...Cockroach?" Although I was hitting the corpse with a small and bony fist, I couldn't help but turn my head at Sharent Clown's words. "What, a bug...?" .Cock, .Cock..., Cock.... Who could have spoken that name that I couldn't even think about or put in my mouth? 'Surely it's not me.' I quickly turned my head around to survey my surroundings. Are there any... cockroaches nearby? 'No, there aren't.' I turned my head back to look at the guy again, and we both stared at each other without averting our gaze for a while. "Sharent! What about the griffin...?" Both of our heads turned. "I took care of it... Why is this thing here?" Why? Because this was my room, of course! I glared at them silently before turning to the fruit in my hand, which I had collected both ripe and unripe ones that I could eat now or save for later. Even the apples that I had painstakingly stolen from the kitchen were unripe. My heart sank with disappointment. It was already so difficult to sneak into the kitchen and steal them once, and now... Tears welled up in my eyes at the thought of it.
While clutching my painful knee, I barely gathered the food I had stored, little by little.
My body has deteriorated to the point where even my ability to control my emotions seems to have diminished.
But I couldn't bring myself to cry, so I just looked at the juiceless apple and let my shoulders sag.
I ouldn't handle that griffin and ended up ruining my emergency rations.
Although I felt the gaze of someone behind me, I blatantly ignored it.
I'm really not in the mood since my survival is being threatened.
Suck, suck, suck.
Now that my depression has passed, I'm just annoyed and frustrated. I shook one of my short legs and sucked on my cheek.
"What's that kid doing buried here?"
"I'm not sure"
Sharent Clown replied indifferently.
I glared at Sharent Clown and he still had an unconcerned expression.
"And what is this place?"
"I don't know. It looks like some kind of hideout"
Sharent replied nonchalantly.
Deshar Clown's forehead creased deeply at Sharent's uncaring words.
He looked at me with a displeased expression.
Regardless, I mourned the food that couldn't be saved and had already gone to the afterlife.
"Where is the maid in charge of that child? Even though she's just a half-blood, still, what kind of a sight is it for the child who inherited the blood of the Clown family? Kant, bring the maid in charge right away!"
"Understood."
"Why are you so worked up over something like that, Father?"
Sharent Clown soothed Dasher Clown with a gentle voice.
He looked at me, examined my bloody nose and the food scattered around, and narrowed his eyes.
'Did he catch me...?'
My back and hips tensed up at the thought of being caught stealing from his garden.
"Tsk, no matter how cruel you are, she is Valian's daughter. Moreover, he was my child. Don't say such things."
"The years are truly merciful. They have made you this soft, Father."
Sharent Clown came to me, tilting his head with a pitying expression.
Watching the two Clowns, I hurriedly lowered my gaze.
I should have had no reason to feel guilty, but I had been busy stealing from his garden.
I doubted Sharent Clown would let me off easy for raiding his garden.
"By the way... every time you raid someone else's garden and take their fruit, I didn't know you would hide it here."
"Garden? Are you talking about the little one's garden?"
Instead of answering Dasher Clown's question, Sharent Clown smiled softly as if it were his trademark.
I looked up at Sharent Clown silently. He was scrutinizing me as if searching for something.
"If I'm not mistaken, this seems to be even more crooked than last time."
"Crooked?"
"Yes."
Sharent Clown reached out behind me.
It was clear that he was trying to make me feel embarrassed by lifting me up clumsily.
Shashashack.
I quickly rolled on the ground and avoided Sharent Clown's hand.
My knees hurt, and I flinched each time I moved, but the pain was nothing. I just had to think of it as training to become stronger.
Sharent Clown waved his hand in the air and looked at me. I watched Sharent and Deshar Clown from afar.
"Ugh, do we need to find a new room?"
I wonder if there's an empty room somewhere.
'I wish they could find somewhere less cramped than here.'
My knees are already in so much pain. If we find somewhere even more cramped, I might dislocate them.
"What was this called again?"
"I don't know."
At Deshar Clown's response to Sharent's question, I narrowed my eyes and crawled back to the door on all fours.
Anyway, I didn't want to stay in this bloody place.
"I should go back there and wash up."
It's uncomfortable, but at least my clothes will dry.
"......Vallian tried to tell me, but I didn't listen."
Poor owner of this body.
I may look like I'm already dead, but in any case, all I have to do is conquer the world.
There's no need to care about cruel humans.
After all, we live in this world alone.
I can just give myself a new name or restore the memories of the original owner once I recover my magic.
"Where are you going?"
Ignoring Deshar Clown's question, I casually left the room.
Luckily, I didn't have to use any force to open the door since the locked door had been fixed by Sharent Clown's arrival.
But as I was about to leave, a shadow appeared before me. One by one, unfriendly humans stood in front of me like sausages.
I turned my head sharply.
"Your Grace, I brought her here."
A man who appeared to be a butler in a silk robe spoke.
"...I only asked for one maid to take care of the child. Why are there so many of you?"
I snorted at the voice that came from behind me.
No one could easily speak up in response to Deshar Clown's words.
Only the butler seemed to have understood the situation and was looking at the maids with a stern expression.
"Do you all think I like asking questions twice?"
"Um...well...since the youngest miss was being taken care of by us maids taking turns, there wasn't a maid specifically assigned to her..."
The oldest serving maid, who had the most seniority, trembled as she explained.
I was trapped between Deshar Clown and the maids, unable to move properly because of the crowded room.
'There's no way out'
I thought as I tried to move back and forth, but my small body couldn't find a way to escape.
As I turned my head to feel the hot gaze coming from the side, I saw Sharent Clown leaning against the wall, watching my actions.
I put my arms around my chest and looked at him with a slanted posture before quickly turning my head away.