Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 92

92.

“……You came?”

The attack was a complete failure.

Not a single one of the attackers survived.

It must have been a painful mistake for the First Brother, Lodesen, who sent his own elite troops.

It was such a hasty and desperate attack.

If he had planned a scheme like when he lured Calypso into the forest alone, the odds of success might have increased.

But the opponent was Pierre, who was fully prepared.

It was unfortunate for the assassins, but even if they had prepared perfectly, the difference in their chances of winning would have been a negligible increase from 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent.

The knights, as if they had been waiting, began to clean up the corpse-filled field.

Fortunately, as before, the battle took place not far from the forest, so they planned to gather all the bodies and bury them there.

“They are definitely stronger than the last ones, but they are disorganized.”

“…….”

“Judging from their lack of cooperation, I suspect Uncle’s forces were also involved.”

Pierre had a similar thought.

Lodesen and Sortte were similar in this regard, so there was a high possibility that the two brothers had joined forces to keep his daughter in check.

But in the end, he won, so it didn’t matter.

With the battle over, Pierre opened the carriage door and was met by Calypso, who looked drained.

Calypso’s face, as she asked if he had come, looked strange.

Pierre hesitated and touched his own face.

He had shown no mercy in his actions, fueled by the anger from the previous attack.

Even though he could have cleaned up neatly using the power of water, he had moved himself.

Pierre paused as he wiped the blood from his cheek.

…Was Calypso the kind of child who would be gloomy or scared just by seeing blood?

‘No.’

Pierre stared at his daughter, still covered in blood.

‘Indeed, something is different.’

Calypso’s face looked dark.

Moreover, for some reason, the Dragon Duke, who had been awake when they left the carriage, was leaning on Calypso, fast asleep.

The Dragon Duke had never taken a nap during the several days of travel.

He didn’t seem to sleep long even at night, as Pierre could often sense his presence.

“Did an assassin come all the way here?”

“No? That can’t be. Master is protecting me; how could that be possible?”

It was a very Calypso-like thing to say, but the sense of unease still lingered.

However, no matter where he looked, nothing inside the carriage had changed from the moment he had left.

“What’s wrong?”

“Um, what do you mean, what’s wrong?”

“…….”

Even when asked directly, he received no answer.

That’s how a day flew by.

As night passed and morning dawned, Calypso and the Dragon Duke boarded the carriage again.

A nonchalant face, an attitude no different from usual.

Only a child with a clearly disheveled face was there.

She hadn’t been crying.

She was just pressing her lips tightly, but it was clear that something was wrong.

‘…Is she crying?’

Pierre paused.

…Come to think of it, he had never seen Calypso cry.

A three-year-old child had never cried in any situation.

Was this normal?

The moment what he had taken for granted was instantly overturned.

Pierre’s expression became serious.

With two of the four people in the carriage being serious, Bellus naturally couldn’t help but be observant.

No, it was closer to observation.

Eckion stared at Calypso all day with an unreadable expression.

He occasionally held Calypso’s hand tightly, and Calypso, instead of refusing, would smile bitterly and hold it back.

That was the only reaction Calypso showed.

While an ominous atmosphere was taking hold, the carriage continued to run smoothly, regardless of the people inside.

Two more days passed after that.

“Tonight, or tomorrow, we will arrive at the Aquasiedel mansion.”

Calypso, who had been staring blankly at the campfire, raised her head.

They had decided to return quickly in preparation for another attack, and for this reason, they would be camping for the last night.

“……I see.”

Pierre recalled Calypso, who had been excitedly swinging her feet with Toos during the journey to the Dragon City.

The same night, in front of the campfire, but with a completely different appearance.

Pierre felt a disturbing emotion.

It was then.

“Master.”

Calypso looked around and said quietly.

“As promised, please protect Eckion at Master’s residence.”

“……I will.”

“Okay. I’ll visit every day.”

The moment Calypso smiled brightly with a nonchalant face, Pierre couldn’t help but speak.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Huh?”

Calypso flinched.

Indeed, something was wrong. She wasn’t the daughter who would flinch just by him approaching.

“Do you even realize how strange you are right now?”

“Me, strange?”

“I wish you would tell me if you’re hurting.”

“I’m not hurting.”

Calypso blinked and said seriously.

Pierre touched Calypso’s forehead and judged that it was true. At least she didn’t have a fever.

But if she wasn’t hurting, then what was it?

The more he thought about it, the more Pierre was surprised by how little he actually knew about Calypso.

On the one hand, he felt unpleasant.

“Master, I think this city is so cool. Maybe… how about going back alone when we return?”

His daughter had entered the fence on her own accord, and now she was trying to leave when she needed to.

Now she was trying to deceive him with words that she was fine.

He knew that he could just get angry and turn away.

But he couldn’t do that anymore.

Now that she was inside the fence, the little orca in front of him was his daughter, whom he had to hold until he died.

“What’s wrong, Master? I’m the same? Nothing…”

“If you want to lie properly, go look in the mirror first.”

“…….”

“If you really want to deceive me, then act like you did when we first met.”

Only then did the smile gradually disappear from Calypso’s face.

The child’s pale face finally made Pierre realize Calypso’s age.

It was the face of an ordinary three-year-old child.

“I’m just… not feeling well.”

Calypso dropped her head.

Eckion, who had been sitting quietly next to Calypso, grabbed her hand.

Calypso didn’t smile or hold it back like she did in the carriage.

Instead, she carefully let go of Eckion’s hand and patted it.

Then she got up from her seat.

“Master, can I… go for a walk for a bit? I won’t go far.”

They were currently in a small forest.

If they passed through this forest, they would be in Aquasiedel’s territory in just half a day or a day.

“No. There might be assassins.”

“That’s a lie, isn’t it? Master knows the assassins’ presence best.”

“…….”

“So if there were any, you would have said there were instead of saying there might be.”

“…….”

She wasn’t in her usual state, but her mind was working as well as usual.

Pierre frowned.

“I’m feeling suffocated. Huh? I’ll be back soon.”

But in the end, Calypso received permission from Pierre.

Calypso’s figure disappeared into the small bushes.

Pierre sensed a presence moving away and then stopping.

A little further away, Calypso’s maids and her nanny, Misa, were pacing back and forth.

They had also realized that Calypso was strange, but they didn’t seem to know the reason.

‘I should follow her.’

He had said he would let her go for a walk, but he hadn’t said there wouldn’t be a chase.

Only Calypso could use clever words and stubbornness.

It was the moment Pierre frowned and tried to move his feet.

Eckion blocked the way.

At the same time, Eckion’s hand was extended to someone other than Calypso for the first time.

“Calypso. Here.”

Surprisingly, Eckion, who hadn’t been able to say a single word, had improved to the point of uttering words during the short journey.

However, smooth communication was impossible except with Calypso.

Even Calypso often tilted her head in confusion.

Pierre narrowed his eyes.

“Calypso here, dark.”

“…….”

“Tingly?”

Eckion put one hand on his chest and said quietly.

Pierre, who had been listening to the child’s words in silence, blurted out.

“It means it hurts.”

Eckion neither affirmed nor denied it.

He just stared at Pierre with dreamy, clear eyes.

Pierre realized.

“…I see. You feel Calypso’s emotions?”

“Calypso. Learn.”

Calypso had said that the Dragon Duke Eckion needed ‘learning.’

That’s why she had said that she hoped he would have a teacher when they returned to Aquasiedel.

Looking at it this way, it seemed that the teacher had already been decided by the Dragon Duke.

“I understand.”

Pierre bent down and tapped the Dragon Duke’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Dragon Duke.”

Pierre headed into the bushes where Calypso had disappeared.

* * *

“Ah…….”

Oh, I was spacing out and came too far.

I blinked and looked around.

It was dark everywhere.

If I turned around, I could see a red light in the distance. It was probably the light from the campfire.

Well, it’s not that far.

‘Anyway, I’m within Master’s wide-ranging boundary.’

How could that Master’s detection range be the same as an ordinary orca’s?

I chuckled and touched a nearby tree.

Laughter kept leaking out.

It was because I found it funny that I was consciously avoiding the word ‘Dad’ even in my thoughts.

…Is it okay now? Would it be okay?

The moment I thought this, rain began to fall on the ground.