What situational irony occurs in “The Colomber” by Dino Buzzati?

Stefano spends his life believing the colomber is a deadly sea monster pursuing him, so he keeps trying to escape it. When he finally faces the creature, it explains that it had been following him to give him a pearl that would bring good fortune. The unexpected gift instead of a threat is the situational irony, so the correct choice is that the colomber pursues Stefano in order to give him a magic pearl.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.