Chapter 50
Calypso took it in stride.
Bellus had been just like that in the previous timeline as well.
It was certain.
It seemed that something like familial affection simply did not exist for my brothers.
‘Before I leave this mansion, I should at least fix that man’s personality.’
That vicious mouth of his had been exactly the same in the previous timeline too.
Moreover, among the three brothers, Bellus had been the one who did not break until the very end.
He was the brother who only knelt and pledged loyalty after an extremely fierce battle.
‘Ugh, he was the most troublesome opponent.’
Calypso shook her head, recalling the previous timeline.
Hearing Grandmother’s laughter from time to time, it seemed that guy had already properly caught the Head’s eye.
‘Ugh, just look at that guy suppressing his temper and wagging his fins.’
In truth, there was a reason I had moved toward Bellus.
As the break time began, Father’s gaze had started to pierce strongly into me, and I still did not have the confidence to meet it.
No, rather than confidence, I needed time to process what had just happened.
Besides, the retainers beginning to wander around and the gray-haired collateral orcas were also bothering me.
‘They look like they want to try talking to me.’
It was a familiar sight to me.
I had seen it to the point of exhaustion during the previous timeline when I was the Head.
What was strange was Ilia, who did not return to her seat even though it was break time.
Her expression looked deeply immersed in thought, so I did not speak to her either.
Her husband, Rova, also only smiled faintly whenever our eyes met.
“Agenor.”
“Hm? Hm? Wow, Sister, look at that. That’s the ‘Quire’ family, and they’re staring this way persistently. It seems like they want to talk. Ah, they are among the collateral branches as well…”
“I know, they’re a fairly high-ranking family even among the collateral branches.”
“You know? You know this too?”
Agenor’s eyes grew even brighter and deeper at the same time.
Ugh, why is this third brother becoming more obsessive with his gaze as time passes?
“More importantly, there’s something I’m curious about.”
“Hm, what is it?”
“Where is Atlan?”
Even after looking during the break time.
The second brother, Atlan, was still nowhere to be seen in the front row.
It was strange.
Wouldn’t absence be the same as falling out of Grandmother’s favor?
“Hm? Where would he be, he’s right there.”
But he was not visible in any seat where he should have been sitting.
Soon, Agenor innocently pointed somewhere.
It was the third tier.
There, I could finally see a boy rising sluggishly.
Black hair, the signature color of direct orca lineage, with white spots standing out.
His ferocious eyes were filled with drowsiness.
And beneath them, blinking red pupils.
It was clearly Atlan.
‘What, why is he sitting there?’
As far as I knew, there was no way that guy would be sitting in that place.
“No way… why is he there?”
Among the three brothers, Atlan was the one with the strongest competitive spirit and desire to win.
Especially when it came to competition to defeat others and the succession battle, he was the most passionate.
And that guy is sitting there right now?
There was no way he would sit there with his pride.
“Ah. Seat? Hmm, it wasn’t there from the beginning. But what’s the use if his ability is good? He dozed off during the meeting and fell out of Grandmother’s favor.”
…What? What kind of story is this, an orca grazing like a herbivore.
I was full of questions, but before I could ask more, the meeting resumed.
And I could no longer focus on the meeting immediately.
“Respected Head. Before beginning the agenda, may this humble retainer cautiously say a word?”
As soon as the meeting resumed, Ilia, who had been deep in thought until now, raised her hand from her seat.
It was the very moment Grandmother had just declared the start of the meeting.
“What is it?”
Grandmother responded despite showing a displeased expression.
…Strange.
Grandmother was oddly lenient toward the Beluga Head.
‘I didn’t misunderstand.’
Even before the break ended, Ilia had already returned to her seat after greeting me.
I did not know what she had been thinking so deeply about, but she left me with a “see you again” before returning.
‘Honestly, I thought she was angry because she didn’t like the punishment.’
From a parent’s perspective, when their child has been beaten, no punishment for the perpetrator would ever feel sufficient.
Moreover, Luga and Luba’s parents seemed like parents who loved their children very much.
“I sincerely thank you for granting me this opportunity, and I also apologize for causing a disturbance in this sacred meeting.”
“Enough with the needless words, just say what you have to say.”
“Yes, Head.”
Ilia gave a precise bow, then slightly turned her head.
Why is she looking at me?
“The Head once bestowed a favor upon me, my partner, and the Beluga family long ago, and said this.”
“…….”
“That she would respect our choice just once.”
A choice? I blinked.
I glanced at Agenor, but he shook his head.
I looked back at Father, but he was the same as always.
Rather, he glanced at me and gave a brief scolding.
“Focus.”
“…Do you know what she’s about to say?”
Then his blue gaze fixed on me.
“The ‘choice’ a Head grants to a retainer. Does nothing come to mind?”
“Ah, no way?”
No way…
Almost at the same time as my surprised expression, Ilia’s voice was heard.
“We choose. The Beluga family that I lead will, from now on… follow Lady Calypso Aquasiadel.”
In fact, being officially recognized as a direct lineage in this family meeting naturally meant having one’s name placed in the succession competition.
Of course, not everyone could become the Head, so in the end only the top successors competed fiercely.
The rest were merely listed as participants in the succession competition.
As time went on, even direct lineages would each serve the successor they had chosen as their master.
Just like my brothers who eventually surrendered and pledged loyalty in the previous timeline.
“We support her as a successor.”
There had been instances in this family meeting where a family publicly declared its support like this.
It was also a scene I had seen when I returned to the family in the previous timeline.
“On behalf of all dolphin families, I, the leader of the dolphins, support Lady Calypso as a successor.”
If I had to pick the subordinate closest to me in the third timeline.
There was one being I had to mention, my strategist and right-hand butler, who sometimes even acted as a servant.
A dolphin beastman.
I never thought I would hear the line he once spoke again.
And this time, from the Beluga family.
…It felt as if lives were crossing paths.
“Ho, since I myself spoke it, I have no intention of questioning it.”
Grandmother stroked her chin, having set aside her displeasure.
Her wrinkled face curved into a faint smile.
“You say you will follow a mere orca child whose blood has barely dried on her head, who was only just recognized today? Do you have no regrets about your decision?”
Unlike her smiling face, her voice was stern.
As if warning that it could not be undone.
Ilia smiled brightly with her cute face.
“Our family lives by our intellect, so how could we fail to calculate properly, respected Head.”
Grandmother laughed loudly and accepted it.
No, thinking about it, it was quite a magnificent sight.
‘But the problem is!’
I was only three years old!
‘What on earth are they talking about?’
Rather than being happy, I was simply bewildered.
The reason for this dazed feeling was.
‘…I’m not going to become the Head.’
Right before my eyes, they had grabbed a stock whose string had snapped, no.
A stock scheduled for delisting.
☆▪︎☆
The meeting ended.
‘Damn, I don’t even remember how it ended.’
The remaining agenda had nothing to do with me, so I let it go in one ear and out the other.
In my mind, only the words spoken by Ilia, the Head of the Beluga family, kept replaying.
I almost grabbed my hair, but barely held back, conscious of the gazes directed at me.
“The meeting is adjourned.”
When the meeting ended like that, Grandmother left without hesitation.
After her, the orcas, especially Lord Bayan’s parents, hurriedly followed.
Especially the sight of my uncle rushing after her like a live fish struck by electricity was quite something to see.
Even Lord Bayan glared at me before chasing after his father.
Among Lord Bayan’s family, only a small girl remained.
She seemed younger than Bellus, and perhaps around Atlan’s age.
I had noticed her earlier, but the pretty orca girl was my uncle’s second daughter.
‘That girl is….’
The moment our eyes met, the girl turned her head and calmly followed her parents.
Then I felt the gazes of my other uncle and his son, Lord Sorte, but only for a moment.
“Let’s go back.”
If Father had not spoken, I might have forgotten for a moment.
Ah, if we go back like this, we will go to Father’s residence.
Ugh.
It was written all over Father’s face.
‘We have a lot to talk about, don’t we?’
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
