TBOBS 04

Chapter: 04

The man’s voice echoed like it was reverberating through a cave, making Calypso jump.

‘Oh… that voice doesn’t match his face at all.’

His slightly drooping eyes and faint dark circles gave him a sharp, sensitive appearance, yet his voice was nothing like that.

Well, that wasn’t really Calypso’s concern.

‘If I showed up out of nowhere claiming to be his daughter and started bothering him, he’d probably ignore me completely from the very beginning.’

She hadn’t met Pierre many times, but she already understood his personality.

More accurately, everything she knew came from stories the retainers had told her in her previous life.

“Lord Pierre? Whew… he absolutely hated anything troublesome or annoying. Especially children. That’s why he didn’t even pay attention to the family head, his own child!”

“You insensitive idiot! Is that something you casually blurt out in front of the family head? Honestly, you flounders have noodles for brains. Ah, Family Head, I just remembered—I heard that even when he was sick, he was obsessed with cleanliness.”

Surprisingly, the retainers had been quite interested in Pierre.

‘The fact that they remembered him so clearly even after he’d already died says enough.’

Then again, in a clan that worshiped strength and physical power, he was an odd existence.

His body was frail, yet his power alone might have been the greatest in the family’s history.

In any case, if he disliked children that much, Calypso felt she had even more reason to speak clearly than she had with her grandmother.

“It’s the opposite direction.”

“Hmm? Which way is it?”

“A long way from here.”

“Really? That’s a problem.”

Calypso placed her tiny hand on her chin and groaned dramatically.

The sight was undeniably adorable.

Pierre, however, merely stared at her as if she were nothing more than an inorganic object.

“I really have to go there. How about you take me, mister?”

Her voice was sharp and bold.

Pierre stared at her for a long moment before tilting his head ever so slightly.

“I don’t want to.”

His face plainly showed overwhelming annoyance.

‘Just as I thought. He really hates being bothered.’

Anyone looking at him would read the same expression.

“Why should I?”

“Really? Well, can’t be helped.”

Without the slightest regret, Calypso shrugged.

She stretched her arms onto the edge of the fountain, grunted as she climbed up, and perched herself on it.

“Since getting educated is out of the question, I guess I’ll just eat.”

Pierre silently watched until she settled into place.

Ignoring his gaze, Calypso opened the little pouch she had brought with her.

From the old, dolphin-shaped bag she struggled to pull out a handful of dried fruit.

She had been collecting it little by little ever since she’d become old enough to walk.

‘I didn’t know how things would turn out, so I stocked up on food.’

The building where Calypso lived housed only babies who had to survive on their own for a year or two.

Naturally, the meals were pitiful.

As soon as she’d turned two, she’d begun hoarding anything that could be stored for a long time.

While happily munching on the dried fruit, Calypso suddenly turned her head.

“What are you looking at, mister?”

Despite her blunt question, Pierre remained silent.

Did he only have one facial expression or something?

“If you don’t have anything to say, stop staring. You’ll scare away my good luck.”

“…”

You’re not the only prickly one. I’m prickly too… Dad.

Grumbling inwardly, Calypso continued chewing her dried fruit.

A moment later, her cheek started itching, so she rubbed it absentmindedly.

She didn’t realize that while struggling to climb onto the fountain, she’d gotten black soot from the dirty stone on her hand and smeared it across her cheek.

Completely unaware she’d practically drawn a black stripe across her face, she continued enjoying her snack.

‘Since every meal they serve is basically awful baby food, this sweetness feels like heaven. Pure heaven.’

Before she knew it, she’d completely forgotten that she’d come here to see her father and was simply reveling in the taste.

“Mister, why do you keep looking at me? Are you hungry?”

“…”

“Want one?”

Calypso held out her pouch as if generously offering charity.

Then she suddenly remembered her real purpose.

Oops.

“…”

But since she received no answer, she had no choice but to pull it back.

‘Hmm… he’s unbelievably quiet.’

Calypso racked her brain, trying to remember the social skills she’d somehow forgotten.

How was she supposed to leave an impression on him without becoming a nuisance?

For now, though, she couldn’t think of an answer.

Without lingering, she stood up.

“Thanks for telling me the way, mister. It’s really quiet here. Do you always play by yourself?”

“…”

“Are you a loner too? Like me? Does nobody talk to you either?”

Pierre lived in one of the shabby buildings on the western edge of the estate.

Although he was sickly, he hadn’t been completely cast aside.

There was no reason for him to live somewhere so remote and run-down.

That was something Calypso genuinely wondered about.

‘Did he give up on life long ago?’

The resigned air around him somehow made that seem like the correct answer.

If that were true, then he was someone Calypso could never understand.

She clung desperately to life.

Tilting her head, she said,

“If that’s true… then you must be lonely too.”

She wasn’t actually lonely.

Still, she tried to sound like a child.

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

The building where she lived contained only baby orcas and whale beastkin retainers who either couldn’t speak or died young.

Along with nurses and servants who had no interest in the babies whatsoever.

‘Even passing ants would get more attention than we do.’

The more she looked at his completely emotionless face, no matter what she said, the more irritated she became.

She clicked her tongue inwardly.

He really doesn’t care about me at all.

This is hopeless.

Calypso decided to give up.

‘Still, it looks like what the retainers told me in my previous life was true. He really does come here often.’

“Hmm… I should go home now. Bye, mister.”

Calypso knew when to enter…

…and when to leave.

Now was the time to retreat.

“See you again.”

She didn’t even bother looking back.

She was certain he would ignore those words too.

Because she’d clung so fiercely to life, she’d become used to looking only forward.

“…”

And because of that…

Calypso never noticed the intense gaze fixed on her back.

After she disappeared, Pierre remained frozen like a statue for a long time.

Then, without warning, he reached out.

He rubbed the place where Calypso had been sitting.

His fingers came away stained with black soot.

Tiny droplets of water bubbled up and instantly washed his hand clean.

‘Somehow…’

For the first time in a long while, he actually thought about something.

‘That kid… looks like she’s my daughter.’

Pierre stared at his now spotless hand before slowly licking it.

At the same time, he lazily brushed back his hair.

“Hmm.”

His languid voice drifted through the empty air.

His conclusion came quickly.

‘Looks like the little brat doesn’t know I’m her father.’

..Or at least, that’s probably what he’s thinking.

I hurried along with quick little steps, lost in thought.

‘As if.’

The moment I saw Father—Pierre—I knew there was no way he hadn’t recognized me.

The Orca Clan is divided into the direct line and the collateral branches.

Their “Power of Water” appears almost exclusively in the direct bloodline, though on rare occasions someone from a collateral branch awakens it.

When that happens, members of the collateral branches earn the right to compete for the position of family head.

‘As for me, I’m part of the direct line, so my blood alone qualifies me for the succession battle.’

As if I’d do them that favor.

This life, I’ll become strong first…

…and then make a spectacular escape.

Anyway, back to the point.

The appearances of the direct and collateral bloodlines are slightly different.

Members of the direct line have hair mixed with black and white, almost as if they’re wearing the hide of a real orca.

The collateral branches have gray hair.

‘Besides, among the direct descendants, all the children are around the same age. There’s no way identifying me would be difficult.’

Looking at a little girl with exactly the same personality as himself, what else could he possibly think?

If he couldn’t tell, he’d be an idiot.

And he definitely didn’t seem like one.

Which meant he recognized me…

…and was simply pretending he didn’t.

‘They said he hated anything troublesome or annoying, and that included children.’

Looks like I’ll have to think more carefully about how to approach him from now on.

‘No matter what, before I move and start attending the academy, I need to become at least somewhat familiar with Dad.’

Every whale-type beastkin begins attending the educational institution at the age of three.

The academy itself is located within the enormous Orca Estate.

You could call it the equivalent of a kindergarten…

…except in reality, it’s more like a place where they throw whale children together and tell them to survive.

Especially among the aggressive orcas, whether from the direct or collateral line, any child who failed to excel in intelligence, physical ability, or the Power of Water was thoroughly discarded.

‘Other whale clans practically smother their children with affection. But this damned family…’

The moment I entered that institution, life would become considerably harsher.

Because unless I performed well enough to satisfy that old hag…

…I’d be banished to the Cold Palace.

And if that happened, just like in my previous life, I’d inevitably be sold off to another family.

‘If that happens, I won’t be able to become the Dragon God’s bride like I planned.’

Can’t be helped.

I’ll just have to reveal this body’s genius somehow.

Fortunately…

I was confident I could do exactly that.