Killer Whale Baby

The voice echoed like a cave, surprising Callipso.

‘Oh, the voice doesn’t match his face at all.’

Even though his eyebrows were slightly furrowed and there were faint dark circles, indicating sensitivity, his voice was not like that at all.

Well, it didn’t matter to Callipso.

‘From the beginning, he’s the type of person who wouldn’t bother to look at me if I appeared and claimed to be his daughter.’

Although Callipso hadn’t met Pierre much, she understood his personality.

To be precise, she had heard stories from those who had met him in the previous round.

<Pierre, who has passed away? Ah, he really hated annoying and bothersome things. Especially children, right? That’s why he didn’t even look at his own child, the head of the family!>

<You ignorant and foolish child, would you say such things in front of the head of the family? Anyway, whale babies have no brains, just blubber. Oh, speaking of the head of the family, I heard that despite being sick, he liked things to be extremely clean.>

Surprisingly, there was a lot of interest in Pierre among those who had passed away.

‘It’s surprising that they remember him so well, even though he’s already dead.’

In a family that revered power and the body, he might have become the strongest ever, but his body was frail, making him a peculiar existence.

Nevertheless, the fact that he disliked children gave Callipso more reason to speak confidently than when facing her grandmother.

“It’s the opposite.”

“Hmm, which direction?”

“It’s quite a distance away.”

“Really? That’s a bid problem.”

Callipso brought her adorable hand to her chin and muttered in a whining tone.

In reality, that appearance was incredibly cute and lovely, but Pierre only gazed at it as if observing a mineral.

“I really have to go there. How about you take me there, uncle?”

Her voice was assertive. Pierre stared at Callipso intently and tilted his head slightly.

“I don’t want to.”

A strong sense of annoyance passed through his face.

‘As expected, he seems to dislike annoying things.’

That face was the kind that anyone would look at and wonder, ‘Why me?’

“Really? Well, I guess I can’t help it then.”

Without hesitation, Callipso shrugged her shoulders, reached out her arm next to the fountain, and whined as she climbed up and sat down.

“Since the education is done, it’s time to eat.”

Until Callipso took her seat, Pierre silently watched her without saying a word.

Callipso looked at Pierre, who neither looked at her nor brought the bag she had prepared.

She took out dried fruits from the worn-out dolphin-shaped bag.

It was something she had been collecting since she could walk.

‘I collected the food because I didn’t know how the situation would turn out.’

The building where Callipso lived was a place where only babies who had to survive alone for 1 to 2 years were placed, so food was scarce.

As soon as Callipso turned two years old, she started gathering items that could be stored for a long time.

After enjoying her meal, Callipso turned her head.

“What are you looking at, uncle?”

Even to Callipso’s straightforward question, Pierre had no answer.

Is that the only expression he has?

“If you have nothing to say, don’t stare at me. Go away.”

“……”

Are you the only one being grumpy? I can be grumpy too. Father.

Callipso continued to chew on the dried fruit while grumbling inwardly.

At one point, her nose felt itchy, so she sneezed.

Unbeknownst to Callipso, while she was climbing up the dirty fountain, the dirt on the handle had smeared onto her cheek.

She had no idea that a black mark resembling a tattoo had appeared on her face, and she diligently enjoyed her meal.

‘All the meals are like baby food, with only cheap and tasteless things. This sweetness is heaven, it’s paradise.’

Unconsciously forgetting her true purpose and being captivated by the taste, Callipso couldn’t help but admire it.

“Uncle, why do you keep looking at me? Are you hungry, by any chance?”

“…”

“Should I give you one?”

Callipso extended her hand, offering the contents of her bag.

Internally, she recalled her purpose and felt a sense of frustration.

“….”

However, receiving no response, she had to bring it back again.

‘Hmm, he’s really taciturn.’

Callipso couldn’t help but think of her forgotten friendliness.

How can he leave such an impression without acting annoying?

But realizing that there is no immediate answer, she got up from her seat without any lingering attachment.

“Thank you for showing me the way, uncle. It’s really quiet here. Do you always play here alone?”

“…”

“Are you also an outcast? No one pays attention to you like they do to me?”

Pierre lived in one of the shabby buildings at the western end.

Although he was weak, he didn’t need to live in such a remote and rundown place.

This was also something that intrigued Callipso.

‘Did he give up on life early?’

His resigned appearance somehow made her think that this side might not be the right answer.

If that were the case, he was someone Callipso, who had an immense attachment to life, couldn’t understand at all.

Callipso tilted her head.

“If that’s the case, you must be lonely like me, uncle.”

Although she wasn’t particularly lonely, Callipso tried to speak like a child.

It wasn’t entirely a false statement.

In the building where Callipso lived, there were only baby whales and deceased whales, who couldn’t speak or died early.

And there were only caretakers and trainers who had no interest in the babies.

‘I wouldn’t even look at an ant passing by like this.’

Seeing his unresponsive face regardless of what she said, Callipso couldn’t help but feel annoyed and silently clicked her tongue.

It seems like he has no interest in me at all.

Fine, be that way.

Callipso decided to leave, abandoning her lingering thoughts.

“Hmm, I should go home. Goodbye, uncle.”

Callipso knew when to enter and when to leave.

Now was the time to retreat.

“See you again.”

Not expecting a response to that either, Callipso didn’t even bother to look back.

Being strongly attached to life, she was accustomed to only looking forward.

“…”

Because of that, Callipso didn’t realize the intense gaze piercing into her back.

After Callipso left, Pierre remained in a daze like a statue for a while, then suddenly reached out his hand.

On his hand that brushed against the spot where Callipso had been, there was a black smudge.

A water droplet suddenly emerged and cleaned Pierre’s hand.

“Perhaps…”

He thought for the first time in a while.

“That… might be my daughter.”

Pierre looked at his hand, still wet with clear water, and lazily flicked his tongue.

At the same time, he lazily ran his hand through his hair.

“Hmm.”

A sluggish voice cut through the air. The thought was fleeting.

“She probably doesn’t even know I’m her father.”

* * *

… That’s probably what he’s thinking, right?

I pondered as I hopped around.

‘As if that would be the case.’

I thought while looking at my father, Pierre. There’s no way he wouldn’t recognize me.

The whale family is divided into direct lineage and collateral lineage.

The “power of water” they possess mostly manifests in the direct lineage, but occasionally there are individuals in the collateral lineage who awaken this power.

In such cases, individuals from the collateral lineage also gain the qualification to participate in the succession battle.

‘I have the qualification to participate in the succession battle solely based on my bloodline as a direct lineage member.’

Who cares about participating anyway? After becoming stronger this life, I’ll show off proudly.

Anyway, getting back to the point, there are slight differences in appearance between the direct lineage and collateral lineage.

The direct lineage has hair that looks like the inverted skin of a real whale, a mix of black and white strands.

The collateral lineage has gray hair.

‘Besides, even if I call myself a direct lineage member, the current kids are all the same. It would be difficult to recognize them.’

What would you think if you saw a little one with the same personality as me?

If you don’t recognize them, you’re an idiot. At least it doesn’t seem like you’re an idiot, so it’s undoubtedly better to pretend not to know.

‘Since you said you dislike annoying and troublesome things, you must dislike kids too.’

I should think more about how to approach them in the future.

‘Anyway, before moving and going to the educational institution, I have to show a bit of my face to my father.’

The educational institution attended from the age of 3. It is a place that applies to all whale lineage beings and is also a building in one of the vast whale estates.

If we consider it as learning, it’s like kindergarten…

But in reality, it’s a heartless place where they throw whale babies and tell them to survive.

Especially for aggressive whales, regardless of direct lineage or collateral lineage, if they fail to demonstrate their intellect, physique, and power of water in this educational institution, they are completely discarded.

‘Other whales don’t care for their own offspring. It’s all because of this damn family.’

I will be quite irritated from the moment I enter the educational institution.

Because I have to show off the dominance of my lineage to avoid being kicked out as an outsider.

If I’m kicked out, it’s a confirmed path to be sold to another family, just like in my past life.

‘If that happens, I won’t be able to become the bride of the dragon that I planned.’

There’s no choice. I have to somehow showcase my genius.

Fortunately, I was confident in myself.

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Translator Note:

This chapter was translated by Bree.

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