Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 77

77

Inside the room, I saw Dad sitting comfortably, wearing a gown.

“Master, you changed your clothes?”

“The formal attire was a bit uncomfortable.”

“That’s true.”

Before going to the dining hall, we all changed our clothes.

But in my case, I was moving around in the dining hall, so I was a mess and hadn’t changed yet.

“If I had known this would happen, I would have changed too.”

It was a bit late, but I was a little bothered, so I patted my clothes, and then my body floated up.

I didn’t have to walk; I just let the water stream carry me and flew to the seat right next to Master.

“It’s not bad, so you can stay like that.”

“Really? Thanks, Master. I am a bit cute and pretty, aren’t I.”

“…….”

I’m so used to Dad’s silence that I don’t even care anymore.

Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk about this, so let’s get to the point…….

“That’s right.”

“Huh?”

“After going to the family meeting for the first time in a while, I realized. You’re the prettiest.”

I don’t know why, but hearing this from someone who would never say such a thing, even if the world split in two, feels strange.

“……I know I’m pretty and cute.”

“Why do you have that expression when you know?”

“Because I didn’t think I’d ever hear that from Master?”

Then Dad smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly.

“They say a father dotes on his daughter. So it’s not strange, right.”

“…….”

“Did you come to my room for something?”

“The way you say that makes it sound like I only come when I have a reason.”

“That’s not wrong, though.”

“…….”

I brushed it off playfully, but I still felt strange.

Especially considering what I came here to talk about.

“……Master, you’re so diligent. To be honest, I’m surprised you’re trying to be such a diligent dad. Is it because a promise is a promise?”

“That’s part of it. Well, I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I mean I wanted to do it.”

Dad answered nonchalantly.

“I’ve only seen it briefly, but you don’t do things you hate, even if someone forces you to. Isn’t that right?”

“……That’s right.”

“I’m the same. I’ve never been forced to do anything I didn’t want to do in my life.”

Who could force someone as strong as the head of the family?

Even Grandma spares him from death and overlooks his arrogance and rudeness.

“Yeah, to put it simply, it’s a little enjoyable.”

“…….”

“I’m enjoying it. Calypso.”

A large hand landed on my head.

As I felt the hand slowly stroking my hair, the strange emotions I swallowed grew even larger.

I wish you wouldn’t make me feel these emotions or get attached to me.

Because what I’m here to talk about is about that.

“……Couldn’t you feel that enjoyment with Agenor too?”

“If the third child were as strong as you, had the same personality as you, and the same soul as you, it would be possible.”

“……What, are you just saying you can’t do it without me in a long-winded way? And if you’re talking about strength, Velus is stronger than me.”

“That guy won’t do.”

Dad said, crossing his legs and leaning his temple on his hand.

“He’s too much like me.”

“Really?”

I glanced at Dad cautiously and said carefully.

“Sometimes, people who are similar get along well, right?”

“There are definitely cases like that, but I think there’s a high possibility that he and I would end up hating each other.”

That was a pretty sharp point.

In fact, Velus seemed to see Dad as someone he had to defeat.

Watching from the side, I realized that Dad seemed to notice or know many things while pretending not to see.

“Um, you know. Master, you must have gone to many places when you were younger, right?”

“I have been to some places, but mostly within the territory of aquatic animals, and I have hardly ever left there.”

He said attending the Dragon Festival was also his first time.

No wonder none of the land animals in the dining hall recognized Dad.

If they had ever encountered him even once, they would never have said such things to Pierre Aquasiadel.

“I was so surprised when I first entered this city because it was so different from the Orca territory. There are no buildings this tall except for our mansion. And even the mansion isn’t this tall.”

“That’s true. By the way, you liked high places?”

I nodded and glanced sideways.

“Yeah. But the land animals were all awful.”

“Come to think of it, you must be experiencing the hatred and discrimination of those guys for the first time.”

No, it’s not like that. I’ve heard those words countless times.

But I can’t reveal it openly, so officially, it’s the first time in this life.

“Whose words bothered you the most?”

“Huh?”

“The more certain the example, the less talk there will be.”

“No, the black bear from earlier was enough. I stepped in myself, too.”

I tugged at Dad’s sleeve.

It’s strange. I should be getting to the point soon, but I’m just going around in circles.

But it has to end at just being strange.

‘I’m going back.’

I made up my mind and raised my head.

“Master, I think this city is so wonderful. So, what do you think about going back alone when we return?”

“What?”

I thought he would definitely look at me as if I were saying something absurd and remain silent, or nonchalantly reply, ‘If that’s what you want, I will?’

Like usual. Just like always.

“……Does that mean you want to live here with me?”

“Uh, uh?”

I didn’t expect an immediate answer, and I certainly didn’t expect this kind of answer.

“I just found out today that you like high places, but I didn’t know you liked them this much. If you live here, is there anything else you want to do?”

“No, that’s…….”

“Usually, cities like this need a lot of powerful Suin [animal-human hybrids]. Since the city is big, there will be a need for escorts between villages, and personal escorts or mercenaries wouldn’t be bad.”

Wait, how far is this going?

More than that, you, who have power close to that of the Orca family head, are just going to be an escort or do mercenary work here?

I forgot what I was going to say and blinked.

“Um, Master. Are you saying that you’re going to do that, not that you want me to work?”

“I’m not going to ignore your skills, but I don’t think there are any families or merchants in this city who would entrust an escort or mercenary job to a three-year-old.”

“……I appreciate you suddenly caring about my age, but that’s not the point, is it?”

I grabbed Dad’s clothes tightly, wrinkling them.

“Are you saying you’re going to live here with me?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to live here?”

“No, I didn’t mean…….”

“If not, you can’t possibly be telling me to leave you here and go back alone.”

“…….”

I couldn’t say anything.

Because I was so surprised by the explosively flowing aura and killing intent that I was speechless.

“……This is Dad’s real power, approaching Grandma’s.”

The reason I was trembling wasn’t just because of fear.

The bewilderment that I didn’t feel the same competitive spirit from Dad that I felt from Grandma.

The relief that Dad wasn’t giving up on me easily, ……relief?

Confusion surged like a wave.

“You seem to be taking my words too lightly.”

“…….”

“You told me to be a father to you.”

“Master, I.”

“But where are you telling me to go, leaving you behind? You may have come easily and said it lightly.”

“…….”

“I’ll say it again, I don’t do things I don’t want to do. So I have no intention of going back alone.”

Looking into his fiercely shining blue eyes only made the confusion grow.

I held my breath slightly.

“From now on, all you have to do is be protected by me, be trained by me, and become the adult you want to be. I have no intention of forcing anything else, but in order for all of this to happen, we must be together.”

“…….”

I felt embarrassed first.

The problem was that I didn’t dislike that embarrassment.

In the end, the promise Dad made wouldn’t be kept.

I had no intention of becoming an adult here.

‘I’m going to talk to the Dragon Duke somehow, find a way, and go back.’

I don’t hate or dislike you for being nice to me now, and I’m even grateful.

But still.

I miss my world so much.

It seems too late to expect and rely on it now.

‘Those 60 years were too painful for me.’

Bbeokkeum, bbeokkeum, the words I wanted to say never came out of my mouth.