The Crazy Killer Whale’s Favourite Penguin

Episode 73: The Ties That Bind (III)

“My God, a thorn that big was stuck in your palm?”

When Iprus exclaimed in surprise, I quickly shook my head and described my hard times in the Wulf mansion.

“I fell while running away, but there must have been something like a thorn on the ground. When I got back to the mansion, Suradel took it out, but it really hurt.”

“Ugh… It must have been really painful. Your fair skin isn’t damaged, right?”

As if she had hurt herself, Iprus shivered with her eyebrows raised.

“I was hurt, but why are you hurting, Iprus?”

Was the pain bluetoothed?

As she clung to me, she began to look for any damage to my body.

“Ah… I should have gone along. I’m upset, really.”

Seeing that, I smiled. I was happy she was concerned.

While Iprus carefully inspected my body for scars, I let out the worries I had been harboring all along.

“Anyway, it looks like Theodore has completely imprinted on me… What should I do now?”

Iprus’s reply was light, as if it was nothing.

“Now that it’s like this, you should just enjoy it. Sir Suradel’s obsession, and Sir’s Theodore obsession.”

I frowned.

“I don’t want to be criticized for being a fisherman. Besides, rumors have already spread that I’m in a relationship with Suradel.”

“But, you can’t stop the two’s obsession with you, can you?”

“…That’s right.”

Suradel had already proven what a relentless stalker he was for four years, and Theodore’s imprinting meant he would only look at one person for the rest of his life.

Ha.

Thinking about it made me troubled, really troubled.

Watching me let out a deep sigh, Iprus brought out words of comfort.

“Don’t feel too bad about it, Lady Lia. Only their personalities are a little strange, but regardless, both of them are the best grooms on the continent.”

“Even though one of them is a black screen that is clearly something and the other is the male protagonist of the novel?”

“…The male lead vs villain! Is it too good?”

She covered her mouth, making a thrilled expression.

“Oh my god. I should always carry popcorn with me from now on!”

“…Why popcorn?”

Iprus was so excited that she snorted in response.

“Well, it’s an opportunity to see the successors of great families obsessed with a woman! It’s really good to be your maid.”

‘It’s a reaction like a romance lover. I’m glad that her job satisfaction is high.’

“It’s fortunate that my misfortune has become your happiness…” 

I laughed like a maniac, then straightened my expression and asked Iprus.

“For that part, well, the next goal is important, so let’s put that part aside. Rus, do you remember what I told you about at the Weil family estate?”

“Yes. You said you’re going to approach Anemone now that you’ve received a confirmation from the raccoon demibeast.”

“That’s right. Now, the question is how to become friends with Anemone…”

Iprus tilted her head as if she had suddenly remembered it.

“Wait. Come to think of it, doesn’t Anemone hate demibeasts like Magic Tower Lord Reynos?”

“That’s the problem.”

Looking into the air, I muttered as if I was talking to myself; confusion was evident on my face.

“How can I get close to Anemone?”

Then, suddenly, something hit me. Widening my eyes, I said,

“Rus. Shall I take advantage of the situation I am in?”

“What is your situation?”

“Hm. To be precise, my ‘rumor’.”

I was going to use the title of ‘the new killer whale demibeast of the Weil family’.

“Isn’t it known to the public that I am a killer whale who was raised in a family home while being abused, and then successfully humanized and miraculously escaped?”

“Oh, I knew about it, but now that I’ve heard it like this, it sounds like a novel.”

“Well, Anemone was discriminated against and abused by demibeasts when she was young. She hates demibeasts because of the memory of that time.”

“So how are you going to capitalize on that rumor?”

I answered quickly as if I had been waiting for her to ask.

“I would say I grew up in a house of pure-blooded people. I’m not lying, I’m just telling part of the truth.”

“…Umm?”

Iprus was still unable to comprehend. 

I added a brief explanation.

“I wasn’t actually abused, but since it was rumored that I grew up in a house of pure-blooded humans… She will feel compassion and identification with me. She won’t be able to turn away.”

‘Although she is cold on the outside, she is actually a soft heroine on the inside.’

That’s why she saved Theodore when he was dying in the original story.

To be honest, I felt like I was using Anemone, and I didn’t feel very good about it.

However, Theodore, the male protagonist, also had a hard time getting close to her, so it would be difficult to break through her guard without this method.

I showed off my confidence, pointing at myself.

“My acting is awesome. I have a lot of experience, such as deceiving my dad and Hanu!”

“That… one is just being an unfilial daughter and the other doesn’t seem to be particularly reliable…”

I could hear Iprus muttering something, but I laughed and said what I had to say.

“It’s advised to take the cow’s horn out while it’s still steaming, so let’s start working tomorrow.”
(TL/N: similar to ‘strike while the iron is hot’.)

I vaguely stroked the side of Iprus’ head.

If she was in animal form, there would be horns around here.

Then Iprus shut her mouth with a polite nod.

‘It’s fortunate that, unlike Hanu, she has good sense.’

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

After a rough strategy meeting with Iprus, I was lying on the bed and recovering from fatigue.

It was then.

“Lady Lia!”

I looked at Iprus, who appeared with the sound of a door opening.

“What’s the matter?”

“Lord Reynos came to Weil Street! It seems that he came to see Sir Suradel-sama…”

Ha-am.

I jumped up from the bed and sprinted out the door before Iprus finished what she wanted to say.

“Oh! Lady, Lord Reynos is…!”

Iprus urgently shouted something from behind, but nothing came to my ears.

‘Daddy.’

‘Dad came to Weil…!’

After not seeing him for a long time, I desperately wanted to see his face.

Then a familiar face came into view.

‘I wanted to see you so much.’

At the same time, he was the father I did not want to meet for fear of being hated.

Could it be that he hadn’t been eating well because he was looking for me?

His face looked much thinner than before I left home. He seemed to be more anxious than usual, probably because he was under a lot of stress.

Unknowingly, words came out upon seeing the face I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Dad…”

Dad’s gaze slowly turned to me.

His brows narrowed at once and he looked at me with contempt.

The moment I received that gaze, there was a shock like I was hit in the head with a hammer.

My head was throbbing.

‘That’s right. Dad hates demibeasts, and I am a demibeast.’

He did not hide his displeasure when he saw me, a demibeast.

“Who are you calling ‘dad’?”

“That, no, that…”

“Judging by the hair, it seems you’re the killer whale that is new to the Weil family… Unfortunately, it looks like this one has a different brain.”

Biting words that I had never heard in my life came pouring out from my father.

His words became a dagger and pierce my heart.

‘…You were really kind to me, a penguin.’

My dad simply passed me by.

I just stood there blankly and looked at him.

Tuk.

His arm and my shoulder grazed lightly.

“Ah…!”

My legs were already wobbly, so I fell down at the slightest moment.

Dad stopped abruptly.

I held out hope for a while.

Would he worry about me? Would he stretch out his hand and lift me up?

Contrary to my expectations, however, Dad looked down at me while brushing his hair roughly.

Even after blinking, I couldn’t find any warmth in the eyes facing me.

“…Ha, are you trying to blackmail me with self-harm? The technique is too shallow.”

At those words and eyes, the tears I had been holding back so far poured down like a waterfall.

I knew very well that my father hated demibeasts. I was prepared to some degree.

However, facing it in person was a different story.

Even when I see those eyes, how, how… 

How could I not get hurt?

I struggled to find an excuse, wiping the tears away with my sleeve.

“Sorry. I, I…”

To be honest, I think I was expecting a little bit.

Wouldn’t he recognize me as a human at once?

The expectation that if he recognized me in my human form, he would like me.

But Dad’s callous eyes and reactions were telling the cold reality.

As a demibeast, I no longer deserve his love.

It was then.

“Lord Reynos, what is this…!”

Suradel appeared out of nowhere, saw me and my dad and ran over quickly.

He immediately came to my side and wiped away my tears.

“Are you okay? What the hell happened with Lord Reynos while I was gone, Lia?”

I buried my face in my hands and shook my head.

I wasn’t okay.

There was no way it would be okay.

In the end, I was shunned by my dad.