The Crazy Killer Whale’s Favourite Penguin

Episode 74: Another Story – In Another Life

Dad’s expression hardened even more at the appearance of Suradel.

“You know how to make that kind of expression for someone else, not just Adelia.”

Dad, who had muttered lowly, burst out laughing.

“…Yes, humans take precedence over animals. It’s not unusual to be attracted to females of the same species.”

It was a smiling face, but the words that came out of his mouth were thorny.

Suradel replied, his eyes and brows narrowing, which was rare.

“Lord Reynos. Adelia’s disappearance is a great pity. Which was I did my best to find Adelia for several weeks.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

“I hope you don’t say that I abandoned Adelia and sold my eyes to another demibeast.”

“Are you saying that’s not the case?”

“Adelia is still more precious to me than any other life.”

Anger ran over Dad’s face when he heard Suradel’s words. Veins bulged in the fist that was clenched

“Such a person gave up on finding Adelia and traveled to the Weil territory?”

“Sir Reynos.”

“…I had something to tell you about finding Adelia, but now I don’t have to.”

Dad turned, his face hardened. Then Suradel grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him.

“Where are you going?”

Dad tilted his head with an expressionless face.

“Do I have a duty to report it?”

“I should apologize and leave.”

At the mention of an apology, I shook my head quickly.

“Stop. Re… Lord Reynos did nothing wrong. I fell alone, and I cried because I was in pain.”

Dad looked down at me without saying a word.

How long has it been like that? My dry lips were swollen.

“As you have heard, I have nothing to apologize for. It was just a light brush. I don’t know how much you trust that woman, but…”

His gaze, which touched me, fell without regret.

“I’m giving you advice because we have history, but I think you’d better be careful. Her ability to portray sad eyes is unusual.”

Suradel’s expression hardened as he looked at Reynos.

“Lord Reynos, you will regret saying that someday.”

“…Regret?”

Hah.

“I’m already trying to let go of my regrets. Dozens or hundreds of times a day.”

He stared at Suradel and I with a blank gaze and expression before saying his last goodbye.

“Since Iprus has left, and Sir Suradel has also left, it will be my own battle now.”

—Thank you for all this time.

With a flap of his cloak, Dad left the Weil family house.

As soon as Dad disappeared before my eyes, I collapsed on the floor.

Dun.

“…Lia!”

Suradel called my name and came running.

I couldn’t hear a thing.

I… I think I was returning to being a penguin, as I could see a long beak visible through my blurry blinks.

In the meantime, I thought it was a relief that Dad didn’t see me turning back into a penguin.

As a human being, I was looked upon with contempt by my father…

At least, it’s okay to think that I, who was a penguin, wasn’t hated.

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In my previous life, I was born into a well-off family.

The problem, though, was that I contracted a rare disease and was forced to stay in the hospital the rest of my life.

The disease had many symptoms, but the most dangerous was idiopathic epilepsy.

Seizures that appeared without reason.

“It will be difficult to pass the age of ten. The seizures are too frequent and they last for a long time.”

When I was young, I went to various hospitals to cure my illness. I even went abroad to receive treatment.

However, as with most rare diseases, no matter how hard I tried, I could not find a cure or even the cause of my illness.

Moreover, it seemed that my parents gave up on me after my younger brother was born.

It was not that I hadn’t tried to live my daily life.

But the seizures always came at the most unexpected moment.

I wasn’t sure how many times I had passed the river of death because I didn’t receive first aid in time.

In the end, I had to live in the hospital where I could get first aid at any time.

Was it fortunate or unlucky?

The family which I was born in was generous enough to provide me with a single hospital room.

Actually, I vaguely knew.

That if my parents really loved me, they would have kept me at home and had a caregiver attached to me, not in a hospital.

The only blemish of the family.

I was like that.

That was how I was alone in the hospital room, reading novels day and night.

Perhaps that’s why I was mentally younger than my peers and less sociable.

Except for the medical staff who came to the interview at the scheduled time, no one came to see me.

Sometimes, really sometimes…

As if they came to check on my life and death; I think I was very desperate to look good when my family visited.

I would give them the only bed. I brought out the snacks I had been saving.

I thought that if I did, they would give me a little more attention.

How foolish.

Doctors said I wouldn’t live past the age of ten.

However, I persisted and survived and reached my 20th birthday, which was twice of that.

However, it seems that it was a misfortune for the parents.

After reading a novel all night, I was so tired that I fell asleep without even knowing that my family had come.

Then I woke up to the sound of talking and the presence of people.

“It’s been a while since she’s in the hospital.”

“…That’s how it turned out.”

“I still can’t believe this is my older sister.”

It was the voice of my mother and brother.

“She is sleeping well without any worries. Someone is hard at work outside, earning money to pay for her hospital bills.”

My brother’s sarcastic voice and words were clear, but I couldn’t stand up and get angry.

Because he was right.

After a while, my mother replied, neither affirming nor denying my brother’s words.

“Doctors said she wouldn’t live past the age of ten. That young thing has persevered tenaciously, going through several death hurdles to try to live.”

These were the words I never expected to come out of the mouth of a mother who treated me like a half-missing child.

‘I’m happy.’

It felt like they knew how hard I had endured so far.

At that moment, I even thought that it would be okay even if the disease did not get better.

Until… I heard that.

“…I want her to die now.”

Thud.

My heart dropped.

I see.

My family didn’t want me alive.

It was a sin that I was alive.

After that, I didn’t know how miserably I endured to avoid being caught.

As soon as my mother and brother left the hospital room, I burst into tears.

My heart was constricting to the point where I couldn’t breathe.

No matter how much tears were shed, the raging emotions could not be calmed down.

Loneliness was not healed by time.

The longer one was alone, the greater the loneliness.

Someone, anyone… 

Give me some love.

The muscles of my whole body contracted, and a shattering headache came.

It was a seizure symptom that I had suffered many times, but something was different that day.

I heard the medical staff running and shouting something and urgently giving first aid.

But I had neither the strength nor the mental capability left to endure.

20th birthday.

That was how I met death without anyone congratulating me on my birthday.

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It was dark, damp and stuffy.

Instinctively, I began to break through what was blocking my way.

It was so hard, it must have taken hours before a small hole was drilled in it to allow me to breathe.

As if I wasn’t alone, someone’s voice came from outside the wall.

“Master! The egg finally cracked…!”

“Oh my god. I didn’t expect it, but it’s really born.”

I couldn’t understand a word of what they were saying, like they were speaking in another language.

‘Hey, stop saying weird stuff and help me.’

But no matter how long I waited, they didn’t save me, and in the end I had no choice but to break down the wall myself.

In the end, after struggling for a long time, I was able to break through the wall and become free.

Pirolong-! Pirolong-!

I struggled and came out. Then, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t open my eyes.

At that time, I felt someone’s hand gently craddling me.

The hand holding me trembled, as if the person was nervous.

“…Hi baby, I am your father.”

I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but one thing was certain.

Warmth and a careful touch. With a friendly voice.

It was the first feeling I encountered. The feeling was so clear that I was sure.

‘This person is firmly in love with me.’

Alas, how much I had hoped for.

How much did I want to be loved by someone…

As I trembled with the rising joy, he hugged me more closely and whispered.

“Thank you for being born.”

Ame: Breathe everyone, breathe.