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Chapter 7
“Everyone’s only playing with you because they’re bored for a while, so don’t get the wrong idea. Just having you in our family is a disgrace!”
“…Piit, piii. (I know.)”
Dahlia knew. Better than anyone.
It had grown up in the White Shark clan for ten years, and not once had anyone ever treated it as one of their own.
It was mocked, and when they were bored, it was bullied.
There were days it starved so badly its belly felt like it was collapsing inward, and days it had to swallow rotten food that seemed barely edible just to survive.
So of course it had assumed the orca beastmen would be the same—but they were unexpectedly kind.
The bedroom was huge. The bed was soft.
They gave it food, even snacks.
They even applied medicine to its wounds.
None of this had ever happened in the White Shark clan.
‘I know. I know everything…’
A burning heat welled up in its throat.
Dahlia forced it down again and again, refusing to cry.
‘If I cry, they’ll get even angrier.’
It was used to contemptuous gazes.
Used to hurtful words even more.
Compared to the White Shark clan, Ennio wasn’t even that cruel.
And yet, tears still threatened to spill.
It thought it had become used to being mistreated… used to coldness… but—
“Get out of our house right now. And don’t you dare come near this room again!”
Ennio shouted angrily.
“Pii, piiii. (I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.)”
“Stop making those stupid squeaks and get out! Disappear from my sight!”
In the end, Dahlia fled out of the room, dodging Ennio as he stormed toward it.
Meanwhile
“Little master! Little master!”
“Where did they go? They were just napping a moment ago…”
The servants were the first to notice Dahlia’s disappearance.
They had thought it was exhausted and decided not to wake it—but evening had already arrived.
They went to wake it for a meal, only to find the bed completely empty.
“What? Injeolmi is gone?”
“Yes, Clan Head! We confirmed it was sleeping and came out, but…”
“Have you searched elsewhere?”
“We checked the entire floor where the child’s room is. Other areas are still…”
“What are you all doing? Hurry and search everywhere!”
The entire household was mobilized, but Dahlia was nowhere to be found.
“What do we do? We even checked the storage rooms.”
“Where could they have gone? Did they leave the manor? I shouldn’t have mentioned going for a walk…”
RUMBLE—CRASH!
As if things weren’t bad enough, the clear weather turned dark.
The sky had already gone black, and heavy rain began pouring outside.
Someone was secretly watching the servants from a distance.
“Hey, older brother! What are you doing here?”
“Y-you startled me! W-what are YOU doing here?”
Ennio turned around, visibly flustered at his younger sibling’s voice.
“What do you mean? I’m looking for PiPi! Didn’t you hear? PiPi went missing!”
“It’s not ‘missing’… it’s ‘lost.’”
“What’s wrong with your face?”
“N-nothing!”
“You look like a thief caught in the act!”
Normally Ennio would have retorted, “It’s your foot, idiot,” but today he said nothing.
“Anyway! That’s not important! PiPi is missing! Where could that tiny thing have gone? In this weather, too…”
“…That kid…”
“Huh? What?”
“…Nothing.”
Ennio abruptly turned and hurried off.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Outside the Manor
“Hey! You little runt!”
Ennio shouted as he ran outside the manor, looking around frantically.
The rain poured so heavily it stung his skin.
“Stop hiding and get out here!”
It was true—he had been the one to yell at it to leave.
He searched through the garden bushes, going deeper and deeper, but there was no sign of the small furball.
Before long, he reached the far edge of the garden near the water gate.
The sluice gate was closed, but the lower drainage opening was left unblocked.
And unfortunately, that opening was just the right size for something that small.
“…Don’t tell me it went through there?”
Beyond that boundary lay the vast open sea.
Water only flowed outward—coming in was not possible.
“Get out of our house right now. And don’t you dare come near this room again!”
Under the torrential rain, Ennio’s expression crumbled like the falling drops.
“I didn’t mean for you to disappear completely… I meant… just get out of that room…”
In truth, he had been angry that the child had entered his mother’s room without permission—but that wasn’t the only reason.
Ever since his older brother brought home that ball of fur, the atmosphere of the house had changed.
After their mother, the former lady of the Orca clan, passed away, the manor had become quiet and still.
After that incident, their father left the clan and never returned.
His eldest brother, Kaska, also often roamed the open sea in beast form.
But that silence… had never felt unpleasant.
Ennio believed it was all part of remembering and mourning their mother.
But then that thing came and ruined it.
It laughed and played as if the house didn’t need to grieve anymore.
All the talk about meals, snacks, toys—it filled the house with unnecessary noise.
“I told you. Everyone’s just playing with you because they’re bored. Don’t misunderstand. Having you here is a disgrace.”
He hadn’t needed to say it so harshly.
It was just a baby who couldn’t even transform yet—but he took out all his frustration on it.
“…If you come out now, I won’t be that angry.”
Only the sound of rain answered him.
“Seriously. I won’t tell you to leave again… You can stay as much as you want. We allowed you to stay in our home…”
“Pip?! (Really?!)”
Ennio spun around at the familiar voice.
He thought it was an illusion—but there it was.
Small, round, soaked through, its soft brown fur completely drenched.
“You…! Where were you all this time—!”
Ennio staggered forward through the rain.
“Piiio— pii! (I brought it!)”
As the boy approached, Dahlia held out something it had been carefully clutching.
“…What is that?”
“Pi. Pi. Pii! (Coral flower!)”
In its tiny hand was a beautiful coral-colored flower decorated with bright blossoms.
It was his mother’s favorite flower when she was alive.
“You… brought this… for me?”
“Pi, pii. (I’m sorry.)”
Ennio stared at the flower, then at Dahlia again.
Then his brows furrowed sharply.
“You idiot sea otter! Your hands—your hands are a mess!”
The small, delicate hands stretched out toward him were covered in wounds.
“Pii! Pi, pii! (Not an idiot sea otter. I’m an otter!)”
“Shut up! And don’t ever—ever do something like this again! I don’t even like coral flowers. Flowers like this are only for my mother… only for someone like my mother…”
His voice trailed off.
Dahlia clutched the flower stem tightly, eyes trembling.
“Pii…? (Why…?)”
“Ugh, whatever! Just come with me! It’s raining this hard!!”
Ennio threw off his outer coat in frustration.
He wrapped it over Dahlia’s head and scooped it up.
“Pii! Piii! (Why are you doing this?! Put me down!)”
“Shut up! I’ll throw you if you don’t behave.”
“Piii—! Piyaaah! (Help! Orca kidnapping!)”
Ennio ran through the pouring rain while carrying the screaming Dahlia.
Inside the Manor
“Bring more warm cloths!”
“Yes! I’ll get them right away!”
The sea otter’s bedroom was in chaos.
Servants rushed back and forth, while the orca brothers waited outside.
“Brother… will PiPi be okay?”
“….”
At Sandio’s question, Ennio clenched his fists tightly.
How many days had it been?
Ever since he brought the child back that night, it had started running a fever.
The fever only worsened with no sign of stopping.
Its entire body burned with heat, and no one knew the cause.
“…It’s my fault.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
Ennio suddenly turned and ran somewhere in a panic.
