The Crazy Killer Whale’s Favourite Penguin

Episode 41: Be Careful of What You Wish For (XIV)

I lowered my head gloomily.

I still vividly remember the day I first entered the Weil mansion.

The voice of Bella, who thought I was a killer whale, saying it was a miracle.

She loved it so much, how betrayed she would feel if she knew that I wasn’t a killer whale.

As I was digging a tunnel alone, Suradel made eye contact with me and asked,

“Lia. What do you think is the reason my mother welcomed you?”

‘She thought I was a killer whale demibeast…’

As if reading my thoughts, Suradel immediately continued.

“Then do you think my mother will think you’re useless unless you give birth to a killer whale?”

No.

At least, the Bella I had seen so far wasn’t that kind of person.

“And think carefully, Lia. That race problem will be resolved when I become the other killer whale.”

What…

Come to think of it, there’s a rather odd thing.

‘Suradel must also be a killer whale, but why does Bella treat me like I’m the last hope of her species?’

If I married a polygamy-oriented demibeast, it would be easier for the male Suradel to continue the killer whale race than me.

“Of course, I have no intention of getting married unless it’s you.”

My eyes which were looking at him clouded like frozen pollack.

‘…Is that why?’

Since Suradel was a penguin lover, he didn’t pay attention to actual women. Bella noticed that already and so she didn’t expect it from Suradel.

Either I stay with the Weils and marry Suradel, or run away.

There were only two options, and both were extreme.

Seeing me getting more and more depressed, Iprus immediately started cheering me on.

“Don’t worry about being found out by Bella, let’s try humanizing first. It shouldn’t be difficult if you think carefully about how it felt when you turned into an animal earlier!”

“Waeng…”

I was just petting a stone affectionately, but when I came to my senses, I had become a penguin…? How could I say that?

Aside from being unconvincing, it seemed impossible for even Iprus, a penguin-esque interpreter, to decipher such a long content.

But I couldn’t disappoint her expectations, so I decided to try.

Maybe I could suddenly become a human like I did earlier. I was hopeful.

After tens of minutes.

With a groan, I lay down on the floor and weakly declared my surrender.

“Wheen…”

Perhaps feeling sorry for me, Iprus cautiously said,

“Lady Lia, there is a way to forcibly humanize…”

“Wheeng? (What is it?)”

If there was such a way, shouldn’t you have told me earlier!

“If you kiss Sir Suradel…”

I jumped up and glared at Iprus with my eyes raised fiercely.

What ridiculous words.

This wasn’t even the frog prince. Who would believe in fairy tales like that?

Iprus continued quickly as if she was being falsely accused.

“It sounds like a lie, but it’s true.”

“…Ween?”

“You know that demibeasts cannot reproduce in their animal state, right?”

I thought for a moment and then nodded.

No one had ever seen or heard of a demibeast giving birth to a baby in an animal state.

“Well, it’s just that when deep emotional contact is made in the animalized state, the demibeast would be forcibly humanized.”

Aha… There was such a setting.

Since it’s a novel, I guess the author was afraid that ethical problems would arise, so this setting prevented it altogether.

But there was still one more question…

“Whehehe? (I think a kiss won’t work?)”

That’s weird. My dad kissed me on the forehead every night before going to bed.

“Of course, not all kisses forcibly bring about humanization, but it seems quite possible if you do it with Sir Suradel.”

“Wueeng? (What is the standard?)”

“There is no exact standard, but it seems to be different depending on the person or the situation.”

I quietly looked at Suradel. Then, as if he had been waiting, he batted his long eyelashes.

“Lia, I’m ready.”

It was the moment when I understood at once what Iprus was talking about.

Get rid of that expectant face.

As my expression grew rotten, Suradel shrugged his shoulders as if he was just joking.

“I welcome the idea of kissing Lia, but even if we kiss, she won’t humanize?”

Iprus tilted his head and asked in response.

“What? Why?”

“It’s true that I like Lia. But I’m a penguin fanatic, and I don’t go further than that.”

“Ah… yes.”

“What’s with that reaction? How long have I been looking at her as a penguin? Of course, she’s a penguin.”

“Yes, well…”

Judging by the trembling tone and the glazed eyes, Iprus didn’t seem to trust his words very much.

Seeing Iprus unable to erase her doubtful eyes, Suradel made a refreshing smile, one that made the corners of his eyes folded.

“If you don’t believe it, shall we try it right now?”

Iprus replied with a wide smile.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not now, but please call me when you do.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t enjoy doing skinship in public.”

“My hobby is watching.”

?

‘Why are you two deciding the kiss? What about my permission?’

It was when I was listening to their conversation and looking like a kid who had left home.

Suradel looked out the dim window and ran his finger across my beak.

“Well, first of all, it’s late at night…”

I savagely pecked his finger as a sign to get rid of it.

‘Where are you gently stroking?’

Suradel just laughed when he was hit.

“Let’s come up with a plan if you can’t return to a human by tomorrow morning, Lia.”

Somehow, thinking that nothing would change in the morning, I replied sullenly.

“Whaeng…”

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

In the end, even when the sky had dawned, I really didn’t return to my human form.

Apparently, this time, if I didn’t learn how to go back on my own, I would continue to look like this.

So, from early morning, my room was crowded with people who had gathered to solve this situation.

Hanu, seeing my penguin form for the first time, stared at me with shock.

“What is this…”

“Don’t you see? It’s the lady’s animal figure.”

When Iprus clicked her tongue as if she found her brother pathetic, he narrowed his brows.

“I didn’t ask that, I am just expressing my surprise about the situation.”

He let out a small sigh, and his gaze briefly reached Suradel.

“Seeing that Sir Suradel is also in this room, it seems that a lot happened while I was gone.”

Suradel slowly raised the corners of his lips into a smirk, then he said.

“I’m the one who sticks to Lia, but it’s too much to say that only the two of you are sharing a secret, Sir Hanu.”

“It’s not just us who knew it, but the head of the family too… Permission was given, but it was presumptuous for me to intervene. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

Suradel shrugged lightly as if it was nothing.

“Well, I noticed it as soon as I saw it, so that part is fine.”

“Yes? You’re saying you noticed right away? How did you do that…”

“It’s the power of love.”

“That… I see.”

After that shy reply, Hanu hurriedly moved his gaze.

Then he carefully examined me in amazement.

“Anyway, you’re a real penguin, Lady Lia.”

“Weeng, weengweeng? (You knew. Why are you like this?)”

Hanu turned and looked at Iprus.

“What did Lady Lia say?”

“If you’re also a bull, you’ll roughly understand it.”

“Our special ability is being more sensitive to emotions, not interpreting animal language. I can’t guess it like you.”

Iprus arrogantly crossed her arms like was going to specially tell him this one time.

“The lady said, ‘Did you only know that now, you idiot?’”

It was an interpretation that instantly turned me into a gangster.

Wasn’t that just what she wanted to say to Hanu?

Hanu’s face was scrunched up as he stared at Iprus. It seemed like they would start fighting soon. 

“…I don’t know anything much, but I know she didn’t say such harsh things.”

“If you know so well, why did you ask for an interpretation?”

“You’re really…”

Around the time a quarrel between the siblings began, Suradel made a proposal to me, who was sighing deeply.

“Lia, why don’t you tell my mother that you’re a penguin?”

I quickly shook my head.

There was no way I could fool Bella forever, but at least I didn’t want to talk about it when I was a penguin.

Apologizing politely in my human state would be less stinging on my conscience.

Besides, I was not ready to be hated yet…

As I sunk deep into my thoughts, a peace treaty had been signed between Hanu and Iprus. Iprus intervened in the conversation and expressed her opinion.

“Then how will you get to the Weil family estate? Should I tell her that you’re sick and will have to postpone the schedule?”

“If so, wouldn’t my mother come to see Lia’s condition?”

That was right.

If they said I was ill, Bella would come running to me in shock.

Suradel shrugged as if he couldn’t do anything about it.

“Then there’s only one way.”

“…Ween? (…What?)”