Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 260

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 260
As Tasren answered the Crown Prince, he found himself following after him without realizing it.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince…!”
The Crown Prince turned around. His expression was filled with irritation and anger, causing Tasren’s shoulders to stiffen further with tension.
But he had to say this.
“W-when do you think His Majesty the Emperor will… clarify his position?”
“…”
That was it. After rumors of human experimentation conducted in Madrum spread far and wide, the Imperial Palace quickly declared itself uninvolved and stated it would strictly punish baseless rumors.
But it was the Crown Prince, not the Emperor, who made this declaration.
The Emperor had remained silent ever since the rumors began to spread.
Moreover, there was something far stranger lurking beneath the surface…
It was the fact that very few people had actually seen the Emperor.
In recent years—or more broadly, over the past nine years—those who had seen the Emperor’s face could be counted on one hand.
All important and external matters were handled by the Crown Prince.
The Emperor had no other children besides the Crown Prince. In other words, the Crown Prince was the next Emperor, so the retainers thought nothing strange of it.
“Father continues to be in poor health. Everyone should exercise restraint.”
The Crown Prince’s words about his poor health were accepted without suspicion.
Everyone knew how dearly the Emperor cherished the Crown Prince.
Still, was it truly normal for the Emperor to be this difficult to see?
Though she showed no outward sign, the Hyana Clan Leader grew increasingly suspicious of this as time passed.
Tasren, who could be called the Hyana Clan Leader’s right hand, noticed his leader’s doubts.
“How dare you make such a request of the Emperor?”
“What? No, no. That’s absolutely not it!”
Tasren quickly waved his hands in denial at the Crown Prince’s sensitive reaction, bowing his head deeply.
His refusal seemed so adamant that it raised suspicions.
“You’d do well to conduct yourself properly.”
“…”
“You and your kind also benefited from Madrum, did you not?”
Tasren closed his eyes slowly.
…It was not a lie.
Young, inexperienced children among the Hyana’s direct bloodline, those who craved power, fearlessly sought that strength.
They consumed the medicine Madrum provided or gained tremendous power through strange devices.
Now they knew what those medicines and devices were and how they were made, but it was too late to withdraw.
Above all, having visited Madrum, they couldn’t claim complete ignorance.
All the Hyana who had been there subtly suspected but turned a blind eye.
To become stronger. To climb higher.
“…”
Thud, thud. Footsteps fading away. Soon the door closed. Tasren sighed inwardly.
‘Who could I blame?’
Yet somehow, even as he stood as an ally to this powerful Imperial Palace…
I couldn’t shake the instinctive feeling that I was aboard a tilting ship.
* * *
“What do you intend to do now?”
The Crown Prince emerged from the Study and turned his head slowly. His face was elegantly composed as if he’d never been angry at all, yet unextinguished fury gleamed within his eyes.
“Dragon Duke.”
Before the Study stood an enormous black panther Beastkin—the Dragon Duke.
He bowed respectfully with an impassive expression.
“Your Highness.”
Though I’d merely called him, the Crown Prince grasped what came next and twisted his lips.
“I humbly request an audience with His Imperial Majesty. I beg your indulgence.”
As expected. A sneer bloomed across Crown Prince Kail’s face.
“What can be done, Dragon Duke? Father is in no condition to receive anyone.”
“….”
“You’re not unaware of this, Dragon Duke. Why do you ask?”
The Crown Prince stepped closer to the Dragon Duke. A sinister smile played at his lips.
“Dragon Duke, you and I are in the same boat.”
“….”
“The world calls this being ‘on the same side,’ does it not?”
Don’t play moralist now when you cooperated with my plans from the beginning.
The Crown Prince’s words carried a sharp edge.
The Dragon Duke couldn’t possibly be unaware, yet he spoke this way now for a reason.
“Your Highness, when will you find Lili for me?”
“I’m searching. I’ll arrange a meeting soon.”
How many times had they repeated this exchange? Pantherion barely managed to release the tension from his clenched fist.
“Yes, I trust you, Your Highness.”
“Then surely you don’t think I would betray you?”
The Crown Prince gave the Dragon Duke’s shoulder two light, graceful pats.
“And stop seeking out the Emperor from now on.”
“….”
“We understand each other, don’t we?”
His whispered voice pierced like an awl. The Crown Prince turned and walked away.
‘The Emperor?’
The name the Dragon Duke had uttered seemed absurd.
Because the Emperor no longer existed in this world.
“My son…!”
He was already a father whose life had ended by my hand.
‘This one too, that one too.’
All of them equally displeasing. My teeth ground together.
I know the future. I know so much.
Yet constrained as I am, I cannot move.
Crack.
This was definitely wrong.
* * *
“Haha.”
“….”
“Hahaha….”
Madrum—or rather, what had once been the city of Madrum. I’d been assigned a Study in a hastily constructed building on this land.
And this morning, a visitor arrived at this place.
More precisely, a face I’d been longing to see.
“…Father?”
My father remained as fair-skinned and cold as ever, his handsome features unchanged, yet his expression was glacial—far colder than the biting winter wind.
It hadn’t been this way from the start.
When we’d met this morning, it had been quite an emotional reunion between father and daughter.
The problem began the moment Father arrived here and learned of everything that had transpired.
“…You nearly died?”
It seemed he’d heard an exaggerated version of events. When had I nearly died, exactly?
I’d made my move knowing Whale was there.
Of course, from Father’s perspective, such reasoning apparently fell on deaf ears.
But that wasn’t the only problem—other matters had been exposed as well.
Before Father could launch into his lecture, I seized the moment when Atlant and Bellus arrived and slipped away to find Ekion.
But I was caught red-handed holding hands with him.
‘How strange.’
Holding hands with Ekion was something that had happened countless times since childhood.
Yet Father somehow perceived it immediately upon seeing us together.
That our relationship had changed from what it once was.
‘This is terrifying. Is this what parental intuition feels like?’
Could it be that if I ever had children, my senses would sharpen like this too?
In my previous life I was adopted, and throughout three subsequent lives I’d grown up as a scapegoat, so I’d never once considered having children. I wouldn’t know.
In any case, due to these various complicated issues, Father now sat with a complex expression—no, a face so cold it seemed to border on subzero temperatures.
“…Your body.”
“Ahahaha, we talked about this this morning too, but I’m perfectly fine. You know from experience, don’t you? Whale’s treatment is flawless.”
“Yet that white-whiskered whale himself said he can’t treat psychological aftereffects and asked me to keep watch. Did I mishear?”
“….”
Whale had said something unnecessary. I’d have to scold him for that.
Having identified the culprit, I quietly resolved on a petty form of retribution.
“Sigh.”
At the small sound of that sigh, my shoulders flinched involuntarily.
Strangely, my heart trembled and my nerves frayed more at my father’s sigh than they would in any fight or battle.
Was I about to be scolded? As I steeled myself with this thought, a gentle hand descended upon my head.
Stroke, stroke.
It was a familiar touch.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“….”
“But next time, I’d prefer if you were with me, or better yet, didn’t get hurt.”
“….”
“That’s what a parent’s heart is.”
I opened my mouth slightly, then closed it again.
“…Yes.”
No matter how much my body grew, I always reverted to being a child whenever I stood before my adoptive parents.
This moment was no different. Strangely enough, it felt as though we’d returned to the day we first met.
“Sir!”
The feeling of looking up at Father with such a small body.
“I will.”
Satisfied with my answer, Father said nothing more.
“Bringing the Whale here was truly a good decision.”
“I think so too.”
Since arriving in Aquasiade, Whale had done so much for us.
Once his existence became known after several years, there wouldn’t be a soul unaware of Whale’s contributions.
“That’s why so many are coveting him, then.”
“Hmm?”
“Since you’re no longer hiding him, his abilities have become known. There are definitely no shortage of factions trying to recruit the Whale.”
“I see….”
To be precise, there was quite a fierce power struggle among the aquatic Beastkin.
Well, it made sense—a healing ability no one else possessed. Father shook his head slightly.
“The fact that he’s closest to the Matriarch would be no small factor either.”
“Ah, yes. That’s likely the case.”
“So they all want to tie him down through marriage. That would give you quite the headache.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m asking if you’ve considered what happens if that Whale marries into another house. What if his abilities are exploited for political gain?”
I blinked for a moment.
Father stared at me intently, then naturally changed the subject. It was clear he wouldn’t hear my answer now.
Rather, he’d brought up Whale’s story only because I’d been healed by him. It was evident he had no personal interest in Whale himself.
“So, when did you become involved with that Dragon in such a way?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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