Episode 4
Calypso was startled by the voice that resonated like an echo in a cave.
‘Oh, his voice doesn’t match his face at all.’
His eyes drooped slightly and he even felt sensitive due to a bit of dark circles, but his voice was not like that at all.
Well, that had nothing to do with Calypso herself.
‘He’s the type of person who wouldn’t even look twice if I showed up claiming to be his daughter and started bothering him.’
She hadn’t met Pierre many times, but she had grasped his personality.
To be precise, it was a story she heard from the vassals in the previous round.
“The late Lord Pierre? Ugh, he really hated annoying and bothersome things. He probably hated children in particular, right? That’s why he didn’t even spare a glance for you, the family head!”
“You mindless, ignorant bastard, is that something to babble brightly in front of the family head? Anyway, you flatfish bastards don’t have brains; they’re just noodles, noodles. Ah, Lady Calypso, I just remembered—I heard that even though he was ill, he liked things to be extremely clean.”
Surprisingly, the vassals were very interested in Pierre.
‘Seeing as they remember him well even though the father had already passed away.’
Indeed, in this family that worships strength and the physical body, he might have been the strongest in history in terms of power alone, but since his body was frail, he was a peculiar existence.
Anyway, since she heard he hates children, she felt even more reason to speak more clearly than when dealing with the grandmother.
“It’s the opposite direction.”
“Hum, which way is it then?”
“A distance you’ll have to walk for a long time.”
“Really? That’s a problem.”
Calypso placed her dainty hand on her chin and groaned.
That appearance was actually extremely cute and lovely, but Pierre only stared at the sight as if looking at an inorganic object.
“I really have to go there, how about you take me there, Mister?”
It was a sharp voice. Pierre stared blankly at Calypso and tilted his head slightly.
“I don’t want to.”
A look of intense bother flickered across that face.
‘As expected, he seems to hate bothersome things.’
That face was one that said ‘Why should I?’ to anyone who looked.
“Really? Then it can’t be helped.”
Calypso shrugged her shoulders without lingering regret, stretched out her arms beside the fountain, and sat down after struggling to climb up.
“Since education is out the window, I might as well eat.”
Pierre stared at her in silence until Calypso settled into her spot.
Whether Pierre watched or not, Calypso spread out the pouch she had brought.
What she struggled to pull out from the worn-out dolphin-shaped bag was dried fruit.
It was something she had been gathering steadily since around the time she could walk.
‘I packed food because I didn’t know how the situation would turn out.’
The building Calypso was in was a place only for babies who had to survive alone for one to two years, so the meals were poor.
As soon as Calypso turned 2, she began hoarding things that could be stored for a long time.
Calypso stopped eating deliciously and turned her head.
“What are you looking at, Mister?”
Pierre did not answer even at Calypso’s direct question.
Does he only have that one expression?
“If you have nothing to say, don’t stare. You’ll scare away the luck.”
“…….”
Think you’re the only prickly one? I’m prickly too, dear Father.
Calypso grumbled inwardly as she continued to munch on the dried fruit.
Then, she rubbed her cheek because it felt itchy.
Calypso didn’t know, but by the time she struggled to climb the fountain, black soot from the dirty fountain had gotten on her hands, and it was rubbed straight onto her cheek.
Unaware that a black tattoo had formed on her face, Calypso ate diligently.
‘Since the meals all come out as garbage under the name of baby food, this sweetness is heaven, pure heaven.’
Before she knew it, she had forgotten the essence of coming to see her father and was busy marveling at the taste.
“Mister, why do you keep looking at me? Are you hungry by any chance?”
“…….”
“Want one?”
Calypso held out the pouch as if being generous.
Inwardly, she felt a sense of ‘Oops’ after remembering her purpose again.
“…….”
However, she didn’t hear an answer and had to pull it back.
‘Hmm, he’s awfully taciturn.’
Calypso was busy recalling the sociability she herself had forgotten.
How do I make an impression without being annoying?
However, thinking there was no answer for now, she stood up from her seat without regret.
“Mister, thanks for telling me the way. It’s very quiet here. Do you play here alone every day?”
“…….”
“Are you an outcast too, Mister? Does nobody deal with you, just like me?”
Pierre lived in one of the shabby buildings at the western end.
Even though he was sickly, he wasn’t completely cast out, so he lived like this even though he didn’t necessarily need to live in a secluded, shabby place.
This was a part that even Calypso was curious about.
‘Did he give up on life early on?’
His resigned appearance somehow made her think that this might be the answer.
If that were the case, he was a person Calypso, who has an incredibly strong attachment to life, could not understand at all.
Calypso tilted her head.
“If that’s the case, you must be lonely like me, Mister.”
She wasn’t particularly lonely, but Calypso tried to speak like a child.
It wasn’t a lie.
In the building Calypso was in, there were only whale shifter babies—killer whales who couldn’t speak or died early—and their vassals.
And only nannies and servants who had no interest in the babies.
‘A passing ant wouldn’t be looked at like this.’
Seeing the face that showed no inspiration no matter what she said, she felt anger rising for some reason and clicked her tongue inwardly.
It seems he has no interest in me at all.
It’s a bust, a total bust.
Calypso decided to give up and leave.
‘Anyway, it seems the words of the vassals I heard in the previous round—that he comes here often—are correct.’
“Well, I should go home. Bye, Mister.”
Calypso knew when to enter and when to leave.
Now is the time to retreat.
“See you again.”
Thinking he wouldn’t even pretend to hear these words either, Calypso didn’t even look back.
Because she had a strong attachment to life, she was accustomed to only looking forward.
“…….”
Therefore, Calypso did not notice the intense gaze fixed on her back.
After Calypso left, Pierre stayed dazed for a long time like a stone statue, then suddenly reached out his hand.
Black soot was smeared on the hand that rubbed the spot where Calypso had been.
Water droplets bubbled up and instantly made Pierre’s hand clean.
‘Apparently…….’
He engaged in thought for the first time in a long while.
‘That thing, it seems to be my daughter.’
Pierre looked at his hand, where only clear water remained, and licked it slowly with his tongue.
At the same time, he languidly brushed back his hair.
“Hmm.”
A lethargic voice cut through the air. The thought was short.
‘The brat must not know that I am her father.’
* * *
……Is probably what he’s thinking, right?
I thought to myself as I hurried away.
‘As if that would be the case.’
I thought while looking at my father, Pierre. There’s no way that man wouldn’t recognize me.
The Calypso Aquasiadel family is divided into direct and collateral lines.
The ‘power of water’ they possess mostly appears only in the direct line, but very occasionally, there were those in the collateral line who awakened this power.
In this case, even those from the collateral line finally gained the qualification to enter the succession battle for the family head.
‘Since I am of the direct line, I have the qualification to enter the succession battle just by bloodline.’
But who would I be doing a favor for by entering? In this life, after I become strong, I’m going to bail in grand style.
Anyway, returning to the main point, the appearance of the direct and collateral lines is slightly different.
The direct line has hair mixed with black and white, as if they are wearing the skin of a real killer whale.
Because the collateral line has gray hair.
‘Besides, even if it’s the direct line, the current kids must be all the same, so there’s no way it would be difficult to recognize me.’
What would he think while looking at a brat who has the exact same personality as himself?
He’d be an idiot if he didn’t know. Since he doesn’t seem to be an idiot, at least, he must be pretending not to know even if he does.
‘Since it was said he hates kids because he hates annoying and bothersome things.’
I guess I’ll have to think more about how to approach him in the future?
‘Anyway, before I move and go to the educational institution, I have to establish at least some facial recognition with the father.’
The educational institution one attends starting from age 3. This is a matter that applies to all whale-type shifters, and it is also a building located in one spot within this vast Calypso Aquasiadel mansion.
In terms of what is taught, it’s like a kindergarten…….
In reality, it’s a cold-hearted place where they throw whale babies in and tell them to survive.
In particular, the bellicose killer whales, regardless of whether they are direct or collateral, are thoroughly abandoned if they fail to stand out in these three areas: brain, body, and the power of water, at this educational institution.
‘Other whales can’t wait to cuddle their young. What a damn family this is.’
From the moment I enter the educational institution, it will be quite tough.
Why? Because I won’t be exiled to the cold valleys only if I show progress that satisfies that old hag.
If I am exiled to the cold valleys, the route of being sold to another family is confirmed, just like in my past lives.
‘If that happens, I can’t become the planned Dragon’s Bride.’
It can’t be helped. I have no choice but to reveal the genius of this body somehow.
Fortunately, I was confident.
☆▪︎▪︎☆
