The Crazy Killer Whale’s Favourite Penguin

Episode 4: Adelia, the Penguin (III)

At Suradel’s suggestion, Bella tapped her chin and nodded slightly.

“It’s a pretty name. But above all else, the opinion of the child is most important.”

“I like it.”

I didn’t like that stalker bastard selling my name, but I hated the thought of living under a pseudonym.

Then Suuradel wiped his chest with an exaggerated movement.

“I’m glad you like it. Actually, Lia is the name of the girl I’m courting.”

Oh my God.

‘It leaks even from outside the bowl. You’re saying that out loud?’
(TL/N: a person with a wrong nature will do wrong things wherever he or she goes.)

And it’s definitely a female penguin, not a girl!

Unsurprisingly, absurdity flashed in Bella’s eyes upon hearing the ridiculous remarks.

But the discerning Suradel didn’t give her a chance to ask questions.

“More than that, Lia. I have one question.”

Desperately managing my facial expression, I looked at Suradel, narrowing my eyes as if asking why he was calling.

He bent his back and pushed his face towards me.

Maybe it was because of the shadows that the golden eyes that were full of vitality felt decadent.

‘He’s really handsome. Filthy handsome.’

As my eyes were purified, my facial muscles almost relaxed without my realization.

But I managed to come to my senses and harden my expression.

“…Take your face away.”

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“I’m not going to be eaten, so why should I be afraid of you?”

I considered him insignificant even when I was a penguin, and now I became a human, there was really nothing to be afraid of.

“It’s strange. Why are you so sure I won’t eat you? Is it because we’re of the same race?”

The distance between us was naturally narrowing.

It was so natural that if I hadn’t been conscious of it, I would barely notice even if our lips were to touch.

Suradel stared at me with that characteristic slow smile of his.

He uttered slowly. Without realizing it, my gaze went to his rosy lips.

“Unfortunately, killer whales hunt whales of the same species without hesitation. Not to mention, as well as any other species.”

All of a sudden, the distance was so close that I could feel his breath.

The moment his gaze fell onto my lips, I reflexively closed my eyes.

Shiik.

The stray hairs that had been scattered fell behind my ear by his touch.

“Are you nervous?”

“…Uh?”

When I opened my eyes, I saw Suradel grabbing his stomach and snickering.

“Puahaha! Even the way you’re fooled is to my taste.”

Realizing that I had been deceived, I jumped up from my seat.

“T-This scammer…!”

Now that I have hands, I clenched my fists to give him a punch.

However, Suradel’s subsequent remarks drained the power that had been gathered in my hands.

“Ah… What do I do, Lia?”

He swept his fine silver hair back casually.

“I think this side of Lia is better than the Lia I’m courting.”

While saying that, Suradel had a more joyful expression than any I had ever seen.

‘This is a big problem.’

My dad said there was no medicine for being beautifully crazy.

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

After sending Lia to her room, the two remaining killer whale demibeasts drank tea in the drawing room.

“Suradel. What do you think?”

“What?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. The child who came in today.”

“It hasn’t been long since she succeeded in humanizing, but she has strangely smooth communication?”

“Yes. That part.”

Demibeasts who were born an animal but succeeded in humanizing could not speak perfectly like Lia.

Their pronunciation was not correct, and they only spoke words in a scrambled manner.

It was a natural phenomenon that followed because they did not learn the language systematically.

“Isn’t it strange? Even without being socialized, she behaves and speaks so naturally.”

“It’s strange. But Mother must have felt too. It seems like she’s trying to hide it, but it’s clumsy and awkward to hold back.”

As if to refute that statement, Bella continued speaking.

“She seems to know too much for someone who lived as an animal.”

“She might have already matured in mind as an animal. Sometimes it happens.”

Bella furrowed her brows as if she couldn’t even imagine it.

“It’s terrible. The higher her intelligence, the greater the psychological pain must have been.”

“Well, she could be a highly strategized con artist. You haven’t seen Lia’s animal form yet, have you?”

“Her hair is obviously unique to killer whales. It didn’t look like it was dyed or transformed by magic.”

Suradel tilted his head.

“What does Mother think? You have amazingly good senses.”

“…The child doesn’t seem to be lying. As I said, it’s highly likely that her mind has already matured when she’s an animal.”

Bella spoke, gazing at the inside of her teacup, where the impurities had settled.

“This might sound strange, but I’m convinced that Lia will have a strangely good relationship with us.”

“If Mother felt that way, it would be so.”

“For the time being, I’m going to stay in Weil and watch over her.”

Bella spoke as if she was drawing a line, but she couldn’t erase the anticipation on her face.

“Are you very happy, Mother?”

Suradel looked at her mother Bella with curious eyes.

As if to indicate her excitement, she hummed and brought the teacup to her lips.

“Well, that’s all right. I thought that killer whales would disappear in future generations. There’s hope.”

“…Why is Mother so obsessed with our kin?”

“To be the last of a kind is a greater and weightier responsibility than I thought.”

—You don’t seem to think so.

Bella muttered softly, barely audible to Suradel, her teacup shaking back and forth.

“I guarantee you, if I hadn’t been seriously hurt by the damn sharks, you would have a dozen more siblings by now.”

Bella narrowed her brows and gritted her teeth, as if recalling memories of her past.

“I should have cut off their fins back then and made them into shark’s fin soup. If that was the case, there would have been no installations around our estate.”

Suradel changed the subject as if he was familiar with such a situation.

“A dozen… I didn’t know that Mother and Father’s family plan was so grand.”

“Son, you know what?”

“No.”

“Your father is the prettiest when he cries at night.”

“…I didn’t really want to know that.”

“More than that…”

Bella set the teacup down on the table, making a loud noise.

“You said you were interested in a girl earlier…”

“Ah, Lia?”

“Come to think of it, it was similar to the name of an animal Lord Reynos had. You go to see it everyday.”

“Right. ‘Lia’ is Adelia’s nickname.”

“Why did you give her that name?”

“Didn’t I explain it earlier? It’s my favorite name.”

Bella let out a little sigh.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking. I didn’t think you’d ever fall in love at first sight.”

“I doubt it.”

“You’ll make her your lover? Good. This mother will always welcome it.”

She exaggeratedly spread her arms, then lowered them and hardened her face.

“But don’t touch our Lia. She’s my only hope.”

At his mother’s serious warning, Suradel smiled lightly and shrugged.

“If anyone hears it, they’ll think I’m touching this girl and that girl like a flirt.”

“Ha, if you had been a playboy, at least I wouldn’t need to worry that my son would be a bachelor for the rest of his life.”

The tone was stern, but Suradel, aware of the concern contained within, raised the corners of his lips without a word.

Bella looked down at her son and bit her lips.

“You look like you have something to say to me.”

“Haha, that’s why I like Mother.”

“Anyway, flattery…”

“Mother.”

“Okay. I’m listening.”

“She’s just a humanized child. Don’t try to hand over your responsibilities to Lia.”

“It’s not like you to say something for someone.”

Bella’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Suradel.

It was the first time her son cared so much about someone else.

“To put it simply, I never tried to pass it on.”

“Didn’t you say that you were happy to meet your kind?”

“That’s right, it’s a good thing. Extinction was certain, but now there’s hope.”

“Calling Lia a hope is…”

“Don’t worry. I will just help Lia adjust to society safely and meet good people.”

“Really?”

“Marriage and childbearing issues are not for me to dare to get involved in. It’s that child’s life.”

“Uh, even if Lia gets married and has a baby, the odds are half-half, right?”

“I guess so. Because the marriage partner will not be a killer whale. But I can’t force Lia to give birth until she gives birth to a killer whale.”

“Then what about me?”

One of Bella’s eyebrows twitched as if to express something.

“What?”

“I’m also a killer whale. Do you have any expectations of me?”

Bella looked at Suradel with complicated eyes.

“You… are. You are also a killer whale. However…”

IMPORTANT NOTE! A dear reader suggested using demibeast instead of Suin, and yeah, the team likes that, so going forward, I’ll be using it! Thanks Ara!

Ame: I just love the Weil’s family dynamics! And don’t you worry, Mama Whale, Lia and Suradel will eventually fulfil your dreams and hopes