91


Thud!


No matter how many times he was hit, the large body didn't even flinch, and then it slowly collapsed forward, his head hitting the table with a thud.


Luarel almost screamed but bit her tongue and barely swallowed the cry down.


'Why all of a sudden? Didn't they say it would take effect within 48 hours? Now it looks like I'm the culprit!'


Damn it, damn it!


Cursing under her breath, she darted her eyes around the room.


Should I jump out the window?


'No, I'd get caught right away. Should I just act like nothing happened and slip out?'


Though she had lived a long life, Luarel was lacking in experience.


She had a knack for taking on others' appearances, so she had lived a more ordinary life than one might expect.


She never needed to steal or dirty her hands with other unsavory tasks.


All she had to do was devour some household's daughter, and she could keep living just like that.


Had she lived doing dirty jobs, maybe she would have gotten better at thinking on her feet…


'Stop thinking nonsense!'


Luarel scolded herself harshly.


Already thirty seconds had passed.


Now she really needed to decide what to do…!


"Grandpa?"


Click.


Just then, the door opened, and an unwelcome face barged in.


The watery, shimmering eyes looked at her once, then at the head of the family.


At that moment, seeing the way the child's mouth dropped open like a cavern, Luarel was certain.


I'm screwed!


"Grandpa!!"


***


Grandpa had collapsed!


And next to him was the monster, Luarel. And there was even candy there!


I didn't know what she had done, but Grandpa was clearly in danger.


The only suspect was Luarel.


"Gasp, we have to catch her! The Family Head, the Family Head has been attacked!!"


Lina screamed while hugging me tightly, shielding me with her whole body.


Hearing her, the waiting servants burst in from outside, and frantic footsteps pounded everywhere.


The monster Luarel shoved me aside and bolted out, but strangely, there was no one in the corridor, so she managed to escape easily.


'If only Podong was here, we could've caught her!'


Frustrated, I clenched my stomach and shouted loudly for my brothers.


"The monster attacked Grandpa! Brotheeers!!"


Somebody, anybody, please come!


No matter how fast I run, I'm still slower than everyone else!


Even so, I snorted hard and chased after her with all I had.


There was no way I could let her get away.


I had to find out what she had done to Grandpa!


"Get out of the way!"


"Huh, my lady…!"


"I said move!"


There, there's the monster Luarel.


And in front of her… is that Marin? It's Marin!


"Marin! Grab her!"


"Wh-what?!"


Startled, Marin reached out. She grabbed the back of Luarel's neck as she ran past, but in the blink of an eye...


"…!"


The monster Luarel's body suddenly grew taller.


The dress that had reached her ankles now only came up to her thighs, and her legs lengthened.


In an instant, the monster had become an adult, and she twisted Marin's arm without hesitation.


"Arghhh!"


"You… the other day, at the restaurant, you gave me that look, didn't you?"


I didn't know what "gave me that look" meant, but I knew it was bad.


Because the monster Luarel grabbed Marin and pulled a dagger from her clothes, pressing it against Marin's neck.


"Don't come any closer. If you do, I'll kill her."


"A-ah, ah…"


Frightened, Marin trembled and froze.


I, too, couldn't help but stop when I saw that scene. Marin would be seriously hurt if I made a wrong move.


Noticing my hesitation, the monster Luarel laughed viciously.


"Yeah, you. Come here. You'll be my hostage until I can get away safely."


"Let Marin go!"


"If you become the hostage."


Tick-tock.


The monster waved the dagger in front of Marin's eyes, threatening her.



[The Spirit King of Water, '■■■■', says it's a trick.]


[The Spirit King of Fortune, '■■■■■■', says you must not go.]


[The Spirit King of Air, 'Shaparsi', gives advice.]


[Stall for time until your brothers arrive. If you become the hostage, things will get even more complicated.]



But then… what about Marin?


"No, my lady. No. I know you're righteous and kind, but you can't. I can't let you."


Even as the Spirit Kings tried to dissuade me, I stepped forward, only for Lina to suddenly hug me tightly.


Her teeth chattering as she trembled, Lina looked truly terrified.


"If you don't come right now, I'll eat her alive!"


What… what is that?


As the monster Luarel shrieked shrilly, eight limbs, like those of a spider, suddenly sprouted from her back.


Hands with blood-red painted nails. Hairy legs. The arms of a child. Wrinkled feet.


All of those fused together, writhing from her back, it was grotesque beyond words.



[The Spirit King of Earth, '■', furrows her brow.]


[A foul stench… One who goes against the natural order. One who walks life backward. A filthy thing born of death pretending to be among the living.]



"I-I'm fine, my lady, really. Please, go. Go and bring the Admiral!"


"Shut up! Who said you were allowed to talk?!"


Now, a man's voice came from Luarel's throat.


Then, just as suddenly, it changed to a child's voice.


"Ah, this is all your fault. I thought everything was going to go perfectly, what is this?!"


"Go! Lina, go!!"


At the same time, Marin shouted loudly, and Lina lifted me up into her arms. But she couldn't take even a single step.



[The Spirit King of Water, '■■■■', gives advice.]


[My baby, close your eyes. Do not look back, no matter what. The Medusa is passing by.]



I could feel Lina's body holding me become stiff and cold.


The heart that had been pounding so loudly a moment ago stopped, and her running stance froze solid.


"…"


Swish, scrape.


A sound like a snake slithering across the floor approached and then slowly faded away again.


It was coming from behind me, from where the monster Luarel had been.


"…Lina?"


I called out softly, but no answer came.


"Lina."


I called again, but it was the same.


Lina had turned completely to ash-grey stone. She was no longer breathing, blinking, or speaking.


Eyes wide, I touched her face, hugged her tightly, and pressed my cheek against her shoulder.


But still, she was cold.


The Lina who used to smile so brightly at me was gone.


"Ha! This works out nicely. I've never eaten an awakened one before, but if it's a child… if it's a being whose bijou hasn't fully developed yet, it might be fine."


Muttering, Luarel roughly shoved Marin aside and lunged straight at me.


"No!"


I saw Marin, in what felt like slow motion, grab one of the monster's sprouting legs by the ankle.


The monster, its mouth split all the way to its ears, kicked Marin away and flipped its body, crawling down the corridor on all eight limbs.


It was a terrifying sight, but more than that...


'Lina… will never be able to hug me again?'


No!


Somewhere in my head, I heard a sharp snapping sound as my vision was engulfed in white.


At the same time, my pink hair fluttered, and around me, droplets of water and cold wind began to whirl like a storm.


"If I wear your skin, it'll be perfect! Hand it over!!"


The thing, no longer anything that could be called human, leapt high into the air, diving straight toward me.


And, and I...


"Ah… ah, ah… Daaaad!!"


What should I do?


Lina had turned to stone.


What do I do?


I could defeat an enemy. That didn't scare me one bit.


I didn't need anyone's help.


I could handle it myself.


But Lina?


How was I supposed to save her?


My mind was a complete mess. My chest churned with anguish and anxiety, and a cold sensation spread to the pit of my stomach.


But just then...


"Well done. You called me perfectly, my little crab."


A familiar voice, warm and gentle.


A warm hand softly brushed the top of my head.


'Ah, the Admiral is here.'


Relief flooded me, making my nose sting with emotion.


Everything would be okay now.


'The moment I called him… the moment I called him "Dad," he came right away.'