CH 51

Ttak.

Suradel clapped his hands once and changed the mood.

“Okay, shall we practice animalization first?”

However, in the past few days, I realized that animalization and humanization were not so simple, and my motivation hit rock bottom.

Everyone thought I’m a killer whale demibeast, so I followed Suradel to the sea, but…

“I think I can practice animalization by myself? I mean, there is no other way.”

In the meantime, I asked several demibeasts besides Iprus, but the only answer that came back was that it was difficult to explain because they were able to do it instinctively from birth.

Yet, unexpected words came out of Suradel’s mouth.

“Lia. In fact, I can explain how to animalize and humanize.”

“…Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I got this because I didn’t tell you that.”

Suradel’s eyes closed as he smiled and tapped his red lips with his index finger.

It was a sight that made me want to peck him. 

Upon seeing my agitated expression, he explained apologetically.

“Actually, I never thought of explaining this sensation to anyone, so I only realized it later.”

I pushed my anger aside and held out my hand.

“Please tell me how to do it.”

“Think of being a penguin, and think of disassembling and reconstructing the elements that make up your body.”

“Re… constructing?”

“Reestablishing the pieces that make up your body, one by one.”

Listening to Suradel’s explanation made the existence of demibeasts who repeatedly went from being an animal and then a human seem strange.

Among the demibeasts, there were large elephant demibeasts, and small field mouse demibeasts like Jack…

I couldn’t believe such drastic big or small changes could occur in a human body.

Hmm.

“…Come to think of it, how are you able to explain this?”

It was a method of animalization and humanization that no one had ever uttered.

I didn’t think I would be able to open my mouth easily if someone were to ask me to explain how to breathe.

“Like Lia, I learned how to animalize and humanize.”

“Weren’t you born a demibeast?”

“I’m a little different from the average demibeast.”

When he calmly admitted that he was different from an ordinary demibeast, I couldn’t help but ask.

A question I had since I first saw him a few years ago.

Suradel.

“You… What are you?”

It was strange from the start.

A person who didn’t even appear in the original work, yet had abilities beyond that of the male lead.

With a characteristic soft smile, Suradel asked in a sweet tone.

“What does Lia want me to be? A killer whale? Or a penguin?”

“…….”

I shut my mouth.

No. What I wanted to know was not the kind of demibeast he was.

‘What I really want to know is…’

His past.

Furthermore, I wanted to know more about his life.

Did the original story change because of Suradel, or did Suradel’s life change because the original story changed?

If Suradel was the hidden villain in the novel, then what was his ultimate goal?

“Then let’s do this.”

He abruptly lowered his head, bringing himself to my eye level.

“Choose, Lia. What kind of demibeast would you like me to be?”

“…My choice does not change your essence.”

“No. I can be any animal you want.”

Whatever it is.

As Suradel waved his hand, the waters danced freely in the air.

“It’s said you can’t pick up spilled water, right? But if you have enough magic ability, it’s possible.”

It was an absurd sophistry.

‘No matter how great your magical skills are, how is it possible to change your race?’

Suradel laughed softly.

“I can be a dog just for you if you want.”

‘Are you going to turn it into a joke again?’

I got annoyed with him for trying to sneak over things like this every time.

“Really? Then bark.”

Suradel smiled happily and knelt down on one knee.

Then he kissed the back of my hand and closed his eyes.

“Woof woof.”

Motionlessly, I looked down at him.

…I didn’t mean to kiss the back of my hand.

“Cat.”

“Meow.”

It was an immediate answer this time. This was kind of fun.

“Penguin.”

“Weyeng.”

“Fox.”

“…Huh?”

When the order for a fox came in, Suradel looked slightly puzzled.

I slowly tilted my head.

“Why? Do you hate foxes?”

“It’s not that, but I don’t know how foxes cry…”

“Ha, you don’t know that?”

I crossed my arms tightly and raised my head confidently.

“Ring ding ding ding dee dee dee ding.”

(TL/N: never thought i’ll see this reference lmao Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! WHAT THE FOX SAY?) 

“Huh? Ring ding… what?”

Question marks floated across Suradel’s face.

As he wondered if this was it, I rolled my eyes.

“…Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho?”

A chilly silence came between Suradel and me.

He looked like he didn’t know how to react.

Shit.

I forgot this humor wouldn’t work here.

I hurriedly change the mood.

“Su, you said before that if I show you my animal form, you will show me too.”

“Huh.”

“Did you see the penguin to your heart’s content yesterday? Then, show your animal form right here and now.”

Yes.

‘First of all, I need to check if Suradel is a killer whale.’

‘Finding out about his past is not urgent.’

Suradel accepted without hesitation when asked to show his animal form.

“It’s not a bad idea. Watch how I change and use it when you practice, Lia.”

Having said that, Suradel suddenly took off the hooded cloak he was wearing; it fluttered down on the ice.

He then unfastened the buttons of the shirt that he was wearing inside.

Skirsch.

‘…What? You’re openly undressing here?’

As if conscious of my gaze, he stopped his hand and sent me a smirk.

“Lia. You’re going to salivate.”

“Don’t worry about me, just finish what you’re doing.”

It was true that I almost drooled, so I gulped the saliva down and resumed staring.

The well-balanced body looked like a sculpture.

His claims of being a magic swordsman must be true.

“…I didn’t know Lia would like it this much.”

Meeting my twinkling eyes, a corner of Suradel’s mouth twisted up, making a mischievous expression.

“I want to hide it because you like it.”

The moment he finished saying that, he jumped into the sea without warning. He hadn’t even completely taken off his top.

Aww. If I had known it would be like this, I would have pretended to be a bit shy.

Where he fell, a spray rose.

Of all things, the water splashed around my eyes, so I closed my eyes and wiped them off with my sleeve.

When I finally secured my sight, something black came out of the sea.

Choo—

Once the white foam dissipated with the sea water, a huge killer whale was revealed.

With its head sticking out of the water, the killer whale stared at me.

The smooth black skin and white points around the eyes were attractive.

“Kwuuuuu.”

…Even the cry was cute.

I hate to admit it, but it was a type of animal that I was very fond of.

By the way…

“Killer whale is right, Su.”

It was a little surprising that the silver-haired Suradel’s animal form was the same as that of an ordinary killer whale.

It wasn’t to the extent that I couldn’t understand, since the other day he said he wasn’t an albino or had pigmentation deficiency.

I carefully placed my hand on the killer whale’s head.

Then, this time, it closed its eyes with a cute ‘Kyung’ sound.

It seemed to be enjoying my touch. At this time, I had the thought it might not be Suradel.

The firm yet soft feeling was amazing, so my hand kept moving.

I even thought I wanted to kiss that smooth skin, but I gritted my teeth and endured it.

The killer whale enjoyed my touch for a long time and then at some point went into the sea.

I was sitting on the edge of the ice and blankly gazing at the sea, wondering what was going on, when suddenly, a killer whale jumped out of the water towards me.

My eyes widened in surprise when a huge killer whale, nearly 10 meters tall, charged at me.

But before long, I realized that Suradel wouldn’t harm me, so I sat quietly and watched him do whatever he was doing.

The killer whale came up to me as it was, and I, who was sitting on the edge of the ice, fell halfway back under its weight.

All I was holding was the killer whale’s head, but as it was so huge, I had to hug it with my whole body.

Hugging a killer whale… How unexpected. I laughed and stroked its head.

Perhaps because it was a killer whale, this behavior just seemed cute.

Even though my clothes were wet from the killer whale that went into the sea and came out.

As I hugged him, Suradel rubbed his face against me. He seemed to be acting cute.

‘My God, how adorable…!’

It was then.

The killer whale I was holding suddenly turned into fine particles like a mirage and began to scatter away.

And what’s left of the missing killer whale… 

Suradel.

When I came to my senses, he was looking down at me from above. I had my hand on the nape of his neck.

Drip.

One or two drops of water from his wet hair fell on my face.

My eyes narrowed into a glare. 

“Do you want to die? Give me back my killer whale right away!”

I was having a great time with a cute killer whale!

Why did a silver-haired young man pop out and disturb me?

…Ah.

‘I don’t think it’s bad when I put it like this.’

Ame: Liaaaaa, shouldn’t you cover your eyes? ^o^