Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 19

Calypso, oblivious to Pierre’s inner thoughts, continued her cheerful chatter.

“I’m pretty amazing, right?”

“Not really.”

“Oh, why not? I am amazing! Don’t I take after my father, after all?”

“……”

The child’s cheeks, flushed by the setting sun, glowed even without a smile.

Regardless of Pierre’s reactions, Calypso subtly observed him while saying whatever came to mind.

“Don’t I take after my father?”

Soon, a radiant smile bloomed on her face, mirroring the sunset’s warm hues.

“Daddy’s daughter.”

“……”

“My daddy is super cool. He loves me so, so much.”

*…Just what kind of guy is that dad?*

Instead of voicing the question, Pierre crossed his arms.

“The guy who’s been making a three-year-old work without ever showing his face.”

*Why is it? What is it? This uncomfortable feeling is boiling inside.*

“Did the standards for a cool dad change while I wasn’t looking?”

Calypso then turned to Pierre, who was sitting beside her on the fountain’s edge.

*It was shocking.*

*…You were aware you were exploiting me?!*

But the thought vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a curious gaze like a playful dolphin.

*Oh, what’s this? He’s not telling me to do more? No overtime?*

*Training over? Can I go home now?*

*I need to choose my words carefully here……!*

These days, having discovered that the herring-like maids [a reference to maids who are as common as herring] are incredibly skilled at cooking,

Calypso felt a longing to go home, like an office worker craving the end of the workday.

As Calypso diligently searched for the right words, she stopped thinking altogether.

No, it would be more accurate to say that she couldn’t think of anything else while looking at Pierre, who was silently staring ahead beside her.

It was the golden hour, when the sunset painted the world in warm colors.

But why?

Pierre, sitting next to her, seemed isolated, trapped in shadows.

Was it because he was facing away from the sunset? No, it felt like more than that.

“Master.”

As if sensing her gaze, Pierre slowly turned his head.

“Why do you live alone?”

Calypso didn’t know why, for what reason, Pierre chose this solitary existence.

“Do you like being alone?”

Because it hurts? Because people are annoying? Just because you prefer solitude?

There were many possible reasons, but she didn’t know the answer.

“Is it because you don’t like having a lot of people around?”

“Well. It’s certainly easier when there are no annoying folks around.”

“So that’s not the whole reason?”

Pierre’s eyes flicked towards Calypso.

“The more I see you, the more I realize your intelligence isn’t lacking.”

“Of course. How amazing am I? You should have known that from the moment I started speaking so clearly. Do you think there’s anyone who can talk as well as I do? Whose disciple am I, after all?”

“……You’re not talking about your dad, which you usually do every time you open your mouth.”

“Well, you’re the one who taught me, Master.”

Calypso thought she saw the corner of Pierre’s mouth twitch for a brief moment, hidden in the shadows.

However, it disappeared before Calypso could be sure.

Calypso, about to smile along, asked.

“So why won’t you tell me the reason? You don’t seem to have any intention of living.”

“That might not be wrong.”

Calypso’s eyes widened.

“You want to die?”

“Maybe?”

She had always sensed a listlessness about him, as if he were living in another world, detached from everything.

But she never imagined he would so casually confess that he had ‘no will to live’.

“You don’t want to live.”

“I guess so.”

Pierre replied without emotion.

At the same time, he was wondering when this little tyke would drop the honorifics.

It was too quiet next to her.

When he shifted his gaze, Calypso was glaring at him, huffing and puffing.

*Some of us have lived through hell!*

It was a face he had never seen before.

“You…….”

Before Pierre could say anything, a small hand flew at him.

Smack!

Calypso slapped Pierre on the back and then glared without a hint of fear or worry about the consequences.

“How can you talk about dying so easily!”

Calypso had a very strong attachment to life.

That’s because, despite having experienced death three times, she had not resigned herself or weakened. Instead, her will to live only grew stronger with each life.

*What’s with you saying this in front of a poor regressor [someone who has been reborn or traveled back in time]?!*

*Don’t you know that the time you threw away is the future the regressor wanted? Huh?*

Her anger towards her father blazed blue.

“Don’t say things like that in front of a vibrant three-year-old, okay? Master? Are you crazy?”

“……Why doesn’t your father say such things?”

“Of course not. My daddy taught me that life is the most precious thing!”

Calypso’s hand didn’t really hurt, and he could have stopped her if he wanted to, or even easily lifted and thrown that small body away.

Pierre was also a member of the brutal orcas [referring to a powerful family or group].

Yes, it wasn’t difficult.

……But instead of throwing her away, Pierre chose to watch Calypso.

“This won’t do.”

“What won’t?”

“You’re living your life too listlessly.”

“I wouldn’t want to acknowledge someone as listless as you as my son!”

Those were exactly the words his mother, the head of the family, Ocula Aquasidel, had said.

“Let’s do this.”

Blue eyes sparkled with the same light as the sunset.

“Why did the honorifics suddenly change?”

“How can I not when you’re acting like a grandpa in front of a vibrant three-year-old?”

*Don’t you know that even grandpas make life plans these days in this era of 100-year lifespans?*

“Master. You need to learn the beauty of life.”

“……What?”

*I pity you for not knowing the beauty of life!*

“Until now, you’ve taught me the power of water, right?”

“And?”

“Let’s be business partners! In return, I’ll teach you how enjoyable life is.”

“……Your vocabulary is unpredictable.”

If it’s not okay for a grown adult to talk about dying or being listless in front of a three-year-old, then isn’t it also not okay for a three-year-old to lecture a grown adult about how beautiful life is?

Pierre’s question was valid, but he didn’t bother to voice it.

“Master, do you eat regularly?”

This was the first time in his life that anyone had asked him such a question.

“Master, are you listening? I’m asking if you eat.”

Calypso, whose patience had run out during his moment of speechlessness due to the absurdity, urged him for an answer.

“When I feel like it.”

“You don’t know how important meals are.”

What could this young, audacious, and absurd being be trying to say?

“Look at this. Look at this. What kind of adult can’t even eat alone? Can’t even prepare their own meals? Are you a child?”

Because he possessed such immense power, he didn’t need to eat often.

Even if there wasn’t a resident attendant, there was an attendant who brought him every meal.

Pierre could have answered all of this, but instead of opening his mouth, he chose to watch Calypso chatter away again.

“Laundry, cleaning, tidying up.”

From what he knew, only a handful of direct descendants living in this castle prepared their own meals.

No, to be precise, only a handful of direct descendants ate every meal.

He didn’t bother to say this out loud because.

“Are you going to call being spoon-fed training now too?”

It wasn’t bad to watch this little orca, who was busy chattering away, misunderstanding something on her own.

The more this happened, the stronger Pierre’s curiosity grew.

“Um, I don’t know if Pierre-nim [a respectful suffix in this context] is aware…….”

He was simply trying to seclude himself here to be comfortable, but it wasn’t as if all his ears were closed.

There were so many forces that wanted to reach out to Pierre, who was quietly staying here.

And the efforts to win his favor were still ongoing.

“These days, Pierre-nim’s daughter is going around saying that she is very loved by Pierre-nim, hahaha! It must be a false rumor, right?”

Of course, the fact that Calypso was spreading absurd rumors had also reached his ears.

Even though he hadn’t intended to find out.

The person who doesn’t pay attention to anyone, the one with the strongest power besides the head of the family.

It was said that he only cared about his daughter.

*What benefits are you trying to gain by forming such rumors?*

“……”

Why doesn’t she ever make a mistake with her honorifics, even in situations like this?

*An unnecessarily thorough little brat.*

At the same time as a displeased feeling surged, Pierre wondered what this little brat wanted with these rumors.

He wanted to leave her be.

He was curious to see what kind of excuse she would make when she was caught.