Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 65

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

Chapter 65
By the time I clicked my tongue in frustration, considerable time had passed.
The Dragon’s Festival was called a festival, yet it was one conspicuously lacking in aquatic creatures.
This gathering I was about to attend would likely be no different.
“But when I go to the Dragon’s Festival, I’ll definitely be able to see the Dragon Duke, right?”
After being absorbed in conversation for a while, I snapped back to attention and asked Father again.
“You’re not guaranteed to see him.”
“What?!”
“From what I recall, I’ve only seen him in person a handful of times.”
Father mentioned that even those rare sightings were of the previous Dragon Duke, who was now deceased—not the current one.
“The current Dragon Duke has never revealed himself since birth.”
Bellus added his voice to the conversation.
‘What? So even if I go to this festival, there’s a chance I won’t meet the Dragon Duke? A wasted trip? That can’t be right.’
That was absolutely unacceptable.
I had to meet him. I absolutely had to.
‘This is ridiculous. A Dragon’s Festival without a dragon.’
What kind of absurd thing was that? How was it any different from the Orca Family Estate without an orca?
* * *
At the same time, in one section of the Orca Family Aquasiadel Estate, quite a number of people were gathered around a round table.
Those assembled were followers of Rodesen and Baian.
They all wore grave expressions, their attention fixed on one direction.
The conference room was already in disarray—broken chairs, scattered debris, documents strewn haphazardly across the floor, fragments of shattered porcelain.
It was a complete mess.
At the center of this chaos sat Rodesen, their leader.
“What happened to my proud Baian is truly regrettable, wouldn’t you say?”
“Y-yes, sir.”
“Indeed, it was a cruel affair. Truly incomprehensible.”
The branch family members and retainers alike quickly fell over themselves to agree with him.
Only then did Rodesen smile, seemingly satisfied.
In truth, scattered across the floor amid the overturned furnishings lay a person groaning in pain.
“Long ago, I once said that tender shoots should be pruned before they grow. For instance, I gave orders to a loyal retainer here to secretly eliminate Pierre’s precious daughter before she even entered the Junior Institution, did I not?”
Rodesen chuckled softly.
Indeed, he had issued such an order, and the branch family noble who received it had delegated the task to his own children.
“Yet how could eliminating one small niece prove so difficult? They failed.”
And the branch family children had failed.
They returned beaten and spouted nonsense about how Calypso had wielded water power contrary to rumors.
However, shortly thereafter, it was revealed that the little girl had actually never awakened water power at all.
Subsequently, at the family meeting, she had brought unbearable shame upon his own son.
Punishment for the failed branch family noble was inevitable.
“But now I hope you will not fail. After all, you have all cooperated in this matter.”
The vassals and branch family members gathered in this place bowed their heads as if bound by a pact.
“Right, there can be no failure this time.”
The sprout must be nipped in the bud.
That small girl’s talent, confirmed at the Family Meeting, was far too dangerous.
To possess such ability to satisfy Mother at such a young age.
Moreover, she was a born fighter with exceptional combat prowess.
“Rodesen, is it truly alright with Pierre accompanying her?”
“Of course it is.”
Alive, she would be of no benefit to Baian.
As a father, Rodesen readily decided to remove the obstacle blocking his son’s path.
“If the plan proceeds as intended, there’s no problem in disposing of my niece alone.”
By now, Rodesen’s arrangements would have caught up closely with Calypso’s journey.
“Unless it’s that fool Pierre, the Noble Lady won’t be returning alive.”
Rodesen burst into a refreshing laugh.
There was one who observed this scene in silence—Heila, Rodesen’s wife and also a branch member of the Orca Family.
Her eyes, nearly slits, curved close to a smile.
She watched her husband burst into laughter and subtly covered her lips with her hand.
‘He lacks the finishing touch, so it would be wise to add more of my hand to this.’
* * *
Separate from my bewilderment, the journey proceeded smoothly.
Though Bellus and Father occasionally showed quarrelsome behavior over trivial matters, it never escalated into actual fighting.
I found this part strange as well.
‘Since Father always wins when they fight, is that bastard Bellus subtly holding back? Hmm, though he’s cautious, he’s the type to charge in without hesitation when necessary?’
However, unlike before, I didn’t actively appeal to go to the carriage where the handmaidens and Misa were.
Even as their quarrels flew about, I didn’t cast a glance telling them both to shut up with an annoyed rumble.
My mind was entirely consumed with thoughts of the Dragon Duke.
‘From what I know, there’s only one piece of information about the current Dragon Duke: a person who wishes to live quietly.’
In the original work, he merely served as an advisor to the heroine.
Yet now he’s nowhere to be seen, and the thought of drawing a blank made my head throb.
Since the journey wasn’t scheduled to be that long, I had to come up with some method somehow….
The moment I’d thought this far, I lifted my head sharply.
‘Presence!’
Delayed by deep contemplation, the two Orca Family members in the carriage seemed to have already noticed where I was looking.
“It comes.”
“Huh? What?”
It was the moment Father moved one arm and slipped his hand around my waist, lifting me up.
Crash!!
A loud sound rang out. Soon the carriage came to a halt.
Anyone could easily tell this was no ordinary stop.
It shook violently!
‘Insane, a traffic accident in this world?’
Despite my frivolous thoughts, the situation escalated urgently.
Yet I remained unperturbed.
There was no reason to be anxious when two members of the Orca Family were present, especially my Father, who was far from an ordinary person.
‘I should at least see which madman dared to attack this carriage.’
I thought calmly.
‘They’ll be dead soon anyway.’
I sensed numerous presences surrounding the carriage.
Moreover, though I had no desire to see their faces, they forced me to witness them.
The carriage roof had been blown clean off.
My Father scooped me up and leaped, landing smoothly on the ground.
Bellus landed beside my Father with similar grace.
‘Goodness, quite the gathering.’
Before the carriage stood numerous figures clad in dark blue garments.
All of them had their faces concealed.
“Father, put me down.”
“It becomes troublesome to protect you.”
“You’re strong enough not to worry about that. Just protect my handmaidens and my governess as well.”
Already, not only our carriage but also the carriage carrying my handmaidens and Misa that had been rushing behind, along with several knights who had been escorting on horseback, had all come to a halt.
The knights hastily dismounted.
“Pierre, these people are…!”
“Assassins, presumably.”
Yes, the identity of these strange attackers was naturally assassins.
I was hardly alarmed.
‘Clearly they’re after me.’
There was the fact that my Father was with me.
‘Wow, I anticipated this, but already?’
Rather, it was because I had already foreseen such an occurrence.
‘They must be quite impatient.’
Killing me outside the Orca Family would be far easier than within it.
Cleanup would also be considerably more convenient outside the estate.
Those who witnessed my performance and debut at the Family Meeting could hardly leave me untouched.
‘Though I had assumed they would target the return journey after the festival ended.’
Normally, one would be exhausted upon returning from such a journey.
Of course, if my conversation with the Dragon Duke went well, that return carriage might have produced a delightful twist—surprise, I wouldn’t be in it!
Such an amusing situation could have unfolded!
Unfortunately, that became impossible.
Moreover, it was all too easy to guess who had sent them….
‘My Orca Family Older Brother has always been impatient, both then and now.’
Better than being foolish, certainly, but my Older Brother’s poor judgment and hasty temperament would ultimately be his undoing.
“Noble Lady!”
“Oh no, are you alright, Noble Lady?”
“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you? The roof flying off gave us such a terrible fright!”
The Herring Maids and Misa scrambled out of the carriage and rushed toward me in a panic.
Misa grabbed my shoulders and busied herself examining me from every angle.
The Herring Maids too were trembling and pale with fear, yet their eyes overflowed with concern.
“Don’t worry. I’m perfectly fine.”
“Noble Lady…!”
The attack had dealt me no harm whatsoever, and it had even failed to truly frighten me.
But for Misa and the maids, it was a different story entirely.
“I’m alright. Father was with me.”
Their gazes, brimming with worry and affection, made me feel oddly bashful and ticklish, so I gently squeezed Misa’s hand.
“And my brother was there too.”
Bellus glanced at me sideways.
When I smiled at him, his expression shifted to one of suspicion, as if asking what I was scheming.
“Are you two hurt anywhere?”
“No, we’re all fine.”
“Good. Then let’s take a look.”

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