Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 144

144

“What’s with him?”

I blinked. Atlan was looking at me desperately, even now.

It was unexpected.

I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d just tossed it to me, asking why I was making a fuss…

Ah, is he acting like this because he’s worried I’ll blame him?

Levi was in the carriage, not just the second child, so what’s with the suspicion?

I blurted out my thoughts cheerfully.

“Wow, cute.”

“Is, is this the time to be saying that!”

I tilted my head.

“Why? It’s cute. Cute is cute.”

“Huh? Look properly. It’s all shriveled up.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s ten thousand times cuter than you.”

“That’s… !”

The playful conversation stopped for a moment, and I stared intently at the baby squirrel.

“It didn’t wake up even while you were bringing it?”

“Huh? Uh, uh.”

To not wake up even after being shaken like this. Is it deeply asleep, or is there another problem?

Actually, I thought I would meet the original heroine again someday, but.

I never expected to see her so quickly in a place that wasn’t even the Black Panther family.

Knowing that it would be difficult to have a good meeting in the corner of my mind, I still wanted to meet her in the best way possible, even if just a little…

‘I didn’t want to see her like this.’

Doesn’t she look like she’s been through a lot of hardship, no matter how I look at it?

‘What could anyone possibly find to torment in this tiny thing?’

I frowned.

“Seeing that it didn’t wake up even though you brought it so roughly, there must be something seriously wrong.”

“What do you mean I brought it roughly…”

“Well, at least you did a good job wrapping it in cloth.”

Atlan grumbled.

Actually, seeing him holding the baby squirrel so carefully and awkwardly with his big hands made me laugh again.

“Wow, but it suits you well?”

“I know you’re teasing me.”

It was then. Dad approached from the side. He must have come over because it was noisy.

I briefly explained the situation to Dad and showed him the baby squirrel.

“Dad, have you ever seen a Suin [a person with animalistic features or the ability to transform] who has completely transformed like this?”

“No. Ah, if there is one, it would be the current Emperor.”

“Right? It’s usually known that only the Imperial Family can fully transform…”

The official setting is that only the Imperial Family can fully transform.

In the novel, the Black Panther brothers also turned into animals, so the heroine would say, ‘Come back, brothers!’ and turn them back into their human forms.

I also saw my fiancé, the eldest of the Black Panther siblings, turn into a black panther.

“Don’t come too close. It smells.”

“Tsk.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Just, an unpleasant thought came to mind for a moment.”

I shook my head and carefully held the baby squirrel that I received from Atlan.

“Would it like a warm place?”

Baby animals need to maintain their body temperature. It was when I approached the bonfire.

“I’ll hold it.”

I stared at Dad at those words. Looking at his face flickering in the fire, I suddenly felt playful.

“No. Dad, don’t hold it.”

“…?”

“Because it looks like it’ll be jealous if Dad holds it?”

Only after speaking did I realize it was a joke I used to make with ‘Dad’ back on Earth.

In that moment of pause, a small laugh leaked out.

“Okay. I won’t.”

Dad was smiling comfortably.

“Then, does that mean I only have to hold my one and only daughter for the rest of my life?”

“…Stop when I become an adult.”

“That’s a shame.”

Dad stared at me intently and muttered while looking at the bonfire.

“It’s the first time I’ve felt… sad that time is passing.”

I’ve heard similar words on Earth.

…Are parents’ feelings the same in every world?

The moment I was about to fall into sentimentality.

“Hey, what about me then?”

Atlan complained.

He didn’t say anything when he was holding it, but rather told me to hold it. Was I not important?

I answered nonchalantly.

“Not really you?”

“What?!”

Even with all this noise, the baby squirrel didn’t wake up in the end.

“Hey, then what are we going to do with this?”

“What else can we do…”

Not far away, Whale and Levi were sitting side by side, eating.

Eckion would be sleeping soundly in the carriage.

I looked at the boys one by one and made up my mind.

“We’ll just have to take care of it, what else can we do.”

“Huh. We’re leaving again tomorrow? Then are we taking it with us too?”

“Then should we just abandon it on the street?”

Atlan flinched but couldn’t answer.

It wasn’t because he pitied or sympathized with the child, or because he couldn’t do it due to his personality.

It was because of the energy he felt from me.

“I don’t abandon those who are weak and need protection.”

Because I don’t want to become the same as them.

“Especially those who catch my eye.”

Atlan quietly turned his head, as if he understood the omitted words.

‘Of course, I know I can’t help all the Suins.’

But if I don’t save the weak who appear before my eyes, how am I different from those who abandoned me?

Of course, it’s still a mystery why the heroine was able to fully transform, when only the male lead, the Crown Prince, and the Black Panther Suins were able to.

I haven’t heard anything about this setting.

There was no way that what I did would affect the land where the Imperial Family was located.

What went wrong from where?

I felt a small anxiety.

‘Could something be happening in the City of Dragons?’

I looked at the carriage where Eckion was sleeping.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just wondering if it’s right to take him to the City of Dragons.”

It was something I had been worried about from the beginning.

I brought Eckion because he didn’t want to be separated from me, but.

If something is happening in the City of Dragons.

‘What if they already found out that Eckion disappeared?’

Taking Eckion would be the worst choice.

“Well, sending that doggy or dragon-y guy back doesn’t seem like a good choice.”

“…How dare you compare him to a land animal? Apologize, you bastard.”

“…Is that important? Ah, I get it. I get it. I’m sorry. Okay?”

“Okay. Keep talking.”

“Ahem, anyway, it’s not a good choice. Think about it. Let’s say you send him back and he safely goes to Pierre-nim’s residence. Then what? Who’s going to manage him?”

“…”

“What if he goes wild when you’re not there? Can you be sure that the same thing that happened in front of the basement won’t happen again?”

“…”

He was right.

“Besides, with Pierre-nim here, who’s going to handle him? Grandma, maybe?”

I didn’t see what Eckion was like in front of the basement, but Atlan explained it in detail.

If Eckion can unleash the power of the dragon, as the second child said.

‘If Grandma sees it, she’ll definitely find out.’

“What do you think will happen if the head of the family finds out?”

“It’s over.”

When I answered firmly, the second child nodded with a stiff face.

Certainly, Agenor remains in Aquasidel, but it’s not enough.

“Okay. I understand.”

Once I came to the conclusion that I had no choice but to take him, I felt relieved.

“Let’s just eat and sleep comfortably.”

Dad added as if to wrap things up.

“The City of Dragons isn’t far away.”

* * *

The next morning.

“Ugh…”

Why is it so noisy? As I stretched in the carriage, I was briefly surprised by the clear eyes.

“Ah, Eckion? Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.”

“You slept soundly from early evening yesterday? Oh, Dad must have gone out.”

Only Eckion and I were in the carriage. It seemed like early morning…

The outside was very noisy.

When I put on my coat and went outside, I was faced with a chaotic situation.

‘What is it?’

I approached Levi, who was closest to me.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, Princess… Did you sleep well? Well…”

Levi answered with a troubled expression, adjusting his glasses.

“The squirrel has disappeared.”

“…What?”

I was startled.

“Did it wake up?”

“It seems so. It seems it disappeared this morning. Several knights saw the squirrel running out.”

At first, they didn’t think much of it, but the knights who were surprised by Atlan’s appearance soon began searching for the original heroine in a hurry.

“So where did it go?”

“Well, it seems it went that way. Atlan-nim is already following… Oh, Princess? Princess!”

What Levi pointed to was a small forest with dense bushes.

Without thinking, I quickly ran in.

‘She was quite nimble even when she was a Suin!’

How fast would she be if she was a complete animal?

If this was a city she knew well or the Black Panther family, it wouldn’t matter where she went.

This place was either a wasteland or a wild forest.

‘Ugh, I wish I could use the power of water…’

I stopped running and tried to sense her presence. It wasn’t easy to find her because there were wild animals everywhere.

“Is it over there?”

I ran unconditionally in one direction. Atlan had already chased after her, so he might have found her first.

I had a strong feeling that she would be in this direction.

And when I just came out of the forest.

“Ah…”

A vast field was spread out.

Flowers suitable for the season were in full bloom on the field.

I saw a small child sitting slumped there, trembling.

Her soft-looking ears and hair fluttered in the wind.

The child’s big eyes widened as soon as she saw me.

Her eyes were full of tears.

“…Unnie [Korean term for older sister]?”