21
The Dragon Festival.
“Yes, that’s right. Wouldn’t it be held in the City of Dragons?”
I ate my sausage nibble by nibble, meticulously, while listening to their conversation.
The topic they brought up was the imperial festival held once a year.
It was also a place to honor dragons and the Dragon Duke.
‘So that’s being held this year, too.’
To be precise, it is a festival to commemorate the guardian deity of the Empire, and also to ensure the Dragon Duke does not covet the Imperial Throne.
It is also a place where the Imperial Family solidifies its surveillance.
‘Indeed, he is a dragon who blew away the entire Empire in the very last cycle.’
And at the festival…… the Dragon Duke I need to meet will surely be there as well. It was a tempting prospect.
“Would shifters like us even be able to go there? This year, they’ll probably only invite land animal shifters again, I bet.”
This world is a place where discrimination is rampant.
Because it is a world that places land animals in a superior position, generally only land animal shifters could enter the Dragon Festival unless they were specially invited.
“What a shame. I’d really like to see it at least once.”
Exactly. I want to see this festival, too.
Is there no way?
‘I want to see the Dragon Duke at least once before I go as a bride.’
“It’s a shame, but…… it can’t be helped. Ah! Did everyone hear? Calypso-nim, they say the Family Head is returning soon!”
I blinked my eyes wide, temporarily brushing away thoughts of the Dragon Festival.
“Returning?”
“Kyaaa, you’re so cute, too cute.”
“Princess, did you just wink?”
“It wasn’t that, but I’ll do it one more time, so tell me more in detail.”
“Kyaaa!”
After a bout of commotion, Aiya opened her mouth.
“They say the Family Head was away for a moment and is returning after three months. I heard she is holding a family meeting as soon as she arrives.”
“The vassals are very busy.”
Hmm, I wondered why Grandmother hadn’t taken any action even though there were things that could have been a bit noisy.
So she had been away for a while?
I looked at the maids anew.
‘You know the news of the main castle well, don’t you?’
Even though they are currently living with me in this shabby building.
“You know it well, don’t you?”
“Yes. Because we Herring sisters are everywhere.”
“In the main castle, too!”
So that’s how it is. I thought to myself that they bring back more useful information than expected.
‘A family meeting.’
In the killer whale family, the one who leads the aquatic animal shifters with the ‘power of water’ becomes the leader.
Naturally, it goes without saying that the vassal families are mostly aquatic animals.
The first vassals are the whale families excluding the killer whales, and from the second vassals onward are the aquatic animals.
‘Grandmother didn’t go easy on the vassals, so when things went wrong, she used to call them fish market brats.’
It’s called a meeting, but with Grandmother’s personality, it was always a meeting where something got broken or people went flying.
It was a meeting where something always happened.
“Wouldn’t they introduce lady Calypso to everyone at the meeting?”
“Right, right!”
Well, although Grandmother didn’t kick me out to another building unlike in other cycles.
No. No.
‘Since I moved up to the top class at age three, can I expect a little bit?’
Being introduced at the meeting was no different from a place to brag about having great talent as a member of the killer whale direct line.
‘Moreover, I even became the boss of the top class.’
It was an achievement that could never be ignored.
‘How should I brag about this?’
The corners of my mouth were itching.
Phew, it’s a happy dilemma. I really want to see that old hag’s face crumple at least once.
‘Since there’s no more room to skip grades, what should I use to draw interest?’
But it was only for a moment. Before I could even sink into thought, a spoon was suddenly thrust forward. I see orange.
“Lady Calypso, say ‘Ah’!”
This is……!
“Next is carrots!”
“……Ugh.”
I have lived a total of about 60 years across repeated cycles, but there are things one never gets used to.
I spoke with dignity.
“I do not eat such things as carrots.”
When I refused, Dede, who was also in charge of cooking, made a tearful face.
“Is it because…… I made it taste bad? I’m sorry……!”
“Uhh? Th-that’s not it……!”
While I hesitated, Dede, who had dropped the fork from her hand, quickly covered her face.
“I’m sorry! Someone like me shouldn’t have cooked!”
“A-no, no.”
……I am kind to those weaker than me!
Therefore, I opened my mouth while holding back tears.
“Just this once……!”
“Yes, of course, of course!”
However, I, Dede, and the other maids here all knew.
The fact that another carrot dish would appear tomorrow…….
I chewed the carrot as militantly as if it were an enemy soldier, burning with fighting spirit.
Age 3.
‘So a family meeting is going to be held?’
An unexpected goal appeared before my eyes.
Is there any way to somehow get my name on that family meeting?
‘I think it would be best if I were introduced.’
As of now, I cannot go to the middle institution immediately.
From that point on, physical ability must be supportive.
Because it won’t be a place with half-wits like Karon.
‘Even if I go to Dad and ask for more training, there’s no way I’ll awaken overnight.’
An awakening that hasn’t happened until now won’t suddenly happen.
In that case, something I can do to work harder in this situation is…….
‘Do I have to meet that older brother guy?’
In this Aquasiadel family, I have three older brothers above me.
Does this sound like a story you’ve heard a lot?
But didn’t I tell you, my version is the despair edition of a childcare story.
Regrettably, there was no such thing as a sis-con brother here.
All there was…….
Were only killer whale bastards of the law of the jungle who only knelt after being trampled by me with strength.
“Hahaha, you beat me! I shall follow you as the Family Head!”
“I lost, step over me and go.”
“…….”
In the 3rd cycle, the older brother bastards who were trampled by me even generously offered their backs, telling me to tread upon them.
“You’re truly a crazy killer whale like no other in our family!”
“The pride of our killer whales!”
“It’s my first time seeing someone crazier than me!”
In that, there was no warm gaze of an older brother looking at a lovely younger sister.
Only a bond of camaraderie so strong that it felt like an awe of looking at a crazy genius, and even a delusion as if they saw me as a younger brother who they could even scrub backs with…….
If you were to ask if the older brother bastards of our family have normal personalities, well, that wasn’t it.
‘Which of the three psychos of this house should I see first?’
Currently, if Grandmother has returned, all the news of the family during that time would have reached her ears.
I bet my fin on it.
‘Actually, if I intended to become the Family Head, I would have also worked on bribing talents in advance from now on, but…….’
This world is heavily influenced by bloodlines, whether it be land animal shifters or aquatic animal shifters.
Even within the same aquatic creatures, there were differences depending on what kind of animal the mother was.
I knew well the talents who were overshadowed by such discrimination and didn’t receive attention.
‘Why? Because I gathered such outsider bastards and conquered the family.’
But now, I have no intention of gathering those bastards again.
‘It’s bothersome. Why bother since I’m leaving anyway…….’
Why does time not pass by so quickly?
Around the time today’s education just ended, the children came running to me.
“Princess!”
“Princess!!”
It was the Beluga twins. Moreover, they weren’t the only ones; between them, I saw a child bowing his head shyly.
It was Niro, the Gray Whale shifter child. His build was quite large, but he had a gentle impression.
“See you again tomorrow!”
“See you again!”
“Princess! I want to become stronger, too!”
“Princess, let’s eat together tomorrow!”
“Right, right. See you tomorrow. And I shall eat alone.”
I couldn’t show myself disliking eating carrots or anything like that.
When I refused, the Gray Whale baby looked gloomy, but when I stroked him with my hand, he lifted his head brightly again.
Of course, the reason I could stroke him was because this Gray Whale child knelt down one step below me.
In the meantime, Luga and Luba, who stepped closer, held my hands.
I faced the twins without being flustered.
“You didn’t forget what I asked today, did you?”
“Of course! I’ll ask Dad right away!”
“Right, right! I’ll ask!”
“Good.”
I stood on my tiptoes and stroked the twins’ heads, too.
This was also a posture possible because the twins knelt down like Niro one step below me.
Nevertheless, it’s a secret that my pride was a little hurt by the fact that I had to stand on my tiptoes.
“Good. Don’t forget.”
“Yeees!”
“But, Princess!”
Even after the greeting ended, the twins didn’t leave immediately and hovered around me.
I, who had intended to head down the stairs quickly, tilted my head.
The twins looked at each other once, then hesitated and approached, helping with one hand each to lift me up.
It was the palanquin ride I had already experienced.
“You guys……!”
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