Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 42

Turning my head, I saw Dad staring at me.

“Tea—, I mean, what’s okay?”

I almost called him Teacher without realizing it, then quickly corrected myself.

Right now, I was supposed to be a daughter with a good relationship with her dad. Madly in love, too, apparently?

“Everything you’re thinking.”

“……”

…He talks like he knows exactly what I’m thinking.

Dad crossed his arms and tilted his head casually.

“And there’s no need to force yourself to speak formally.”

A small voice, as if only I could hear.

“When you’re not used to it.”

“Ugh.”

I flinched.

‘…Is he telling me to drop the honorifics if I’m going to force them?’

I nodded cheerfully.

This isn’t for me; it’s something Daddy wants, so I’m indulging him.

“Good.”

Anyway, now that the aide had spoken, we had no choice but to move.

But moving meant… being carried in Dad’s arms.

Why, though?

Agenor was next to Dad, and Baiyan and his gang were in front of Dad, with the Chairman following behind.

‘Wow, blatant stares.’

I could feel it even just being held.

Everyone was glancing at Dad as if they weren’t, or staring openly.

‘He’s totally a celebrity.’

I subtly wrapped my arms around Dad’s neck, snuggled close to his chest, and whispered.

“Tea—, I mean, Dad. Can’t I just walk on my own two feet?”

“At what pace would you arrive with those legs?”

“What’s wrong with my legs?”

“I’ll put you down if you plan to arrive after the meeting ends.”

“……”

He leaves me speechless.

Besides, the voice lowered to a whisper, only for me to hear, was so indifferent and prickly.

How nice would it be if he spoke kindly? It’s a talent, a talent.

‘Well, it’s good for me if rumors spread like this.’

Let’s see what I can gain. I slightly raised my head.

I could see a jawline that seemed a bit gaunt, like a blade.

‘But what about Dad?’

What can he gain from this?

It was a question I couldn’t ask in this place.

Too many eyes were on us to have a long, heartfelt conversation, short exchanges aside.

“Agenor.”

“Huh?”

Agenor, who was walking, turned his head as if he had been waiting.

“Have you ever been to the Hall of Azure we’re going to now?”

Rather than Dad, whom I couldn’t read, the third brother, who showed his obsession to a burdensome degree, was better.

I had already been to the Hall of Azure, but I pretended not to know.

This was my first time in this life.

“Yeah. It’s held there every time.”

Agenor explained.

Usually, family meetings rotate between the three largest halls in this mansion, but they generally use the Hall of Azure.

“Each person has an assigned seat. When you first enter, an aide will guide you. Well, Tea—, I mean, Father is with you, so I’m not sure.”

Agenor glanced at Pierre once and rolled his eyes.

Right. You’re confused too, trying to switch from Teacher to Father, aren’t you?

The story that followed was also something I knew well, but I nodded as if I were hearing it for the first time.

‘Come to think of it… After I became the head of the family, I didn’t use the Hall of Azure at all, did I?’

There was no other reason; I didn’t use it simply because it was the hall my grandmother cherished most, and I hated that.

In the previous iterations, until I became the head of the family, I was filled with hatred and resentment towards my grandmother.

So, it was like entering a building I hadn’t visited much either.

Soon, we all arrived at the Hall of Azure together.

Baiyan and his gang, who had been walking ahead, naturally stepped aside when they reached the door, making way for Dad to enter first.

I frowned in Dad’s arms.

‘What is that guy doing?’

Dad nonchalantly passed by and stood in front of the door.

I also paid no attention and stared at the door.

‘I’ve arrived again.’

The Hall of Azure had two meanings.

One was that, as the name suggested, the door was azure blue, and inside was a hall with marble waves carved into it.

And the other meaning was the Hall of ‘Azure’ [a deep, vibrant blue color].

It literally meant a place where upheavals occur.

‘It’s named that because every upheaval in the history of the Orca family has occurred here.’

The moment the door opened and we entered the massive hall.

I felt a gaze that was on a different level from what I had felt in the disciplinary committee.

‘I get to see this again.’

It was an enormous number.

Held in Dad’s arms, I was busy looking around the hall.

It was truly packed with people.

The hair colors were also diverse and vibrant.

Well, vassals and distant relatives would all be gathered.

‘The scenery the head of the family sees every time.’

This place was shaped like a fan, similar to a national assembly hall, but with a tiered structure.

The higher up you go, the farther you are from the center, so naturally, those with less power sit there.

At the center of the fan, like in the disciplinary committee room, was the chairman’s seat.

The seat of the head of the family.

The dignified figure of the head of the family sitting on the throne was visible.

It was my grandmother, Ocula Aquasidel.

“Oh, who is this?”

My grandmother wore a languid expression, but upon our appearance, she squinted one eye.

At the same time, she slightly raised the corner of her lips.

“Isn’t that the son I thought was dead?”

At the sharp voice, Dad paused for a moment.

Then, holding me, he slowly bowed.

In a way, it was polite, but in another way, it was an ambiguous attitude, as if he was only showing the bare minimum of courtesy.

“I greet the head of the family.”

“Since you’re speaking, you don’t seem to be a ghost.”

“……”

“Aren’t you dead yet? Why don’t you go somewhere and croak?”

Even though it was just a casual remark, it was filled with an undeniable force.

‘This mother-son relationship is quite fierce.’

Well, I knew very well that my grandmother didn’t like Dad being stuck in the west.

“Oh, I still shudder when I think about it. Whenever Pierre and the former head of the family met, it was just….”

“Indeed. I remember.”

Even after Dad died and Grandma died, her subordinates would talk about it from time to time.

While I was wondering what to do, I met Grandma’s eyes.

For a moment, I tensed up, but Grandma’s gaze passed right over me and turned to those entering behind me.

“I greet the head of the family.”

Baiyan, receiving the gaze, bowed respectfully.

Ha, he looked completely different from when he was picking a fight with me, so I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘So that’s why that guy pretended to yield the order of entry when he reached the door. He didn’t want to be the first to get an earful from Grandma, huh?’

You can’t become the head of the family with such a lack of guts even in a place like this.

I was mentally chewing him out when, for some reason.

Grandma didn’t even glance at Baiyan; instead, she turned her sharp gaze back to me.

“Oh, you’re familiar too. I didn’t know that rice cake was still alive.”

I accepted it nonchalantly.

‘She must have heard all the news about me already. What is she even saying.’

There’s no way I’d die so easily.

I’m going to watch you die in agony before I leave this family.

Hiding my true feelings, I smiled brightly.

“Grandma!”

“……”

“Hello.”

Held in Dad’s arms, I put my hand on my belly button and greeted her [a traditional gesture of respect].

Then, I smiled at Grandma.

“You look younger than the last time I saw you, Grandma!”

Grandma chuckled as she looked at me.

Only her eyes were still sharp.

“You’ve learned to flatter at such a young age.”

I didn’t erase my smile, keeping it bright.

Is that her getting angry?

No, the grandma I know.

“You’re better than your stiff-as-a-board father.”

She likes sassy ones.

I narrowed my eyes.

Then, pretending to snuggle into Dad’s arms, I quickly whispered.

“Dad, did you see? Grandma really likes flattery, so learn from me.”

“……”

* * *

Pierre looked at his daughter with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

Calypso didn’t erase her smile even while whispering like a machine gun.

“It’s okay, if you don’t know, just memorize it……!!”

His gaze was almost one of ‘what is this all about.’

He couldn’t possibly not know, but he could sense that Calypso was subtly pretending not to know.

What was she even saying?

If he had seen the head of the family, Ocula Aquasidel, wouldn’t Pierre have seen and known her more?

“……Ha.”

Calypso was a little surprised.

When she looked up at the sound of the wind, Pierre was smiling faintly.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen him smile before, but she couldn’t help but be surprised by the unguarded smile.

Daddy, you can smile like that too?

And there were those who watched Pierre’s small smile from nearby.

The surrounding distant relatives and vassals either held their breath or were startled.

“Did you see that? Pierre smiled…….”

“I didn’t see it wrong, did I? Right?”

This was also witnessed by the head of the family, Ocula, who had been leisurely watching, and her snow-white eyebrows slightly arched upwards.

As people secretly paid attention to the Pierre’s father and daughter, sounds that Calypso couldn’t yet hear were caught in Pierre’s keen ears.