The Crazy Killer Whale’s Favourite Penguin

Episode 69: Death Mark (XII)

I shook my head, thinking he was starting up again, then showed the book I was holding to Suradel.

“What kind of book is this?”

Staring at the book I handed him, Suradel slowly said,

“…It’s a story set in a world where pure-blooded humans dominate the continent. A world where races such as dragons, monsters, elves and dwarves appear.”

“There aren’t any demibeasts?”

“Yes. Demibeasts don’t exist. It’s written around the love story of a saint and a grand duke who live in the barren north. It looks like something else, but it’s more like a romance novel.”

I felt a sense of déjà vu.

‘This is very… It sounds like a romance fantasy novel I read in my previous life.’

‘Wait, have you read all of these books? How do you know in such detail?’

Blinking rapidly, I asked Suradel.

“Have you read the book?”

“Of course.”

“…When did you learn a language other than the common language of the continent?”

“I didn’t learn because I was specifically trying to learn. I just found out on my own.”

‘Ah, good for you that you’re smart.’

This time, I took out a book from the right side of the empty spot and held it out to Suradel.

“What is this about?”

“That…”

Unlike before, Suradel couldn’t speak easily.

“What is it?”

When I drew the book back and opened it with a doubtful mind, a sight that made me doubt my eyes entered my field of vision.

I was so shocked that I felt my whole body stiffen.

This was because the book I opened was entirely written in Korean.

‘How come a book written in Korean is in Weil’s library?’

My shocked heart did not calm down.

I questioned him, not knowing what kind of expression I was making.

“Where did you get this book? Do you know who brought it?”

Suradel asked back, his eyes slightly raising like he was surprised by something.

“…Why are you asking that, Lia?”

But I was in a hurry to solve my doubts, so I didn’t hear him.

“Can you read this too?”

If Suradel could read Korean, all the questions I had so far would be answered.

The original work went wrong even before I possessed. How he differed greatly from normal demibeasts, and so on…

However, the answer that came out of Suradel’s mouth was different from what was expected.

“No. I can’t read the text.”

He pointed at the empty part of the bookshelf with his index finger.

“I can only read the books to the left of that empty space. The right side is written in characters I don’t know.”

Suradel’s head tilted.

“Lia, by any chance, can you read that text?”

Quietly, I looked down at the book I was holding.

A book in Korean.

There was no way I couldn’t read it. Those characters were much more familiar to me than the common language of the continent.

“…Yes. I can read this text.”

“Then can you read it right here and tell me what it is about?”

Hearing his sweet voice, I lowered my head and read the book.

Like the book that Suradel had read, this seemed like a novel.

Novels usually have a lot of settings at the beginning.

As the situation, background, and worldview of the main character must be explained.

Thanks to that, even though I only skimmed through the first part, I could roughly grasp the contents.

A worldview of angels and demons.

Angels and demons made an agreement not to interfere in the middle-earth where humans live, but as time went by, cracks formed in the prohibition.

A powerful demon was trying to dig into that gap.

No matter how powerful the demon was, he had to make a contract with a human to infiltrate middle-earth.

After thousands of years of contracts with humans to interfere with the middle-earth, the demons were caught by the angels.

And with that, the Great War between Heaven and Hell broke out.

Thereafter… 

The story of the forbidden love between an angel and a demon that took place during the Great War progressed.

Indeed, this was also a romance fantasy genre novel.

I closed the book and for some reason, answered while looking at Suradel.

“This… I think it’s just a romance novel.”

“Hmm.”

Suradel’s gaze shifted with a sullen smile.

“Actually, I’m not curious about what’s in the book. What I’m really curious about is…”

The place where that gaze reached was my eyes. Stretching a hand out, he brushed my cheek. 

“How in the world does Lia know that text? It’s this.”

My eyes that were fixed on him trembled.

‘Should I tell you that this world is a novel I read in my previous life, and that you weren’t a character?’

To be honest, I wanted to ask Suradel who he really was and what he was hiding.

“Come to think of it…”

As if pondering something, Suradel’s long eyelashes lowered.

“Lia, you acted too much like a human being for someone who was born an animal, and after successfully humanizing, you often say incomprehensible things.”

—Like a person from another world, but with only the soul.

I was taken aback by what he added quietly.

Goosebumps rose up.

No matter how many suspicious things I said or did, he could deduce instantly that I was from another world?

When I couldn’t calm my confused mind, Suradel stared blankly at me. Those gold eyes made it seem like he realized something.

“Ah…?”

He widened his eyes in disbelief, then let out a laugh.

“Hahahahaha! Ahahahahaha!”

Covering his face with both hands, he exhaled and muttered.

“…Okay. I didn’t fail the magic.”

There was an indescribable excitement and madness in his eyes, which peeked through the cracks in his hands.

“It was no coincidence that what I so desperately hoped for came true.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly, somewhat squinting at Suuradel.

I didn’t understand at all what was going on.

“Lia.”

Suradel slowly raised his eyes, fixing them on me as if he was madly in love with me.

“I guess I was destined to love you.”

“…What? What are you saying… so suddenly?”

As though he couldn’t see my bewildered expression, he continued to say incomprehensible things.

“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you sooner. Am I too late?”

As I watched Suradel continue to pour out nonsense, my anger rose to the top of my head.

I grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face down, glaring ferociously like I would eat him at any moment. 

“Stop talking nonsense, just answer this one. What are you?”

“I told you, Lia. I can be anything you want.”

I was about to lose my energy at the same absurd answer as last time.

If he was being like this, there was no choice but to change the question.

“Are you a possessor?”

“…A possessor?”

Suradel slowly tilted his head.

Then, as if he understood what I meant, a smirk formed on his lips.

“Ah, I know roughly what you mean, but…”

He paused briefly. His smirk grew wider.

“I was born and raised entirely in this world, Lia.”

A way of speaking that seemed to recognize that there was another world.

As expected, he was hiding something. As I have suspected since I first met him.

“Let’s stop the questions here, Lia.”

That sentence made my confused mind somewhat return.

“Don’t try to end it on your own. I haven’t even started yet.”

“Sorry. I have a desire to tell you everything, but I am still afraid.”

“…Is there anything you are afraid of?”

“You know what, Lia?”

Slowly, Suradel lifted the end of my hair, kissing it.

“Your presence is my greatest fear.”

It was a sweet voice that took my breath away, but the content was shockingly embarrassing.

‘After chasing me like a stalker every day, my existence is your fear.’

‘Isn’t that ridiculous?’

“…Why am I your fear?”

“It’s the fear of loss.”

In his smiling eyes, there was a vivid fear that I had never seen before.

“I’m afraid you will disappear in the blink of an eye. I’m afraid you’ll leave me.”

Suradel’s voice trembled so finely that I wouldn’t notice if I wasn’t paying attention.

He appeared solid on the outside, but was unstable like a sand castle that would collapse even with a small force.

“…I love you, but you don’t love me.”

Was it difficult for him to manage his expression, or did he just want to lean on me?

Suradel slowly buried his face in my shoulder.

“So, let’s end here for today.”

Hearing his pleading voice, I could no longer question him.

Ame: There are so many hints in this chapter, did you spot them? Let’s see if your guesses are right~