Home/I Am the Youngest Granddaughter of the Monster Duke Family/ch 3

Chapter 3.

The Concept of a Monster Family Living Among Humans

Intrigued, I kept flipping through the pages until I came across a short book related to Luceman.

According to that book, all Perfect Forms were top-tier monsters, and every single one of them had performed great deeds and was revered as a hero.

One illustration showed a dragon spreading its massive wings, roaring magnificently.

Looking at it, I dreamed of becoming a dragon—but I never imagined myself, a slime, roaring in front of anyone.

“The Perfect One was born after a full hundred years, so perhaps in twenty years... Ah... no, in fifty years, you might stand shoulder to shoulder with the dukes. ...Perhaps.”

‘Are you being serious right now, Irin?’

I steadied my trembling breath, glanced at Irin, then turned my head toward the stone statue.

The very statue that had drawn gasps of awe from me moments ago now felt unbearably oppressive.

I had simply been born as a slime, just as in my previous life—yet now I was supposedly the Perfect One, born once in a century.

Somehow, I had a feeling I had been terribly mistaken in my birth.

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One month out of the four seasons in a year—that was all the warmth the snowy plain received.

Because cliffs dotted the landscape everywhere, eagles were rarely seen—yet one was now speeding across the plain.

The eagle did not slow down even amid the endlessly blowing snowstorm. It then darted swiftly into a large cave at the peak of the snowy plain.

Upon landing, the eagle folded its wings and bowed its head.

Having shown submission to the King of Lesser Creatures, it reported what it had seen and heard.

“Hmph. So the Perfect One has been born.”

A powerful voice, as if the entire snowy plain were resonating, shook the cave.

Deep within the largest cavern of the plain, the King of Lesser Creatures, who had been in a deep slumber, began to awaken.

“Thirty years since I last visited the human world—not bad. It is about time I woke from my sleep.”

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‘I need information.’

That was the conclusion I reached after a long time of deliberation.

I did not know much.

Especially about Luceman—the book had been too difficult, and I had given up halfway, so I knew even less.

At any rate, what I could do now was achieve humanization.

Though I was still a slime, having been born as the Perfect One meant humanization was now possible—but I had no idea how.

Irin could usually read my intentions to some extent, but that was limited to simple “yes/no” answers.

No matter how much I tried to convey it, she could not understand that I wanted to learn how to humanize.

Irin often spoke to me as if talking to herself, but no matter how closely I listened, her words were hardly ever of any real help.

I was half-listening to her, letting her words go in one ear and out the other, lost in thought, when—

“The ducal mansion is enormous. You could walk all day and still not see everything. The biggest place of all is the archive, where six hundred years’ worth of records are kept. No one may enter except for Luceman’s direct bloodline or the ‘Chosen Ones.’”

‘That’s it!’

In that instant, it struck me like a bolt of lightning.

If the archive held six hundred years of Luceman history, surely it must contain the method for humanization as well.

Since the archive was said to be immense, stamina would be crucial. So I drank honey water until I was nearly sick, then went to bed early.

Fortunately, Irin left the room once I had fallen asleep.

I woke before dawn and tumbled out of bed.

‘Was the doorknob always this high?’

The first obstacle was none other than the doorknob.

From Irin’s palm or shoulder, it had always looked low—but now, looking up from below, it was far above me.

‘...I knew this might happen, so I prepared another way!’

I definitely did not just come up with that on the spot.

I turned around and struggled up the rumpled blanket that had slipped to the floor.

The bed was against the wall, and a little way off stood a window.

Confirming it was half-open, I backed up.

‘Hup!’

I ran as fast as I could, using the bed as a springboard just before I hit it—leaping with all my might.

But I must have jumped too hard; I couldn’t control my momentum and rolled straight out the window.

“Kuuu!”

‘Ow ow, my butt.’

Fortunately, there was a small flowerbed just below, and I landed on the grass, so I was not hurt. I patted the grass that had saved my rear in gratitude.

Rubbing my throbbing bottom, I got to my feet.

‘So... that over there is the main building?’

It was not hard to identify. Just as Irin had said, it was absurdly huge.

‘Surely the sun won’t rise before I get there?’

It was dauntingly far, but there was no turning back—I had no way to return to my room.

I aimed carefully and began hopping along with all my might.

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Stopping now and then to drink honey water from the flowerbeds and regain my strength, I finally reached the main building.

The door happened to be open, so I did not have to worry about the doorknob.

Inside, it was even more spacious than it had appeared from outside.

‘Do giants live in this building or something?’

It was so vast and lofty that the thought crossed my mind.

I hesitated, then moved to step forward—but stopped.

‘...But where is the archive?’

Irin had not told me that.

I had entered the main building, but with no idea where the archive was, I stood there blankly. I had naively assumed I would find it just by heading to the main building.

‘First, let’s go up.’

As soon as I entered, I headed for the staircase I saw.

‘Wouldn’t the most important place be at the very top?’

I had always kept the most important things at the top of the tree. Humans couldn’t be that different, could they?

Thinking that, I ran up with determination—until something caught my eye.

‘That doorknob is gold?’

Drawn as if enchanted by the golden handle gleaming even in the darkness, I approached.

‘But the archive comes first.’

I snapped out of it, clicked my tongue, and turned to leave—when suddenly—

“Patriarch!”

Startled by the sudden shout, I instinctively slipped into the half-open gap of the door.

Before I could do anything else, the door was thrown open roughly.

“You’re saying you won’t give the succession to Lord Lars? What do you mean by that?”

“If that brat doesn’t want it, am I supposed to force him to sit on the seat?”

“Patriarch!”

“Stop shouting! I’m not deaf!”

“Lord Lars is already away on an expedition. It will do us no good if rumors spread further. You know that well.”

“I don’t know. He’s your charge—so go tell him yourself!”

The man who had opened the door abruptly turned his head.

And our eyes met.

‘Oh no.’

I was so shocked I even forgot to breathe.

For a few long seconds, we stared at each other—then the other man stepped closer.

“Patriarch, please reconsider—...a slime?”

‘...Run!’

I acted on my first thought. I rolled swiftly toward the two humans.

As I slipped between their legs, I saw them staring at me, bewildered.

‘Good—now if I just get down the stairs—!’

“Kuuu!”

But contrary to my hopes, I was lifted off the ground.

The one who caught me was the elderly man who had first met my gaze.

“Patriarch! If you squeeze that hard, the slime will burst!”

‘Even a slime isn’t that fragile!’

—I wanted to shout, but his grip was so strong I actually feared I might really burst.

Still, at those words, the pressure around my body lessened, and I could breathe a little easier.

But before I could steady my breath, a face appeared right in front of me.

“A pink slime with golden eyes...”

The old man narrowed his wrinkled eyes and scrutinized me thoroughly, then suddenly furrowed his brow.

In his pupils, I could see a trembling pink lump—none other than myself.

“Where have I seen you before...?”

“Ah, the Perfect One! Isn’t that the Perfect One, Patriarch?”

‘Gasp—I’ve been found out!’

I had no idea what these two would do next.

Panicking, I looked around frantically and spotted an open window.

“Now that you mention it, there was a Perfect One.”

Now’s my chance! Taking advantage of their distraction, I drew in a sharp breath.

That created a gap, and I slipped down, then carefully stepped on the objects I had already noted and leaped out the window.

As I soared through the air, I felt relieved.

‘Phew—did I make it?’

“Patriarch!”

‘Patriarch?’

At the anxious cry from behind, I turned my head—and my eyes went wide.

Behind me, a gargoyle’s massive wings were spread wide.

Silhouetted against the moonlight, those wings flapped grandly as they closed in on me swiftly.

Upon seeing that sight, I fainted on the spot.

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