The Crazy Killer Whale’s Favourite Penguin

Episode 38: Be Careful of What You Wish For (XI)

Theodore frowned.

“…If you like penguins so much, shouldn’t you bring one from the far end of the continent?”

“Theodore. You told me before that I would never have thought about how absurd a system imprinting is.”

“…Yes.”

“You’re right. I’ve never really thought deeply about imprinting. But you do, don’t you?”

Suradel chuckled, the corners of his lips lifting into a wry smile.

“I bet you never thought about how painful it is for me to live this normal life.”

Theodore raised his eyes slightly.

He never imagined that Suradel, who always smiled and laughed like a broken wind-up doll, would have lived a painful life.

“Theodore. Did you ever get the feeling that you’re forced to lead a life that’s wrong with your very existence?”

Contrary to the gentle tone, it was a reply that seemed to have a deep resentment.

“It may seem funny, but Adelia is the one that gave me a reason to live.”

The one and only.

The existence that he had been looking and eagerly hoped for. For a long time.

“So don’t talk nonsense about whether I can just bring in another penguin.”

Vitality overflowed from his smiling face.

Theodore swallowed dryly.

He hadn’t expected that a lightly thrown comment would upset him so much.

“By the way… Do I smell? It’s strange. I don’t know.”

Suradel brought the hem of his loose robe to his nose and sniffed it.

Before Theodore could register it, the madness had disappeared and Suradel was back to his usual mood. The cold smile also turned into a silly grin.

While feeling the difference between the two laughs, Theodore diligently answered the question.

It was because it was something he wanted to know the moment that guy opened the door and entered.

“It’s not an unpleasant smell. Rather…”

“Hmm?”

With a sunken look in his eyes, Theodore replied, almost growling.

“It smells very sweet.”

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

After Suradel casted a spell to forcibly raise Theodore’s physical condition, he left.

Although his body had become much lighter, Theodore kept thinking back to the scent of Suradel earlier, and he couldn’t sleep at all.

“What kind of scent is that…”

From the moment Suradel entered the room, a sweet scent wafted.

‘Actually, magic might not have been necessary.’

From the moment Suradel opened the door and entered, the headache that had been tormenting Theodore had subsided like a lie.

“Ah…?”

All of a sudden, a tingling feeling ran down his spine like a thunderbolt.

‘When Suradel is nearby, my body condition stabilizes?’

‘Plus, it’s the first time I’ve ever smelled a terribly sweet scent.’

‘Come to think of it, weren’t the benefactor’s eyes gold?’

And objectively speaking, the benefactor’s first words were similar to Suradel’s.

‘No way.’

No way, no way…!

Although chanting that it was nonsense to himself, Theodore got out of bed as soon as the hypothesis came to mind and called for his aide.

Looking at the aide who quickly ran to the sudden call, he ordered with darkened eyes.

“Find out if there is a servant named Iprus in the Weil family. As soon as possible.”

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The next day.

Having safely attended the Igle family’s succession banquet, Theodore waited impatiently for Suradel, who had not yet arrived.

He had to check.

He had to make sure that the person he imprinted on wasn’t Suradel.

The last remaining clues to the benefactor were a platinum ring and a servant named Iprus.

Theodore didn’t care what kind of jewelry Suradel usually wore, so he had no choice but to check with his own two eyes.

If the ring was so precious that he dared to wear it over his gloves, he would most likely wear it at the banquet.

He had to find out if he was wearing the ring, and if he wasn’t, did he possess it.

People were talking about Theodore, who had participated in the banquet after the incident, but he had no time to worry about such things.

He was just gazing, staring… at the banquet hall door.

Theodore finally found Suradel walking into the banquet hall with someone. He walked as if pushing the people in front of him, since he couldn’t see through the crowd.

But hopelessly, the closer he got to Suradel, the stronger the horribly sweet scent he smelled yesterday.

As if it was merely a taste yesterday, the sweet smell that became more dense and dark, piercing his nose and clouding his mind.

To make matters worse, even the heart was beginning to beat rapidly.

It felt as if telling him that the person he imprinted on was over there.

Theodore tried to ignore that thought and stood in front of Suradel.

Then.

On Suradel’s finger, he found the benefactor’s ring, exactly the one he remembered, and was silently astonished.

Ah. It was catastrophic.

Theodore shook his head in a wave of self-hatred and self-loathing.

As the banquet hall was the banquet hall, he clenched his fists hard to suppress his emotions, but ultimately…

“F*ck.”

He swore and ran out of the banquet hall.

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Theodore didn’t like alcohol, but he drank like mad, hoping he would lose his mind.

Empty bottles of wine were scattered on the table and on the floor.

Having been drinking nonstop, Theodore looked into the empty space with unfocused eyes.

He was so humiliated that he imprinted on Suradel.

Even so, he wanted to get angry and shout at his father that imprinting was really a curse.

However, the fact that he imprinted on Suradel was something he could not say out loud even if a knife was inserted into his throat.

At that time, the aide, who Theodore did not even know when he appeared, cautiously spoke. 

“Sir Theodore. I found out what you commanded yesterday.”

Theodore glared at the aide in silence.

Trembling for a moment at his master’s ferocious glare, the aide hurriedly fixed his eyes on the documents and said,

“I, I don’t know why you are looking for her, but after investigation, it’s found that a servant named Iprus entered the Weil mansion today.”

“…Iprus?”

“Yes. As far as I know, this maid’s nickname is ‘Rus’…”

“Is she by any chance familiar with Suradel?”

“Since she was the maid who took care of the penguin in the magic tower, he must know her, though I’m not certain about the degree of closeness.”

“Yes, I see…”

It was something that Theodore was already convinced of, but now, one more piece of evidence was added to it.

All the circumstances kept pointing to Suradel.

Theodore desperately wanted to deny it, but cruelly, he didn’t even have the chance to do so.

“Hah… Hahahahahaha!”

Theodore burst out laughing like a madman and staggered off. He walked out of the room, passing the aide who stood like a statue.

The place he was heading to was Isabel’s office in the Wulf mansion.

Theodore entered her office without knocking and started talking one-sidedly.

“I know you’re secretly looking for my imprint partner, Mother.”

Isabel narrowed her eyes at Theodore, who smelled of alcohol. It was the first time she had seen her son look so disheveled.

He was a son who had lived his life righteously enough to hear the words that he lived without fun.

“I know that my mother and father are looking for that person, while… while I’m just disregarding it…”

Theodore’s face contorted mercilessly.

“Actually, in a corner of my heart, I- I think I also want to see that person again.”

“…Does that mean you’re going to start looking for her in earnest from now on?”

“No. I wanted to tell you that it’s enough. Because I’ve completely made up my mind.”

Isabel’s face stiffened when he was told not to look for his imprinted partner.

“But Theo. If you don’t find your benefactor and complete the imprint…”

Theodore brushed his hair roughly and cut Isabel’s words off.

“Mother.”

He knew better than anyone what would happen if the imprinting remained incomplete like this.

‘But I’d rather get sick and die. How would I complete the imprint I made on Suradel?’

This was like the last remaining pride of Theodore.

“Please stop making me miserable and stop everything.”

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

After the Igle family’s succession banquet, in the Weil family mansion.

Since their masters decided to go to the Weil family estate the very next day, the servants were busy moving even though it was late at night.

As soon as Suradel arrived at the mansion, he smiled and met Lia’s eyes.

“Do you remember I promised to give you a present before you go to the Weil estate?”

“A stone?”

“…Yes?”

Lia shook her head hurriedly upon seeing Suradel blink as if he didn’t know what she was talking about.

It seemed that she still had a lingering attachment to the stone.

“Nope. this just can’t be said it’s a gift Yes, I remember.”

Suradel shrugged and continued without questioning further.

“Well, somehow, the gift ended up being two.”

“What did you prepare? Why two? You don’t have to be so nice to me.”

“Then let’s pretend there’s no present prepared…”

“Ah, I’ll gratefully accept it this time since you’ve prepared it with sincerity.”

Suradel let out a small laugh as if he expected this quick change of attitude.

“One will be in your room, and I’ll give you the other one later.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll know when you go. Go on, go to your room.”

As Suradel gently pushed Lia’s back, she tilted her head and moved obediently.

Looking at that, he waved his hand gently as if saying goodbye.

As he said, a gift was waiting for her in the room. A very special gift.