The Crazy Killer Whale’s Favourite Penguin

Episode 34: Be Careful of What You Wish For (VII)

By the time the war of nerves between the wives became sharp.

Bella interceded with an expression of pity.

“She is still immature in animalizing and humanizing, so she’s refraining from meeting people from other families. I hope everyone will understand.”

“Ah, that’s right… Then, we can discuss this topic again when she can change freely.”

They gave up meekly without hesitation; even though they looked as if they had lingering regrets.

This was because animalization and humanization were the most important factors directly related to life for demibeasts.

The same goes for predatory demibeasts, but the lower the food pyramid, the more they were reluctant to show their animal appearance to others.

When a demibeast died, the corpse remained as it was.

In other words, if you die as an animal, your human body would not remain.

Perhaps because of this, the rate of crimes targeting prisoners who have returned to their animal state was overwhelmingly high.

As death was easy to cover up.

There were many cases where they were mistaken for actual animals and hunted.

Therefore, the wives had no choice but to step back when they heard that my humanization and animalization were still poor.

How much did I suffer from the wives?

I thought it might be okay to slowly get out of here.

“…Excuse me, Madam Bella.”

“Yes, Lia.”

“It’s nothing much, but I’m just a little hungry.”

Bella’s eyes flew wide open, and her hand covered her mouth.

“Oh, I brought you blindly without consideration. The purpose of introducing you has been accomplished, so that’s it.”

“That means…?”

“This is your first banquet, and you should enjoy it as much as you can. Go on.”

“Thank you!”

I bowed my head to the wives and quickly left the place.

But being introduced to the wives was only the beginning of my ordeal.

I was only left alone for a while. The flirtation of men I had never seen before came one after another.

“Beautiful lady. If you don’t have a partner, please dance with me…”

“…Suradel is my partner.”

“…Excuse me.”

After this guy.

“I have heard rumors, but you are more beautiful than I thought. If you have time, let’s go out to the terrace and talk for a while…”

“It’s a bit awkward to be alone, so can I take Suradel with me?”

With a pale face, he stuttered something about ‘remembering an appointment’ and left as if he was running away.

‘These two guys…’

After that, I lost count on how many I kicked out by selling Suradel’s name.

By the way…

The effect of using Suradel as an exterminator was amazing beyond imagination.

What the hell did he usually do for the reactions to be like this.

Then, familiar silver hair came into my field of vision.

Happy to see the face of Suradel I finally found, I tried to call his name.

…If it wasn’t for the woman facing him.

There was something unusual about the atmosphere.

I immediately shut my mouth and hid behind a pillar near the two of them and eavesdropped on their conversation.

Suradel looked at the other woman with strange eyes.

“Dance?”

“Yes. C-Can you dance with me…”

“It’s strange. Your body is shaking so much, but you want to dance with me?”

“I-It’s because I’m nervous…”

“Lies.”

Suradel tilted his head slowly with an expression of unknown emotion.

“It’s because you’re scared. Isn’t it?”

“Oh no! I’m not scared at all…!”

Flinch.

Contrary to how she said she wasn’t afraid out loud, her body stiffened as she raised her head and met Suradel’s gaze.

“I don’t think you can’t tell the difference between a heart beating because you’re scared and a heart beating because you’re happy.”

Suradel’s eyes narrowed.

“Do you know what your expression looks like right now?”

His voice sank.

“It’s like a rabbit thrown as prey in front of a hungry lion.”

Her entire body was now trembling.

Gazing at it, Suradel reversed the atmosphere by raising one corner of his mouth crookedly.

“Sorry. My preference is a majestic female penguin. And hanging out with people who are scared of me isn’t really my hobby.”

I didn’t expect Suradel to proudly talk about his eccentric taste here and there.

“Lies…!”

“Yes?”

The woman suddenly exclaimed agitatedly.

“You didn’t want to be approached by a woman, so you spread ridiculous rumors on purpose! I know everything!”

“Huh… I’m telling you the truth.”

“The fact that you went to see the penguin raised by the magic tower master every day was actually an excuse, it’s because you have a secret research going on with the Magic Tower, right?”

With a bitter expression, Suradel blinked and shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I don’t need to explain. If you want to think so, do as you like.”

“You… There’s no way someone like you would like an ugly penguin like that!”

For an instant, the expression on Suradel’s face disappeared.

“What are you saying…”

But before he finished speaking, I, who had been listening in to the conversation, jumped out like a spring.

‘How dare you curse at me!?’

‘Adélie penguins look tough on the outside, but on the inside…!’

‘…Of course, the speed is not very good, but how charming they are!’

‘And why does Suradel talk like the penguin is his lover?’

My mood was so bad that I couldn’t stand it any longer.

I stood in front of Suradel and stared at the woman.

“You, look at me for a second.”

“…Who are you?”

“I’m speechless just listening to it. He has already politely declined. Why are you yelling at someone who doesn’t want to dance?”

With her eyebrows narrowed, the woman stared blankly at me as if trying to figure out which family I belonged to, then her lips pulled into a smile.

“Ah. It’s the killer whale that the Weil family is protecting.”

She warned me, hardening her expression.

“I think you’re able to attend this banquet thanks to Madam Bella, but please don’t meddle in other people’s affairs.”

“I can’t interfere? He likes me!”

“…What?”

I called out to Suradel as the woman blinked rapidly in bewilderment.

“Su!”

“Yes, Lia.”

At my call, Suradel quickly came to my side.

I stared at the woman, reached out my hand to where Suradel was, and said familiarly.

“Do ‘that’ here.”

It was a bit embarrassing to have to give my hand to Suradel, but if it was for the sake of performance, I was willing to sacrifice this much…

In an instant, my body was suddenly wrapped in something huge.

It was Suradel.

I didn’t know that he would rush and hug me, so I struggled in embarrassment.

“Ouch! Let go of me! I told you to kiss the back of my hand, who told you to hug me?”

Suradel laughed and rubbed his face on the nape of my neck.

“But I interpreted it as asking for a hug? It’s Lia who seduced me, I am innocent.”

I had forgotten that he was a terrible opportunist.

“I just stretched out my hand, how could such an interpretation come out!”

“Isn’t that because Lia was in my arms last night too?”

“Don’t talk like it’s so every day just because of one mistake.”

I wrestled with Suradel for a long time before somehow getting out of his grip. Then I looked at the woman. 

‘I’m pretty sure you know enough that he likes me.’

But strangely, she looked like she would cry at any moment.

“Uh, is it true that you were held in the arms of Sir Suradel last night?”

“What did you hear while standing there blankly? That was a mistake.”

“…That, like that!”

The woman shook her head with her mouth open as if it was nonsense.

It was an attempt to deny reality.

‘No matter how much you love Suradel, you’ve only seen him hug me once… should you be so shocked?’

I was a little puzzled, but I decided to say what I had to say no matter what her expression was.

“Listen. He’s not a penguin lover or anything. It’s just because… You. Are. Ugly. The dance request was rejected.”

“Who, who is ugly?”

I looked at Suradel, urging him to answer instead. Then he pointed at the woman without hesitation and moved his lips.

“You. You’re so ugly that you can’t even be compared to a penguin.”

It was a satisfactory answer.

“Did you hear that? If you know now, go away.”

Weeping, the woman looked back and forth between Suradel and I, and eventually left the banquet with a red face.

I wiped my hands and watched her disappearing back.

“Heh, it’s not even a bite.”

This was when I was savoring my victory, raising my chin with an arrogant expression.

Suradel pulled on my sleeve as if he had something to say.

“Lia.”

“Why?”

“It’s fine with me, but is it be okay for Lia to know that something like that happened to me?”

“Is it my business?”

‘I didn’t do anything. Why is he making such a fuss?’

At my reaction, Suradel shrugged his shoulders with a meaningful smile.

“As long as Lia is okay, that’s fine. Oh, and something about what you just said bothers me.”

“What.”

“It’s true that I like penguins.”

“…Whatever.”

He added with a bashful laugh.

“Just. I’m afraid you’ll misunderstand.”