PASP Chapter 23

Dull impact sounds echoed repeatedly in the alley. However, no one paid any attention. Some glanced and walked away, probably thinking:

That good-for-nothing mongrel must have done something to deserve this beating.

“You cozied up to that tomboy lady, didn’t you? Huh? Or did she plan all this by herself?”

“N-no, it’s not… p-please believe me…”

Every time Egru opened his mouth, wet breathing followed. Blood had pooled in his mouth and nose, making it difficult to breathe. Moreover, before he could inhale, powerful fists flew at him repeatedly.

“M-Miss Mayfield… has nothing to do with this…”

With swollen eyes, Egru clung to Randall’s ankle. Thick blood dripped from his mouth as he barely managed to open it.

“Damn it, then why are we getting attacks from the guild alliance?”

Randall stomped on the back of Egru’s head with his hard shoe.

“They all snubbed our count’s family at the last auction! As if they were all in cahoots! Do you know how much I was humiliated because of you?”

Randall gritted his teeth.

“Yeah! It all started from that damned party! If only you hadn’t run away that day!”

The day of the humiliating party. Just remembering it made his teeth grind.

“Where’s Egru! Where’s my servant!”

It was when the party atmosphere was at its peak towards the end. The Grand Duchess Mayfield suddenly barged into the Randall mansion.

“Pfft, it seems the great Lady Mayfield can’t even control one lowly servant.”

Randall approached, sneering.

“Why are you asking us about your own servant? Or did you come late to enjoy the party? But too bad. Without a formal invitation…”

“Hey.”

Mayfield said sternly.

“Is this how you get revenge for being rejected by me? You’re endlessly pathetic.”

“W-what? What nonsense are you…”

“Shut up. If anything has happened to my servant, you’d better watch out. Got it? I’ll destroy your life.”

Randall swallowed hard from the tension, but tried to act nonchalant.

“Y-your word choice shows no class at all.”

“And there’s class in bullying someone else’s servant?”

Mayfield stared at each party attendee one by one.

“No, you’re all disgusting. It’s obvious you lured him out with some petty threats. My servant may be naive, but he’s not an idiot.”

Mayfield sneered, pulling up the corners of her mouth.

“I guess you didn’t have the guts to come at me directly? Well, a mere count wouldn’t dare challenge a grand duchess.”

“W-what use is all that? You’ve been excluded from the imperial core! Haven’t you heard the rumors that you’ll be sold off as a bride to a foreign country?”

“Ah, so that’s why you got cocky? Don’t worry. I still have enough power to crush you all.”

Mayfield kicked open the banquet hall door while raising her middle finger behind her back.

“Look forward to it. I remember all your faces who played along.”

“Oh my…!”

The aftermath of Mayfield’s exit was severe. Anxiety spread like wildfire among the party attendees. Randall tried to calmly see off the guests who were leaving one by one. But as soon as the last guest left the mansion, he could no longer hold back.

“Move! Everyone move!”

Randall ran breathlessly and opened the basement storage.

“Damn it…!”

The green-haired mongrel had vanished without a trace. All that remained on the wooden floor was a long trail of blood. Randall called all the remaining servants and ransacked the underground storage.

“Y-young master, over here!”

Finally, they discovered that one manhole cover was open. It was a hole leading to the underground sewer. It was too small for an adult male, but he must have squeezed through and escaped thanks to his uniquely small body.

‘That rat-like…!’

It all started that night. Mayfield’s nightmare-like words began to turn into reality.

Business deals falling through, family scandals being exposed. Deficits grew for countless reasons. It all happened so suddenly.

‘How?’

How could they corner us this much? The thriving family business plummeted in an instant.

‘It can’t be just that Mayfield wench.’

Someone else must be controlling a massive scheme behind the scenes.

‘Then who could it be?’

He couldn’t even seek help from others. The Randall count’s family, along with their close associates, had long since gone bankrupt.

Randall clenched his fist. Even today’s party invitation was obtained with great difficulty. He had bribed the Papal Headquarters’s leadership with the last of his fortune.

‘It was the only chance for the family to recover!’

And this mongrel in front of him ruined it all. He failed to make any meaningful connections with the commander, vice commander, or even the Pope.

“It’s your fault! It’s all because of you!”

Recalling all the past memories, Randall threw a punch filled with all his pent-up frustration.

Meanwhile, Egru breathed hard. He had to keep breathing, or he felt he would really die. His skinny limbs had no strength left.

“You’re just a bug! Don’t you get it? A parasite in human society!”

Count Randall kept blaming Egru as the cause of everything. With each of Randall’s punches, Egru’s bloodied body jerked.

“You stubborn bastard! Not making a sound?”

Egru rarely cried from physical pain. Unless it was reflexive tears.

As he was good at enduring pain, he was skilled at holding back tears. Being constantly looked down upon, he wanted to hide his tears at least in times like these.

In reality, just staying alive was overwhelming now. Survival was the top priority.

‘I’ve returned to square one, but…’

Still, he had to stay alive to watch over his brother from afar.

“The trash who gave birth to you should be cursed!”

At Randall’s shout, Egru thought with his increasingly darkening consciousness.

‘Did I… Did I really do something so wrong? Is it really my fault?’

Egru recalled the memories from the past party. But even though it wasn’t time to sleep, his amber eyes kept closing. As Randall’s next punch struck, his fading consciousness sank as if cut off.

***

“Why do you keep saying no?”

A faint voice, as if speaking underwater, was heard. As always, it was Randall mentioning Miss Mayfield.

“Is it okay if I spread bad rumors about your lady?”

“N-no, you can’t…”

“Then make sure to come. It’ll be fun.”

The distant, faint voice eventually became clear.

“Here’s the invitation. Don’t lose it, okay?”

As always, Egru stood in the most secluded space at the banquet, fiddling with Randall’s invitation. It was a carelessly scribbled piece of paper, not even placed in an envelope.

‘The day after tomorrow…’

The date was all Egru could read properly. He tried to read the rest of the content haltingly but eventually looked away.

“You don’t need to come pick me up at the Mayfield mansion the day after tomorrow. I have an appointment after finishing early…”

“Well, that’s fine with me. Do as you like.”

When he reported that night, Levian’s response was indifferent. He didn’t relay the message to Miss Mayfield separately. He couldn’t add more burden to someone already troubled by marriage issues.

“Oh, just in case…”

“?”

“Don’t eat things like cake at the party.”

Levian said, tapping his cigar in the ashtray.

“Eating sugar lumps will just make you fat. You’ll die early. You’ve got a short life span anyway, so use it sparingly.”

“Mmm…”

Egru tilted his head for a moment.

‘H-how did he know?’

He hadn’t mentioned going to a party.

The minor question was soon forgotten. Levian always knew a lot.

A few days later, Egru headed to the Randall mansion. He wore the same shabby tailcoat he wore while serving the lady.

“Wow…”

There were two memories from the party. First, the feast looked delicious. It’s just that a demon hybrid wasn’t allowed to touch it.

Egru carefully picked up a glass of water, but put it back down at the sharp glare of another attendee. The servants quickly removed the water glass Egru had touched as if it had been contaminated.

Next, nothing special happened. He just stood blankly in a corner like a piece of furniture. Count Randall, who had actually invited him, was busy talking with other nobles.

‘I-I guess it’s okay to leave now?’

It was when the sharp minute hand had moved over 60 degrees. His stomach growled for the seventh time, and Egru gathered his worn robe. He planned to show his face to Count Randall one last time before leaving.

‘For my first party…’

It was quite an experience. He smelled lots of delicious food, wasn’t particularly picked on, and…

Glance.

Egru quickly lowered his head. Count Randall was still laughing cheerfully.

‘Does he really like me?’

His tiny heart fluttered. Without realizing it, the tips of his pointed ears turned bright red.

In fact, he couldn’t sleep last night. Why would he like such a worthless demon hybrid?

‘If so, I should do well for him too.’

Next time, he would get Levian’s help to write a letter to show his gratitude…

“Good heavens!”

It was then that the second memorable event of the party occurred.

“My pocket watch is gone!”

It was a bolt from the blue. Countless eyes immediately bore down. On the party’s one and only demon hybrid.