Chapter 5: The Gardener Cat and Strawberry Jam

 

 

 

Chapter 5: The Gardener Cat and Strawberry Jam

 

“SOOOOOO fluffyyy!!!”

Fluffa fluffa fluffa fluff!

I, Laetitia, was running my hands all over the fluffy wolf, getting my absolute fill of soft fur.

I was even starting to fluff up my words. Oh dear.

Surrounded by so much fluff, fluff wasn’t even sounding like a real word anymore.

“This is exactly what I needed!!!”

The soft strands of fur tickled both of my palms.

With each stroke of her coat, the wolf closed her eyes in bliss, and I started to forget all my cares in the world at the same time.

Yesterday’s visits to Lady Natalie and His Majesty were the first time I’d conducted any official business in days. I wanted nothing more than to play with the wolves and heal my weary soul, but sadly, they were already done with their walk by the time I got home.

My instinct to pet fuzzy creatures was in full swing. Today, finally, I got to pet all the wolf fur I wanted.

“Roooo!” cried the wolf.

She started to shove her face into me.

Right here? Is this your favorite spot?

I scratched her from the nape of her neck, down to her shoulders, and all the way down to her chest.

“Arooooo!”

She leaned into me and enjoyed the scratches.

This female wolf, Jenna, was extremely friendly.

Some of the others were still keeping their distance, but Jenna never had any trouble approaching me. According to Edgar, the wolfkeeper, Jenna loved to be petted by humans.

On top of that, she adored the slicker brush as well. Jenna was the perfect wolf for me—I could make her so happy just by petting and brushing her.

The transmuted slicker brush seemed to be a big help for both Edgar and the wolves. He told me all about how hard it was to groom the wolves when they started shedding, but this year, he was so grateful that he had an easier way to get it done.

It was all thanks to the convenience of modern Earth appliances.

However, the wolves still had their own preferences when it came to brushings.

During the spring, many wolves seemed to enjoy it. Maybe their skin was itchy from shedding their coats. But once they were through with that, some stopped letting me brush them.

“Nah, I’m good for now, thanks,” I imagined some wolves saying as I watched them avoid me and the brush.

“More! Please brush me more!!” begged others as they nuzzled me with their heads. Jenna was the most eager of them all.

When she felt that slicker brush against her, the tension left her entire body. I could tell she loved it. And when I was done with her brushing, I loved running my hands along her soft fur too.

We called this a “win-win situation” in my past life.

“So fluffy… I could pet you forever…”

“…Never would have thought I’d envy a wolf…”

“Lucian? Did you say something?”

“No, it’s nothing at all. For a moment, I just felt my heart being stolen away by the lovely little creature.”

“I know how you feel!”

I nodded vigorously.

Wolves are scary and hard to approach at first, but their mannerisms and expressions are truly endearing.

Thanks to the loving training from Edgar and the other wolfkeepers, these wolves were a lot more like giant dogs. I felt myself getting so attached to them.

And now I’d learned that Lucian and I shared the same love of wolves. I’d expect nothing less from the man. It was common that servants and masters had similar tastes, and I greatly appreciated his enthusiasm.

I was also deeply grateful that Lucian came all the way to this land just to take care of me. With our long history, I didn’t have to hide my true self in front of him anymore, and this meant I could snuggle with the wolves all I wanted.

Thinking about it now, as much as I always publicly conducted myself in a proper manner for a duke’s daughter, there were still glimpses of my past-life personality that popped up now and then throughout my life.

In front of Lucian and the brother I was closest in age to, I often acted pretty silly, actually.

…Huh. Oh well.

Being on edge all the time wasn’t healthy. I needed a break every now and then.

Yeah. That was it.

“Fluffy little critter, so fuzzy and soft…,” I hummed to myself. I was really in that good of a mood.

It was all thanks to yesterday’s meeting with Gilbert.

When I had returned from my visit with His Majesty, I went to talk to Gilbert about two topics.

First, I wanted his help improving my chiffon cake recipe.

Second, I asked him to cut back on spices in all the meals he served me.

This second request was something I was trying to save for later.

Usually, if I asked for lighter meals, I’d only be met with resistance. That’s why my plan was to befriend Gilbert and the other chefs, then slowly but surely shift to meals that used fewer heavy spices.

Though, in truth, I wanted a change, and I wanted it fast.

I learned all about the circumstances of Gilbert’s firing at Lady Natalie’s house. With that new information, I felt assured that Gilbert must have opinions of his own when it came to upper-class cooking.

He confirmed my suspicions when I asked him directly.

Gilbert told me he didn’t hate spices and seasonings, but personally, he preferred to eat meals where the natural flavor of the ingredients was the heart of the dish.

At that point, I was able to confess that I agreed with him, and thus, Gilbert and I entered into our culinary partnership.

And fortunately for me, the chefs who worked under Gilbert in the villa didn’t seem to have a problem with that line of thought either. They all had experience working with Gilbert before, so they were more or less on the same page.

The chefs at my villa hadn’t been here very long, but they seemed to be doing a good job working together. Four of them were fired from Lady Natalie’s villa when Gilbert was forced out of his job, and the rest resigned to follow him here to mine.

I didn’t deem Gilbert very talented when it came to getting on in the world, but even so, his subordinates and colleagues all seemed very fond of the man.

Now that I thought about it, I felt very blessed that Gilbert and his chefs were the ones I met at the villa. Lady Natalie and Diaz weren’t pleased with Gilbert as a chef, but for someone like me who hated food that was too rich, he was pretty much perfect.

I continued to stroke the wolf, daydreaming about all the delicious food I was going to eat. I was humming the “Fluffy Friends Song” (lyrics and music by me) to myself, when I heard a rustling sound from the tree line.

“…She’s really just an idiot, isn’t she?”

Seeing the dumbfounded look on the silver wolf’s face, I could almost hear him directing those words toward me.

The silver wolf was already bigger than the rest of the pack, but at the moment, he looked bigger than ever. The others were slimmed down now that they’d shed their winter coats, and the silver wolf looked all the fluffier in comparison.

Maybe his winter and summer coats are very similar?

Even the other wolves looked significantly fluffier than pictures of wolves in summer coats I’d seen in Japan.

Maybe the wolves of this world were naturally fluffier than Earth wolves.

I busied myself with these thoughts, singing to myself all the while, when I felt the silver wolf’s cold stare on me.

“Humming to yourself without a care in the world… What’s got you in such a good mood?” I interpreted from the silver wolf’s blue-green eyes as he observed me.

What a fantastic glare. Thank you, you just made my day.

…I promise I’m not a masochist.

The silver wolf seemed a bit shocked, but really, all I was doing was admiring his cuteness.

If a human were to glare at me so coldly, I was sure I’d shrink away sadly.

Of course, I’d never let a human see me embarrass myself like this in the first place.

On the off chance King Glenreed or one of the other queen candidates ever caught me acting like this, I was pretty confident I’d die from shame right there on the spot.

“Hehe! I see the wolves still love you, Your Majesty.”

“Good day to you, Melvin.”

This time it was Mervin who emerged from that same tree line. I decided to ask him the question that had been lingering in my mind for a while now.

“Melvin, can you tell me this wolf’s name? I don’t have anything to call him.”

“…He doesn’t have a name.”

“Really?”

“I only call him ‘the silver wolf’ in honor of that beautiful coat. Your Majesty, if you please, you’re welcome to come up with a name for this boy here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, it’s a bit impersonal to always call him ‘the silver wolf,’ don’t you think?”

The silver wolf’s ears perked up at each point in our conversation. Those jaunty little ears were incredibly cute.

“All right, how about…Howly?”

I thought the name suited the creature’s distinct howl, and yet…

“Grrrah!”

“Absolutely not!!” he seemed to be responding with a snarl.

“You don’t like it? Then how about Wolfy?”

“Grah!”

“Growly?”

“Grrrrr!!”

He rejected every single one of my suggestions as soon as they were out of my mouth.

What’s wrong with my names?

Melvin just laughed, sounding particularly amused.

“This here wolf has quite a lot of pride, you see. I don’t think he cares for how ‘cute’ your suggestions are.”

“What? He can understand that?”

Melvin’s smile widened when he heard my surprise. Somehow, that expression reminded me of my oldest brother. It was a smile I just couldn’t seem to read.

“…Yes, I think he can. Even if he doesn’t understand the words, he can probably make sense of your tone and the sound of the names themselves.”

“That’s still very clever of him…”

This wolf could have been a famous, well-loved circus animal or something of the sort on Earth.

The image of the silver wolf leaping through rings of fire flashed in my mind. It actually felt right, somehow. I liked imagining it.

“Lord Aroo, the star of the show…”

“Aroooo!!”

“Good. I accept that name.”

The silver wolf lowered his head like a nod.

“Lord Aroo…?”

“Woof!!”

He responded to his name with an approving cry, at least to my ears.

…So, “Lord Aroo” it was.

“Lord Aroo, you’re such a strange wolf…”

“Roooo?!”

“I think not. You’re a stranger sort than me.”

He implied this with a cry. To me, it was only another curious gesture of his.

With a snort, Lord Aroo trotted his way over to me.

It looked like he was curious about the slicker brush, once again.

“…Would you like a brushing?”

“Gruh…”

“No, that’s not it. I just wanted to smell it.”

Lord Aroo wrinkled his nose at me.

He had seemed disinterested at first, but now, he would let me use the brush on him without hesitation. He wasn’t as friendly as Jenna or the other wolves, but he also didn’t hate the brush enough for it to send him running at first touch.

“You don’t hate the brush, but you won’t let me pet you. Shouldn’t it be the other way around…?”

With its metal bristles, I would expect the brush to have a much more intense sensation compared with a human hand.

What a strange wolf he was to still prefer the brush in the end.

Melvin seemed to be holding back laughter as he watched Lord Aroo close his eyes and allow the brushing.

I finished my work while wondering what that could be about.

“I’ll be back again, so be sure you’re ready for me.”

With a confident wave of his tail, Lord Aroo and Melvin went on their way together.

Edgar and the rest of the wolves followed a while after that. Before I went back inside, I decided to go on a brief walk of my own.

Spring was in full bloom. The bright afternoon sunshine filtered through the trees, casting lacelike shadows across the ground.

The trees surrounding my house were like a forest of their own. I loved the rich smell of all the greenery.

I was stretching my body as I walked alongside Lucian when I noticed that the grass to my right was rustling.

“A cat…?”

Lucian had placed himself in front of me protectively, but past him, I could see a tiny, fuzzy creature squirming in the grass.

The cat had a round head and vivid light-green eyes. Its coat was like a gray tabby’s, with alternating lighter and darker gray stripes in its fur.

“……”

“……”

Silently, I stared right into its green eyes.

…What a strange cat.

I always thought cats were supposed to hate eye contact with humans.

Don’t they usually think you’re trying to start a fight if you look them in the eye?

But this cat kept its gaze fixed on me. It wasn’t acting upset at all, either.

Those light-green eyes were captivating, like I was looking straight at the fresh forest leaves that surrounded us.

The wind gently rustled its whiskers, while the two of us continued to stand and stare in silence.

The cat, still looking up at me, started to walk deeper into the woods. The way it kept its eyes on me as it moved felt like an invitation to follow.

“…Shall we go?”

Curious, I decided to tag along.

The cat continued to weave between the trees, ensuring we were still behind it as it moved. As we followed our four-legged guide, I caught wind of something sweet in the air.

The stronger it got, the more nostalgia filled my body.

What I saw there instantly took me back to memories of my past life.

“I can’t believe it…”

The cat had led us through a small copse of trees.

Bright-red fruit sagged from the vines—something I’d never seen since I had reincarnated into this world. Their ripe surface was speckled with bumpy seeds, and each berry was in the shape of a triangle with a green stem on top.

“Strawberries…”

They were nearly identical to the ones I knew from Earth, both in appearance and in that sweet, nostalgic fragrance. The only difference I could make out was the smaller size of some of the berries.

Sprouting close to the ground, some were splattered with mud, but they were still just as easy to identify.

Can I eat these?

The sweet-and-sour scent reached my nose. I felt a sudden hunger overcome me.

I loved strawberries so much, I was even singing my little strawberry song to myself just before I died in my past life.

As I restlessly looked at the strawberries (or whatever they were), the gray tabby strolled right over to them. It sniffed at the berries, savoring the smell before digging in with its fangs.

One bite, then two—the cat gobbled down one strawberry after another, leaving red juice stains in the fur around its mouth. It left the stems scattered around on the ground once it was finished, then took to licking the juice off its fur.

“So you can eat them…”

If a cat could eat them, then so could I. Probably.

Since my body was much bigger, I figured the berries would be safe for me to eat.

I crouched down closer to the strawberries (or whatever they were), careful not to startle the tabby cat.

I cast a spell to make a tiny blade out of wind and sliced the vines, freeing all the berries. Next, I caught the tumbling fruit in my hands and then used another spell to clean the berries.

Once they were free of any dirt and mud, I checked again to confirm they were also free of bugs and mold. I took my first bite into the tip of a strawberry. Immediately, that sweet flavor filled my mouth.

“Delicious…”

I felt the slightly sour juice drip onto my tongue, leaving a refreshing taste in my mouth. The nostalgic flavor was exactly how I remembered it. The berries were incredibly delicious.

“Did you want me to try these?”

The gray tabby cat was still taking its time eating up a bundle of the berries.

It seemed this cat was a big fan of them.

“What a strange cat…,” murmured Lucian. I agreed with him on that point.

“But thanks to this cat, we were able to find strawberries out here. I owe it my gratitude.”

“Strawberries?”

Lucian cocked his head curiously.

…Oh, that’s right.

I’d never once encountered strawberries under any circumstances for the seventeen years I’d lived in my birth kingdom. Naturally, Lucian wouldn’t know anything about strawberries, being from the same kingdom as me.

“These fruits are called strawberries. I’ve seen them described in old books before.”

“I see. ‘Strawberries,’ are they? I don’t know why, but I find that name kind of cute. It suits their appearance.”

“I agree! They’re cute on the outside and delicious on the inside. Wonderful, don’t you think?”

“Indeed. That’s all very grand, but…please refrain from eating wild fruits like that, Your Majesty. You did it so casually, and you looked so happy as you ate, I found myself completely transfixed at the sight, but you could have been in real trouble had the berries been poisonous.”

“…I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.”

“No, I’m the one who should apologize for failing to warn you.”

Whoops. The mistake made guilt creep into my heart.

I was just so excited over the discovery, I couldn’t help but dig in right away, but it was true the berries could have been “strawberries” in appearance only. If they were actually poisonous, I would have just put myself in a very serious situation.

In my past life, it would have been a simple case of self-destruction by the gluttonous office worker. But here, as the queen, who knew how heavy the consequences would be if I managed to get myself poisoned?

Fortunately, this fruit appeared perfectly strawberry-like in every single way, so I doubted it was poisonous…

I made a mental note to take more caution in the future.

“I’m sorry I scared you. I think Gilbert and the other chefs might know more about this fruit. What say we take some home for them?”

“That’s a great idea. Here, use this.”

I took his handkerchief and placed some of the strawberries inside.

As I handed the bundle back to Lucian, I noticed the gray tabby was still staring up at us. When the two of us turned to leave, the cat started to trot after us on its four little legs.

Did it get attached to me?

I reached out my hand to see for myself, but the tabby dodged my attempted petting immediately.

We continued through the forest until we reached the villa. All the way along, the cat followed behind us silently.

Maybe it wants to be adopted?

The cat continued to follow me into the house, though it kept a safe distance from me all the while.

I started to wonder if this cat was after a human snack.

I left the gray tabby on its own to poke my head into the kitchen, hoping I could find it some milk. Luckily, I happened to spot one of the younger chefs who didn’t seem to be occupied with anything.

“Excuse me. Could I borrow a bit of milk, or anything else a cat might like?”

“What’s this about, Your Majesty? Have you found yourself a pet cat?”

“Well, I’m not quite sure yet… I thought milk might be a nice way to show my appreciation. There’s a metal container I made for transmutation practice that I believe I left in a corner somewhere. Do you think you could use it to make something for me?”

“Very well. Please wait here for a moment. I believe it was over here…”

The chef quickly returned with the jug of milk.

I thanked him and decided to use this opportunity for another purpose as well.

“Thank you for your help. Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask of you. Is now a good time?”

“What can I do for you?”

“I found these delicious fruits in the forest. Do you know what they are?”

When I opened the handkerchief and retrieved a strawberry…

“A D-Demon Gem…?!”

The response I received was both hard to believe and also somewhat troubling.

“Demon Gem…”

As I repeated his words, various pieces of information started to float to the top of my brain.

“Beautiful gem-like fruits.”

“These berries contain poison that can cause intense pain when consumed.”

“Death can occur after ingesting only a small amount.”

“Beautiful in appearance, yet toxic to humans, much like a demon.”

“These purple berries are known as Demon Gems.”

I’d seen this name from time to time in my history books. It was a beautiful fruit that made for a deadly poison.

Elltoria had eradicated these berries decades ago due to their danger.

That meant I never got to see one in real life, but apparently, this strawberry-like fruit was the real deal.

“…Poison?”

I felt the blood in my veins turn cold.

The chef standing in front of me started to grow pale too.

Just before my shock turned to panic, the red color of the berry caught my eye.

“Wait, no! This fruit is red! Demon Gems are supposed to be purple!”

“Ah!!”

The chef’s eyes went wide. He stared straight at the crimson berry.

“…It just looks red to me… But I’ve seen that shape before. One of the chefs once brought a Demon Gem in for research, and it looked just like that…”

“I see… So this isn’t likely to be a Demon Gem. It’s the wrong color, and the poison would be affecting me by now if it was the real thing.”

“I believe so. You sure know your stuff, Your Majesty. I apologize for jumping to the wrong conclusion…”

The chef bowed his head in apology.

As I tried to calm him down, I heard a voice from behind me.

“These Poor Man’s Gems are pretty rare. I’m surprised to see you bring them here.”

“‘Poor Man’s Gems?’”

The response had come from Gilbert. He had entered the kitchen and stopped to take a look at the red fruit.

“Gilbert, do you know this fruit?”

“Yes, I’ve had them many times. I personally like their flavor…but that appearance leaves something to be desired, so they’re not very widely consumed here. It’s quite natural for you to be unfamiliar with them, Your Majesty.”

“This shape… Do people avoid them because they look so much like Demon Gems?”

“Indeed. The color may be different, but the size and shape are spot-on.”

Gilbert continued with the history lesson.

A few decades ago, when the Kingdom of Wolfvarte began trading goods with the southern continent, “Poor Man’s Gems” were first introduced into the land as food. The fruit was well-loved by the southern continent, but here in the west, it was a different story, due to our long history with the much-hated Demon Gems.

The Poor Man’s Gems, which resembled Demon Gems in every way but color, weren’t accepted by our continent

I could see why so many people were reluctant to take to a completely unknown food—all the more so when that food looked exactly like a poisonous plant.

It reminded me of the circumstances surrounding tomatoes back on Earth.

In my past life, tomatoes were a staple of Italian food and other Western cuisine, but it had a surprisingly shallow history in Europe itself.

During the Age of Discovery, tomatoes were first brought to Europe via South America, but the people of the time didn’t think much of the fruit. Tomatoes were tasty and nutritious, but they had a problematic appearance.

At that time, the belladonna plant was feared around Europe for its poisonous properties.

I’d seen the fruit of the belladonna plant in pictures before, and it was dark, glossy, and round, much like a tomato. For that reason, tomatoes were avoided as food for a long time to come.

“…I see. So that’s why these red fruits are called ‘Poor Man’s Gems.’”

“What do you mean?” the chef asked inquisitively.

“It’s about necessity. These fruits are hated for their similarity to Demon Gems, but if they’re all you have, you’d be forced to eat them to avoid starving, right? For a hungry person, struggling with poverty, these berries are as valuable as gems, hence the name. I would guess it’s meant as a bit of a joke, yes?”

“That’s correct. I’d expect nothing less from you, Your Majesty.”

Gilbert met my gaze and answered with a compliment. I was glad.

“The two fruits are often confused for each other, so most people destroy the Poor Man’s Gems immediately upon discovery. It seems to grow well in Wolfvartian soil, so they sometimes appear in the wild. During famines, the impoverished have been known to eat them, and I’ve heard that’s where it got the nickname.”

“If it’s a nickname, then that means there’s a proper name as well?”

“Gilvieure Gimavinna Gabunne.”

Was that some sort of spell?

Or so I thought for a moment, but that appeared to be the official name.

“Gilvieure Gimavinna Gabunne… That’s quite the tongue twister.”

“Indeed. Most people don’t memorize that name as quickly as you, Your Majesty.”

Memorizing the complicated names of hundreds of aristocrats was another facet of the rigorous education I received from my brothers.

“I heard the name means ‘crimson blessing’ in the native language of the south, but no one uses that name here. ‘Poor Man’s Gem’ is the norm on this continent.”

“I didn’t know that… Then, in that case, I’d like to call these fruits ‘strawberries.’”

“Strawberries?”

“That’s right. I remember seeing these red fruits referred to as ‘strawberries’ in a book I read many years ago. ‘Gilvieure Gimavinna Gabunne’ is long and hard to pronounce correctly, and the nickname ‘Poor Man’s Gems’ doesn’t have very pleasant origins, so would you agree that ‘strawberry’ is a better name altogether?”

“I would. It still sounds a bit unfamiliar to me, but it’s not hard to say, so I’ll follow your lead, Your Majesty.”

He repeated it three times: “Strawberry. Strawberry. Strawberry.”

Gilbert, a grown man, was muttering the word strawberry to himself with extreme intensity. It was slightly amusing.

“Queen Laetitia, where exactly did you find these strawberries? I’ve never heard of them growing in the woods around the palace.”

“I followed a cat who led me to them.”

“A cat?”

“Have a look for yourself. Do you see the gray-striped cat by the door, peering into the kitchen?”

The cat blinked its light-green eyes at us, observing the humans. I tried once again to approach it, but the tabby was adamant in keeping distance between us.

Gilbert nodded as if he’d come to understand everything now.

“I see… My queen, would you be so kind as to let me borrow one of your strawberries?”

“By all means. Do you think it will make for good bait?”

The gray tabby was still on high alert around us.

I couldn’t imagine there was anything that could lure the creature in our direction. However…

“Well, that was quite the success…”

“What a simple creature,” Lucian whispered quietly, just loud enough for only me to hear.

Gilbert was crouched down with a strawberry in one hand. The cat’s whiskers twitched curiously. This time, each of Gilbert’s steps forward wasn’t met with a retreat. The cat’s only concern seemed to be that single strawberry he was holding out.

The tabby cat took step after slow step toward the strawberry. Just as it was about to lean in for a bite, Gilbert raised the berry up in the air.

And then, as if its body could meet any challenge in following that strawberry, the cat stood up on its hind legs.

“What…?”

Trot. Trot. Trot.

The gray tabby was walking upright, following Gilbert and the strawberry around the room. Its gait was perfectly human. It took one step after another without any sign of wavering.

“It’s…not a cat?”

Cats don’t walk on two legs.

Even if they could, it shouldn’t be able to move more than a small distance. The cats I knew of this world were no different.

“I thought so. This is a Gardener Cat.”

“A Gardener Cat… Aren’t they a kind of Mythical Beast?”

Mythical Beasts.

These are creatures much rarer than beastfolk or demons. Mythical Beasts possess magic powers of their own, which give them certain mysterious abilities. I’d never actually seen one before, but even dragons and griffins existed in this world and were of the same mythical variety.

Now that I knew I was reborn into a world of fantasy, I had been hoping to see one in real life at some point in my life. This unexpected encounter with a Mythical Beast wasn’t what I was expecting at all.

“Gardener Cats are a very rare form of Mythical Beast in this land. They have the power to accelerate the growth of all plants. If a flower would normally take over a year to grow and bloom, these creatures can accomplish that in only a few days, from what I’ve heard of them.”

“And yet, it’s so small. How impressive.”

“They may look like regular cats, but they certainly earn the title of ‘Mythical Beast.’ Unfortunately, those powers, combined with their charming appearance, made them a prime hunting target hundreds of years ago. Now, they hardly ever show themselves around people, save for a few beastfolk.”

I wasn’t surprised to hear this.

Mythical Beasts, who often possessed both useful powers and appealing looks, were often hunted to extinction by humans. These days, the only types that remained were the ones who were tough enough to survive against humans, or those that lived in uninhabited areas, or creatures skilled in mimicry.

Aside from walking upright, the Gardener Cats resembled normal cats in every way. Perhaps they disguised themselves as cats to avoid being hunted by humans.

“…Then why did this Gardener Cat reveal itself to me?”

“Maybe it wanted to eat the strawberry?”

“What do you mean? I watched it eat strawberries just a bit ago…”

“Well, some Gardener Cats are said to be little gourmets, so to speak. They like to offer to humans the plants they grow, hoping to receive a meal out of that plant in return.”

“A meal…?”

In other words, this Gardener Cat wanted me to use the strawberries to cook with? But the people of this kingdom hated strawberries too much to even think of eating them.

Was this cat wandering around, looking for the one person who would use them in a meal? When it met me, someone who didn’t hesitate to eat one, maybe it finally saw its chance.

“It followed me, hoping I would make something with its strawberries…?”

So this cat knew it could be hunted by humans, but the desire for strawberry foods overruled all that?

This catlike Mythical Beast, who walked on its hind legs, appeared to be out for a taste of fine dining.

◇　◇　◇

WE’D managed to figure out that the gray tabby was a Gardener Cat—a type of Mythical Beast.

We decided we wanted to observe its powers for ourselves after that, so we headed into the woods. The four of us—Lucian, Gilbert, the Gardener Cat, and myself—traveled as one group.

Eventually, the trees opened up to reveal a clearing, and with it, the strawberry patches. Gilbert’s mouth fell open. He was clearly impressed.

“I’ve never seen it myself, but I’ve heard that strawberries are grown differently than Demon Gems.”

“How are Demon Gems grown?”

“They grow at the very tip of short trees, but these strawberries are different. Their plants are close to the ground, and the berries grow on the ends of vines.”

“I see. So it’s unlikely anyone would mistake Demon Gems for strawberries in the wild.”

This was good news indeed. If the actual appearance of the berries was the only similar aspect, there was less of a chance that someone would mistake the two.

“The strawberries on all three of these plants look ready to eat. I believe they’re supposed to be at peak ripeness a bit later in the season, so the Gardener Cat must have grown these itself.”

These cats, with their methods of artificial growth, were truly amazing creatures.

Wanting to see such power for myself, I reached into my breast pocket and took out a small glass bottle. Inside were the seeds I’d taken from one of the other berries.

By putting the surface of the fruit into water and stirring, I was able to separate out the actual seeds. Then I placed them in salt water for a while, resulting in sturdy seeds that were well packed.

In Japan, it was normal to grow strawberries by diverting the roots of the parent plant, but I couldn’t find any such roots on the plant in front of me, so I decided to use seeds instead.

I dug into the dirt a bit, placed a seed down, and covered it back up. When I looked at the Gardener Cat, it approached the seed, seeming to understand me.

“Oh, it stood up.”

Now standing upright, the Gardener Cat stretched its front legs out toward the seed. I could see its round paws and the black lumps sticking out just slightly.

“Its paw pads are glowing…”

Ultimate Toe Bean Power!!

Stupid made-up terms came to mind.

A faint light took form in its paws and poured out into the ground, causing the dirt to shake and a green sprout to emerge from within. It was only as big as the tip of my finger at first, but the longer we watched, the bigger the sprout grew.

Then leaves began to appear, and the vines drooped heavily with weight. It was already as big as the original strawberry plant.

The cat finally dropped its paws over the now-grown strawberries. It approached me and started to tug at the hem of my dress.

What does it want?

I picked the tabby up off the ground and felt the cat cling to my chest. I wrapped my arms around it tighter. The creature closed its eyes and leaned its weight against me.

“It’s sleeping…”

The Gardener Cat was curled up perfectly in my arms, occasionally twitching its whiskers.

Through my dress, I felt the limp, warm creature resting peacefully.

Did that spell tire it out?

Begging for a tasty treat. Taking a nice nap in the middle of the day.

In appearance, wariness, and spontaneity, this creature resembled a cat in every way.

◇　◇　◇

I walked back home to the villa, carrying the wonderful little furball in my arms.

Once I arrived, I set the Gardener Cat down on a cushion to sleep, then headed for the kitchen.

I was ready to make something with my new fresh strawberries. I wanted a meal that could also serve as thanks to the cat for its generous gift.

“Those are Demon Gems…”

“She’s not going to eat them, right?!”

“You’ve got it all wrong. They’re strawberries!”

“Strawberries?”

“That’s what Gilbert called them.”

“Are they edible?”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure about this…”

The kitchen staff were gathered around me to observe.

They were scared of the perceived “Demon Gems,” and yet, as chefs, they were intrigued at the same time.

I was eager to have them try a dish made with strawberries for the first time. Hopefully, my plan would be a success, and they would all come to love that delicious strawberry flavor.

If I was the only one cooking, I wouldn’t be able to test out very many methods with trial and error. The way I saw it, the most efficient thing for me to do was get the rest of the chefs interested in using the strawberries like I was.

I knew exactly what I needed to make too.

The chefs’ reluctance to try strawberries was all due to their appearance. They looked exactly like the poisonous Demon Gems.

So to start, I’d make the strawberries lose their shape entirely.

“A copper pot is best for strawberry jam.”

Luckily, I’d already made one in advance with transmutation. I usually carried out most of my transmutation with iron, but I still practiced with other materials on occasion.

Today’s copper pot was simple enough, but someday, I wanted to attempt something as challenging as porcelain cookware. Transmutation work required trial and error to master. I still had a lot of learning to do.

“First, we have to prepare the strawberries to eat…”

I ran them under water, removed each stem, and started slicing the berries into small sections.

Personally, I enjoyed strawberry jam made with larger chunks of fruit, but my goal for today was to hide the natural shape of the berries.

I placed the sliced berries in the pot and squeezed lemon juice over the top.

To be sure the chefs could taste the strawberries’ natural sweetness, I wasn’t going to add any extra sugar. This meant the jam wouldn’t keep as well, but since the strawberries were very fresh, the sweetness shouldn’t be an issue.

Next, I placed the pot over a strong flame.

The trick to making good jam is to get it boiling almost right away. This usually preserves the flavor of the strawberries and gives them a stronger scent.

This was another reason why I chose to use a copper pot. Copper is a good conductor of heat and can reach an even temperature in a short amount of time. It’s the perfect material for making jam.

“Good. Now I’ll turn the heat down…”

I carefully scooped out all the foam formed from the boiling mixture and then placed it in a bowl on its own instead of simply throwing it away. In my mind, I was imagining using the foam for something like a lightly flavored strawberry drink.

I let the mixture simmer for a while, stirring it continuously with a wooden spatula, careful not to let it burn. The more I stirred, the more glimpses I caught of the copper pot underneath the jam.

I think it’s just about ready.

I scooped out a bit of jam with the spatula and dropped it into a cup of water. The jam just sank to the bottom of the glass and showed no sign of dissolving in the water.

This test meant the jam was the perfect consistency—not too dry, but not too diluted.

I removed the pot from the flames, waited for it to cool, then poured all the jam into a glass jar. While it cooled to room temperature, I made myself busy by cleaning out the pot, when I felt someone’s eyes on my back.

“……”

Staaare.

The Gardener Cat had appeared at the kitchen door with its eyes fixed on me.

The smell of the strawberry jam must have woken it up.

I could feel its silent demands weighing on me already. “Feed me this instant!!”

This Gardener Cat didn’t appear to meow like regular cats. Instead, it preferred the quiet method of begging.

I thought I could at least pass the time by petting the cat, but once again, it made its escape before I could even touch it.

It had just fallen sound asleep in my arms, and now it wouldn’t even let me near. The heart of a cat is truly an enigma.

I stayed like that for a while, with the tiny source of pressure still locked on me, just out of reach, until it was time to continue.

Now that the jam was cool, there was no point in waiting to eat it. I reached in and scooped out a portion with my spoon. The thick heap of jam glistened under the light.

I’d always thought of strawberries as aesthetically pleasing fruit, but they were transformed into beautiful gems like little rubies as a jam.

I took my first bite. Immediately, the sour-sweet scent reached my nose.

It was thick and velvety, but I especially loved the occasional solid chunk of strawberry I encountered. I hadn’t added much sugar, so the taste was actually more refreshing than anything else. I felt like I could eat it all on its own.

“……”

Yes, it was delicious, but hard to enjoy with the constant stare coming from behind me.

“Hurry up and give me jam!” the Gardener Cat was silently begging me.

I scooped more jam from the glass jar and placed it on a small dish. I set the dish down on the floor, but the cat just stood and sniffed at the jam, making no attempt to actually eat it.

“Don’t you want to try it…?”

The cat looked up at me and started to motion with its right front paw, like it was trying to scoop up water. It kept repeating the motion, clearly trying to convey something, until it finally clicked in my mind.

“…A spoon?”

I could hardly believe it, but still, I placed the spoon down on the plate. To my shock, the Gardener Cat reached its paws out immediately.

“Whoa…!”

It managed to grip the utensil with the soles of both paws.

The Gardener Cat was now holding the spoon with perfect form.

Somehow, it even looked pleased with itself for that accomplishment.

Next, the cat happily turned the spoon toward the jam. I watched as that first spoonful disappeared into its mouth.

“Meow?!”

An adorable little sound erupted from the Gardener Cat.

I was so delighted to finally hear its first cry. The cat continued to gobble down spoonful after spoonful, appearing deeply pleased with my offering.

Little by little, the cat polished off all the jam that had been on the plate.

Once it finished licking the spoon clean of the last morsels of jam…

“Thank you for the meal.”

The cat meowed at me once more, as if to show its appreciation, then drew closer.

Wait, am I getting a reward? Is it letting me pet it?

I watched as the cat made its way over to my feet, curled up into a little ball, and immediately fell asleep. When it’s tired from growing strawberries, it takes a nap. When its belly is full of strawberry jam, it takes another nap.

This little gourmet and its adorable toe beans never held back when it came to its desires.

I picked up the Gardener Cat, still out cold in a deep sleep, and took it to the couch in my bedroom, taking a minute to stroke its soft fur along the way. Once I’d given it a brief petting, I returned to the kitchen.

It was time for the chefs to give my strawberry jam a try.

“Oh, this is good.”

“Hmm, couldn’t it be a bit sweeter?”

“I like how it’s kind of sour at the same time.”

“But this came from those fruits that look just like ‘Demon Gems’…”

“Shh! Don’t bring that up.”

“Promise you won’t talk about that. Just accept delicious food for what it is.”

“They’d actually be delicious if I didn’t know what they looked like beforehand.”

“Actually, I think I’m even starting to like the shape now.”

“Nothing’s more important than a good flavor, after all.”

“Agreed!!” came the other four voices at once.

By the sound of that, it appeared the chefs were satisfied overall with the taste of the strawberry jam. Some wanted it to be sweeter, but they might be won over simply by adding more sugar to the jam or eating it with something creamy or sweet.

After that, the last obstacle would be the shape of the strawberries themselves.

I’d eaten the jam in front of the chefs to prove that it wasn’t poisonous.

But the looks on their faces after that hadn’t been very encouraging. Now that they had tried it for themselves, though, their expressions were much more positive. This was proof that the actual flavor was satisfactory.

It seemed to be erasing their prejudice toward the shape issue as well. I would continue to tackle that obstacle by cooking even more strawberry dishes for them.

“And I need to cook up some offerings for the Gardener Cat too.”

For the sake of the Gardener Cat and for the sake of my own strawberry desires, it was a challenge I had to take on.

◇　◇　◇

“HEAVY…”

For the past few mornings, I’d been awakening from sleep to the sensation of a weight on my chest.

I forced my eyelids open and looked down.

“……”

A pair of light-green eyes were staring back at me.

The Gardener Cat’s gaze was fixed on me as she sat on my chest, as if to demand that I get out of bed immediately.

“Good morning, Berry.”

I’d named the Gardener Cat “Strawberry” after her favorite food but called her “Berry” as a nickname. Fifteen days had already passed since our first encounter.

I didn’t know if it was just thanks to my strawberry jam, but Berry had decided to settle down here at the villa with me.

Though she looked exactly like any other cat, this was a Mythical Beast perched on my chest.

She always seemed tired after spending her days acting like a cat, so I started inviting her into my bedroom at night. Perhaps liking the bed I had prepared for her, she began to sleep in my room every night.

I rang the bell by my bedside to summon a maid. Soon, one appeared in my room with a cup of black tea and a small bowl of strawberry jam, among other treats.

“Come here, Berry. It’s finally breakfast time.”

Once the maid left the room, I held out the bowl for Berry, and she raced over to me impatiently.

In her left paw was a small spoon she’d hidden in a corner of the room.

I’d transmuted her this perfect cat-sized little spoon earlier.

Gripping her precious tool, Berry began to dig into the strawberry jam, once again getting to enjoy her favorite treat. Cats may be carnivores, but Gardener Cats apparently preferred plant-based foods in general. They also had a few strange traits that made them resemble actual plants themselves.

First, Gardener Cats didn’t seem to produce any waste.

Their food was converted through magic, or something of the sort, never to leave their bodies as excrement.

The second trait was their need to be exposed to sunlight.

Maybe a few days without it was fine, but after a few weeks without any, the Gardener Cats were said to break down and die.

They looked just like any other cat on the outside, but I wondered if they were actually conducting photosynthesis or something like that.

Berry often took naps in front of the sunnier windows, whenever she wasn’t busy. It made her look exactly like a cat craving warm, sunny spots in the house to curl up in, so it didn’t give away her status as a Mythical Beast.

Berry finished her jam around the same time I finished my tea.

Instead of water to wash down her meal, Berry drank strawberry milk made with some remnants of the jam.

She set the cup back down carefully, then left to go to the window.

Under the light of the sun, the strawberry leaves seemed to glow with life.

Inside the flower pots that lined the windowsill were the roots of different strawberry plants.

Berry had grown these roots with her own magic.

It was possible to use a Gardener Cat’s powers to make a plant reach all the way to the fruit-bearing stage.

However, to make a plant bear fruit, Berry apparently had to use quite a lot of her energy. The most efficient use of her powers was to grow the roots to a certain point but stop a bit before the berries were formed.

Fortunately, it was the right season for strawberries, so they would grow on their own after that. Five plants here at home and around ten plants in the woods were starting to show small green fruits already.

Berry was still busy with making more strawberry plants, so our harvest would only increase with time.

“I’m looking forward to seeing them grow.”

After ten more days, the plants should bear plump red strawberries.

Excited about the prospect of the approaching strawberry festival, I dressed myself for the coming day.

I took some time to read over documents relating to the management of the villa and stamped a few papers, and then, it was time to head to the kitchen.

“Gilbert, let’s work on another chiffon cake today.”

“I’m at your service. I think we’ll finally get to see the results we’ve been waiting for.”

Gilbert nodded with more force than I was used to seeing from him.

After some planning, the two of us set out on our next chiffon cake endeavor.

Together, we were testing a few tiny adjustments to the amount of sugar and when exactly we added it. There were more parts of the process we tweaked along the way as we went.

Each change was small, but they added up into a huge transformation.

We took the cake out of its mold and it was perfectly smooth, without a single rough patch along the surface.

“How delicious…”

The chiffon cake was smooth like silk in my mouth, with a texture both light and moist.

The sweetness hadn’t been lost either. It was an elegant taste

Between the original recipe I knew from before, and the changes brought on by the different tools and ingredients in this world, the chiffon cake had been perfected.

I could even imagine our cake selling as a gourmet product if we brought it to Japan.

“We did it, Your Majesty…!!”

“We sure did. Thank you, Gilbert. This is all because of the effort you and the other chefs put in.”

He gave me a shy smile in response.

The other chefs had been watching over our efforts too, as if to bless our work.

Gilbert really was an amazing chef.

His first time ever laying eyes on a chiffon cake was only twenty days ago now, and yet he had immediately grasped its unique qualities as a cake and even how the recipe could be improved as well.

The cake was already looking much better than it had when we first started. If I were on my own, I doubt I would have ever made it this far at all.

Both Gilbert’s knack and passion for cooking were not to be underestimated.

“A chiffon cake like this will be a fitting present for the ceremony in five days, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely. With this unique texture and the sweet flavor, it will make a fine gift for His Majesty.”

It sounded like I’d earned Gilbert’s seal of approval.

In five days from now, it would be the king’s birthday.

Here in Wolfvarte, royal birthdays are celebrated with gatherings of influential people inside the main palace. On top of that, whatever birthday gift you offer is seen as a physical valuation of your own status.

And here I was, a newcomer in the kingdom.

While I wanted to give a memorable present that wouldn’t be looked down on by the guests, I didn’t want to spend too much money either, so I decided to cook something for His Majesty’s birthday instead.

Most cakes in this kingdom are the heavier kinds of desserts like pound cakes. On top of that, their shapes are typically round or rectangular. I knew that a doughnut-shaped cake with a hole in the middle would be a rare sight. It made my chiffon cake a brand-new experience, both in visuals and in texture.

I wasn’t sure if the taste itself would be to everyone’s liking, but it should make quite an impact for the other two aspects alone.

…Another reason I became so immersed in cooking lately was because I’d planned on gifting His Majesty a dish of my own making for his birthday.

Sure, it was a fun hobby, but it was nice to get something practical out of it too.

Since about 80 percent of my cooking was for my own entertainment, I felt like that much was acceptable.

I would be presenting this chiffon cake as a cocreator, along with Gilbert and the other chefs.

Hopefully, that would help boost Gilbert’s reputation, if even just a little.

Still eating the chiffon cake, I gave a deep nod at that thought.

Suddenly…

“Y-Your Majesty, this is bad!!”

One of my chefs, his face looking ghastly pale, had just rushed into the kitchen.