CH 6

Suradel shrugged lightly.

“Well, now that we’re done talking about this, I’ll get to the point…”

“Did you have a point?”

It was the most surprising thing he had ever said.

I thought he was just here to play tricks.

“You want to learn how to animalize, so you’ll be going to our estate sooner or later.”

“The Weil’s estate?”

“Yes. Our Weil family estate is a huge island surrounded by the sea on all sides.”

Suradel smiled and explained why I would be going to Weil estate.

“Since you are a killer whale, it would be better than practicing here, which is inland.”

As the situation became bigger than I expected, I felt anxious.

A future where I learned to become a penguin while practicing animalization on that island was pictured in my mind.

‘That can’t happen.’

“Suradel. Can’t I just do it here? Do I have to go that far?”

“There is no water here, so it will be a little difficult to return to your animal form. You know, right?”

“Bu-But I’ve lived in a house all my life, so it’s okay…”

“Lia. If you say that, my mother will not allow it even more.”

I remembered Bella’s astonished expression earlier and quietly shut my mouth.

She thought I was living in a small tank.

It was natural to think so if a giant killer whale was said to have lived in an ordinary family house.

‘I can’t do it. I have no choice but to learn how to animalize on my own  before I’m made to go to the Weil estate.’

‘Come to think of it, I’m curious…’

“Suradel. So how do the people of Weil live in townhouses?”

Could a demibeast continue to maintain its human form?

No. If a demibeast did not return to animal form periodically, fatigue would build up in the body and it’s forced to turn into an animal.

As whales live in the sea, it would be dangerous to return to their original form on land.

Suradel explained as if it was nothing special.

“The Weils have a longer duration of humanization than other beasts. Besides, if time is tight, we can use movement magic to go to the Weil estate.”

“Isn’t that still dangerous?”

“Yes, it’s dangerous. So most of this townhouse’s servants are from other races.”

As I listened to that explanation, I realized why the Weils didn’t make it to the center in the original.

The understanding now was that the Weil family could use magic. So as he said, they could quickly go to the sea with movement magic at the right time… 

In the original, magic was the exclusive property of pure-blooded humans.

This was because, unlike pure-blood humans, beasts could not generate mana in their body, so they could not use magic itself.

So, in the original where magic was exclusive to pure-blooded humans, whales couldn’t live in the capital because they didn’t know when they would return to their original form.

Whales are lung-breathing mammals, so lack of water doesn’t mean they couldn’t breathe.

However, whales that have come ashore do not last long due to the strong body pressure.

The enormous weight could press the internal organs and the back to death. Well, there’s also problems like dry skin.

‘A question arises here is, if so, how are the Weils, who are demibeasts, currently using magic?’

It’s still just a guess, but I think the reason might be because of the ‘species characteristic ability’.

Species characteristic abilities.

In short, characteristic. It sounds a bit strange, but…

Anyway, this species characteristic basically refers to the in-born ability that’s superior to other species.

This special ability has a lot of influence on the family.

For example, wolf demibeasts have good overall physical abilities, so many of them have jobs that use their bodies.

I heard that elephant demibeasts have good dexterity, producing many famous craftsmen.

Also, it’s said that the fox demibeasts had caused various scandals with their beautiful appearances.

‘In any case, while I don’t know exactly what kind of ability the Weils have, it’s probably something that allows them to use magic?’

“Ah. Actually, I also have a question for you, Lia.”

I replied to Suradel’s voice, pushing my thoughts into a corner.

“…What?”

“Why does Lia call me Suradel?”

‘What. Is he pushing that he’s the successor to the Weil family?

But as I was indebted to this place, I knew I had to bend what I had to bend.

I let out a small sigh and said,

“Young master.”

“No, don’t call me so stiffly. There’s that, you know.”

“That?”

“Yes. That.”

“I’m just saying this, but if you ask me to call you things like ‘honey’, ‘baby’, ‘sweetheart’, or ‘darling’, I’ll just leave and sleep on the streets.”

Then, as if Suradel was intensely moved, his eyebrows gathered in the middle and he covered his mouth.

“You were already thinking that far with an innocent face…?”

He looked at me with twinkling eyes as if expecting something.

“It would be great if you called me like that, but I wanted you to call me by a simple nickname.”

“…I don’t want to overly friendly.”

“Why? Does Lia hate me?”

“What about it? We saw each other for the first time today.”

Suradel muttered a little with an expression that somehow seemed like he had been hit in the back of the head.

“First… That’s right, we met for the first time today.”

Suradel quickly took hold of his expression, changing it to a soft smile.

“Then what’s your first impression of me?”

“Nothing much.”

Actually, if asked if I really hated him, regardless of his first impression, I don’t.

He did bother me about this and that, but he was kind to me despite me being a little hateful.

Above all, wasn’t he handsome?

Suradel’s golden eyes stared straight at me.

“Really?”

“…I don’t hate you.”

It was a small voice that was barely audible, but Suradel understood it and smiled brightly.

“I like Lia too.”

“It’s not that I like you, but I don’t dislike you.”

“Mmm. I won’t force you to call me by a nickname, but call me by it when you feel like it.”

“Are you listening to me?”

“Haha, what?”

I felt it even when I was a penguin, he seemed to have a habit of only listening to what he wanted to hear.

“Oh right. Take this, Lia.”

“What?”

What Suradel gave me was a jewel. An wnworked, brilliant blue gemstone.

“Actually, I was going to give this to another Lia… I couldn’t go see her today, so I’ll give it to you.”

“Our Lia likes stones.”

He laughed loosely and added a few words, while I barely held myself back from getting angry the moment he said ‘our Lia’.

“I don’t like pieces of stone like that. Give it to the other Lia.”

“Really? Then I have to throw it away.”

Saying so, Suradel threw the jewel out the window without any regrets.

Kirsch.

It seemed to have landed directly on the flower bed.

“…Why throw it away!”

Surprised, I immediately looked for the jewel that fell out the window, but he was just calm.

“It’s something I don’t need. I got it for Lia.”

“I told you to give it to the other Lia!”

“How can I give what Lia refused to another Lia? The Lia who received it will be hurt.”

It’s me, why would I get hurt?

As I gave Suradel a look of absurdity, he continued speaking, his face between the open doors.

“You must be tired, please go to bed early. There’s a lot of things to do tomorrow.”

“…To do?”

“Because you became a human, there are many things you need. Let’s go buy some things together.”

“Do I really have to go with you?”

As expected, the answer came quickly.

“Yes, I’m the money bag.”

“If so, then it’s different.”

I quickly changed my stance and nodded my head slightly as a sign of agreement.

Then I looked out the window again to try to find the fallen gem.

“Lia, maybe later tonight…”

“What, you haven’t left yet?”

He acted like he was about to leave, but he looked at me as if he had something to say.

I was worried about the jewel that had fallen on the flower bed, so I didn’t notice his subtle expression. I just asked.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. Then get some rest.”

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

In the late night.

I tossed and turned in bed, eventually jumping up.

“I can’t sleep.”

It seemed to be because a lot happened in a day. Should I say that I’m troubled?

After four years of possession, I succeeded in humanization, left my father’s arms and tried to run away, then after being kidnapped, I was collected by whales.

But the ultimate reason for not being able to sleep was… 

…Probably because of the jewel that Suradel threw out the window.

The bright stone kept flashing in my mind.

I was so worried about it that my body started to get hot a while ago, and my head was throbbing.

‘Yes. I’ll admit it.’

I like stones.

I just like stones, but if it’s pretty and expensive, I’m even more thrilled.

One day, Suradel asked me, fluttering a note with these words on it.

<Adélie penguin features: Likes stones.>

“Lia, Is it true that you like stones?”

I shook my head desperately in denial. But his gaze was already on the stones piled up like a mountain in my nest.

All of the round or angular stones were selected by me, so they were like pretty children.

Belatedly, I spread my wings and tried to hide the stone, but it had already been discovered.

“Huh… I see.”

From the next day onwards, he came to me with all kinds of jewels.

He would ask for a handshake, or a hug, or to show him how I would ride a boat sled.

He tried to twist me with cheap substances.

Of course, like a noble penguin, I never fell for his temptation.

But the jewel that fell on the flower bed wasn’t exactly given to me by Suradel, so wouldn’t it be okay?

I rationalized like that and got out of bed.

My heart raced at the thought that I could finally get a pretty stone.