Chapter 1: Strawberry Picking and Shortcake

 

 

 

Chapter 1: Strawberry Picking and Shortcake

 

I, Laetitia Gramwell, am a woman who possesses memories of a past life I lived in Japan.

I regained those memories in the same moment my fiancé, the crown prince, ended our engagement. As overwhelming as it all was back then, I now live a relatively calm and leisurely life.

After King Glenreed, the Silver Wolf King, granted me a royal villa to live in, I became friends with Gilbert, my new head chef. I bonded with the wolves who visited my home, and I met Berry, a Gardener Cat.

One day, as the chiffon cake scandal came to a close…

I became the owner of Fon—a griffin and the next fluffy friend to come live with me at the villa.

“Krah?!”

I stroked the soft white feathers of Fon’s neck. He puffed up his plume and squinted his eyes happily. The creature was easily over six and a half feet tall, judging by how far above me his own head rested. Fon’s upper body was like that of a bird of prey, while his lower half resembled a lion. Altogether, he was a bit too large to keep inside the villa.

“We’ll get you a house of your own, Fon. Do you mind waiting a little longer for it?”

“Kwah!!”

Fon responded by shaking his head from side to side. He was a creature clever enough to understand human speech.

For now, I had him living near the wooden crate he originally arrived in.

He didn’t hesitate to listen to my order. I watched him fold up his large wings and sit down inside the crate.

Though his size was incomparable, he reminded me of a dog curled up inside its doghouse, and I couldn’t help thinking back to the Shiba Inu, Jiro, that I owned in my past life. My precious dog…or rather, my precious griffin needed a real home, and I hoped to give him one as soon as possible. I could probably use magic to build a suitable griffin house, however…

“I should get permission from His Majesty first…”

Fon’s griffinhouse would need to be as big as an ordinary house for humans if he was going to fit inside.

Even though the king was the one who gave me this villa to live in, I still needed to inform him before I began building.

We also had other topics to discuss, such as Lady Natalie’s punishment, his impression of the chiffon cake—if he had one—and many other details I was desperate to know about.

In my bedroom, I was busy pondering how best to contact the king, when…

“It looks like you’ve received a letter from King Glenreed.”

The envelope was sealed with wax in the shape of the royal crest—the image of a sword and a wolf.

It was an invitation to meet at the castle tomorrow evening.

“How will you answer, my lady?”

The only person who addressed me as “my lady” was Lucian, the servant who had joined me in the move from our homeland. His black hair was neatly styled and his butler’s uniform was wrapped elegantly around his tall, slender body.

“I’ll take him up on his offer, of course. What perfect timing.”

Fortunately, I was free tomorrow evening too.

Well, I was available most evenings, in fact.

“Aren’t you free in the afternoons too?” you might say, but I did have certain noble duties of my own to carry out. Like playing with all the wolves.

“…I’ll be a bit busy tomorrow, even outside of brushing the wolves.”

“Indeed. I’ll make sure the preparations are in order.”

Lucian nodded.

I had something of an event in the works for tomorrow afternoon.

What exactly was I so looking forward to…?

◇　◇　◇

“MEOW! Meow!!”

The next morning, in my bedroom:

“Time for battle!!”

I could practically hear those words coming from Berry, the Gardener Cat.

She stood on her hind legs and gazed in my direction with glimmering light-green eyes. It was a stark contrast to her usual self—always lazily curling up into a ball wherever she could bask in the sunlight.

“Mraw mraw mraaaw!”

“Yes, I know, Berry. Wait just a minute, won’t you?”

I smiled at her insistent mewing, picked up a small basket, and stood up.

My first stop would be the potted plants around the window.

“They’ve grown nice and red thanks to you, Berry.”

“Meow meow!!”

“Exactly!” she seemed to cry.

The red, ripe, delicious-looking strawberries glimmered like gemstones under the light of the morning sun.

“It’s time to pick our strawberries!”

Finally, after so much waiting, they were ready for the two of us to harvest.

A familiar sweet-and-sour scent enveloped me when I stepped close to the pots. The plant’s green stems twisted on the runners, and the seeds embedded in the surface of each berry looked ready to burst out. They were the perfect ripeness for eating.

I delicately snipped the green stems with scissors, being careful not to damage any of the fruit. Each strawberry sat on the palm of my hand, perfectly diamond-shaped, and the sight sent my appetite into full gear.

Grooowl.

I heard a loud stomach gurgle.

But the sound didn’t come from me—the culprit was Berry, who had her eyes locked on the strawberries as she watched from the side.

Despite the early morning light in the room, Berry’s black pupils were enlarged. She must have been excited, I thought.

Berry seemed incredibly eager to experience the fruits of her own labor.

With her ever-present gaze on me, I placed the picked strawberries inside my basket. Each fruit was perfect and untouched by any hungry insects, either due to growing inside the house or perhaps thanks to Berry’s powers.

Once I’d plucked all the berries that were ready to eat, Berry and I set out for her private strawberry patch outdoors.

“These ones are perfect too. Well done, Berry! Gardener Cats are incredible!”

“Mraw!!”

Her response sounded just like a boastful chuckle.

I gave my thanks to the tiny strawberry patch owner and crouched down toward the sweet, fragrant plants.

Berry had used her Gardener Cat powers to grow about thirty of them. The berries were in different stages of growth, with some plants sporting bright-red fruit already, while others were still speckled by tiny white flowers.

Just as I finished picking the ripe strawberries, one strange berry in particular caught my eye.

“It looks like…”

Unlike the other diamond-shaped strawberries, this one was wider than the rest. The tip was split into two equal points, forming something unlike the usual triangle. When I turned it upside down, so that the two lumps were facing the sky…

“A cat head…”

The strawberry looked just like the shape of a cat head, with two ears sticking up at the top.

I held it up to Berry, the Gardener Cat, and took in the striking resemblance.

The unexpected twist of fate left me feeling warm inside. Berry, on the other hand, wasted no time tilting her neck and sinking her teeth into the strawberry.

“Hey! Bad Berry! You won’t have room for your meal if you eat them raw!”

Berry didn’t seem particularly bothered by this warning.

I smiled bitterly at her and decided it was time for the plan I’d made in case Berry’s appetite became a problem.

“Here you are, my lady.”

He really must be telepathic.

Lucian quickly passed me a ceramic bowl filled with a thick light-yellow liquid.

“When it comes to strawberries, nothing beats condensed milk.”

I scooped up the mixture of milk and sugar and drizzled it onto a freshly picked strawberry. The creamy sweetness of the thick condensed milk combined with the fruit to produce a heavenly flavor.

“Here, Berry. Would you like some too?”

I held out a drizzled strawberry to Berry, who had been eyeing me intensely. After giving it a good sniff, Berry sank her little fangs into the first bite. The cat looked flustered as she rushed to eat the strawberry before any condensed milk dribbled off it.

“Meow!! Mraw mraw mraw!!”

“Delicious! Gimme more!!”

…That sounded right to me, anyway.

Berry finished her snack quickly and stretched her paw pads out toward me.

“Hehe! Just one more for now, okay?”

I couldn’t resist letting her have one more when I saw that gesture.

Cats and strawberries. It was practically unfair—what an adorable combination they made.

I was squirming at the sight of the strawberry on her little paw pads when, just then, Gilbert emerged from the tree line.

“Good morning, Your Majesty. How is the strawberry harvest going?”

“Quite well. Every single berry is sweet, sour, and delicious. Would you like to try one?”

“Yes, by all means!!”

I handed him one of the strawberries I’d washed clean with a spell. After sniffing it lightly to get the scent, Gilbert took his first bite into the tip.

“…Today’s strawberries are quite tasty. I tried them back when we still called them Poor Man’s Gems, but both the smell and sweetness come through stronger in this batch. I can tell that a Gardener Cat grew these.”

Berry rustled her fur. She looked simultaneously proud and pleased to be complimented by Gilbert.

“Berry helped make them sweeter this time. …Were the other strawberries not very sweet?”

“It’s not that. I merely meant they were less so than these ones. But even the sourer strawberries were refreshing and delicious in their own way. I certainly remember that they tasted better than those acidic Demon Gems, at the very least.”

“Oh my, is that r— Wait a minute!! What did you just say?!”

I can’t just ignore that statement, right?!

“You’ve eaten Demon Gems before?!”

“Yes, I have. They’re bitter and acidic, and under no circumstances would I ever describe their taste as appealing. The juicy quality was fine enough, but I don’t know whose palate such a berry could ever suit.”

His response sounded like some kind of culinary critique.

---

---

“Thank you for that review!! But aren’t they supposed to be poisonous?!”

“I’m still alive and well today, as you can see. Demon Gems are only dangerous when they’ve been prepared in a certain way.”

Gilbert let out a nonchalant chuckle.

“I-I see… So there’s no real effect when you eat them raw?”

“Only a grueling stomachache that lasts a day or so.”

“How is that not poison?!”

How disturbing.

Berry was silent, but I swore she seemed just as disturbed as I felt.

Gilbert had once tried eating some when he learned that one or two berries wouldn’t cause any damage.

He claimed he only wanted to memorize the taste so that he could recognize it on the off chance it was ever added to any food… But still, actually eating any Demon Gem seemed like much too extreme of a challenge.

“Well, I was still young back then, and I was extremely curious about what they might taste like. I thought maybe I could find a way to remove the poison for future meals if they turned out to be delicious; however…that wasn’t the case at all. It’s unfortunate.”

“…Yes, unfortunate indeed…”

I decided to simply nod along to Gilbert’s straight-faced criticism.

If Gilbert had been born in an earlier era in Japan, I wonder if he would have been the kind of person who challenged himself to make one of those dangerous puffer fish meals.

I knew his skills as a chef made him exceptionally attentive when it came to cooking ingredients. The whole reason he came to my villa in the first place was because he had voiced his concern over Lady Natalie’s diet.

He was generally the gentle, weak-spirited type, but I held a lot of respect for his earnest approach when it came to food.

Although…

That didn’t make it any less shocking to hear him say he’d eaten an ingredient he knew was poisonous…

Please don’t try such a thing at home, kids.

Berry and I both seemed equally taken aback by this unexpected side of Gilbert.

◇　◇　◇

WITH admiration and concern for Gilbert tucked away in my heart, we teamed up together to harvest the rest of the strawberries.

Once we finished, we ended up with nearly a hundred, all at the perfect ripeness. Some of the remaining ones on the runners were still green, so we decided to come back every day to pick more.

With the sweet-and-sour scent drifting in the air, I returned to the villa, where I changed into an apron and dress.

I entered the kitchen and began to prepare the fruit right away.

Some of the fruit from outside had dirty streaks and damaged spots. I cut away these imperfections to use for my jam.

I had three strawberry dishes planned for that day.

First, a strawberry jam with sugar—versatile and easy to preserve.

Next was a chiffon cake made from crushed-strawberry batter.

Finally, the most famous strawberry treat of them all…

“‘Shortcake,’ is that right? It will be my first time both cooking and eating such a dish, so I sure hope we can make it a success.”

Clutching my handwritten recipe in one hand, the meek-faced Gilbert offered some words of encouragement.

A shortcake topped with bright-red berries.

Once I had the strawberries in my possession, this was a dish I couldn’t resist making.

Fortunately for me, Gilbert and the other chefs had mastered the use of whisks—the kind I used in my past life—when we worked on perfecting the chiffon cake together.

With their help, I decided to take on the challenge of creating this world’s very first shortcake.

“All right. Let’s start with the batter.”

I set out the eggs, sugar, butter, and whipping cream for decorating the cake, then got straight to work. I cracked the eggs into a bowl, added the sugar next, and stirred them together with my spoon.

Next, I whisked them over a pot of hot water, to be sure the batter would eventually expand into a nice spongy texture.

Eggs don’t whisk well unless they’re warm, and the batter will stay stagnant without this step.

But I knew the batch would be ruined if it got too warm, which is why I removed it from the double boiler and continued to mix it away from the heat. From what I could recall, the ideal amount of heat was somewhere around body temperature.

Please turn out okay, I prayed as I whisked the mixture at full speed, then slowed down a bit to let the batter smooth out.

I continued to stir until the egg mixture was more solidified and kept its shape slightly when I lifted up the whisk. I then moved on to the next steps and added the cake flour and butter to the bowl, and once I’d given it a thorough mixing with a wooden spatula, I poured it into the cake mold.

Next, I dropped the cake mold onto the counter twice to disperse any remaining air bubbles in the batter, placed it in the warm oven, waited a while for it to finish cooking, then took the mold back out.

“That’s a nice color and aroma…”

The freshly baked sponge cake was light brown on the surface and gave off a sweet smell.

Once I’d finished letting the steam out of the cake by dropping it onto the counter again, I removed the cake from the mold and placed it on a rack to cool.

I checked on the strawberry jam the other chefs had been working on in the meantime, and then it was time to start on the strawberry chiffon cake.

The recipe was no different than a plain chiffon cake. It only included the extra step of adding puréed strawberries to the batter.

Without an electric mixer, the best I could do was place the strawberries inside a colander and crush them with a fork. I went about this as steadily and quickly as I could to ensure the aroma remained in the berries when they were properly puréed.

Once I’d mixed the strawberry purée into the batter…

“What a nice light-pink color that makes…”

A large-bodied chef was watching my hands at work.

With the most impressive physique of any of the kitchen staff, this man, nicknamed “Mr. Bear,” was a sucker for anything cute. Mr. Bear, with his delicate taste, seemed to have had his heart stolen by the sight of the pink chiffon batter.

“There. Nice and mixed now. All that’s left is to put it in the oven.”

I decided to start assembling the shortcake while the chiffon batter cooked in the oven. I sliced the sponge cake into three circles and whipped up the cream with my whisk.

Next, I spread a layer of syrup over the slices of sponge cake and covered them with whipped cream.

Then I packed the top with strawberries, the stems of which I’d already removed, and covered them with even more whipped cream.

The bottom layer was sponge cake, the second layer was whipped cream and strawberries, and the third layer was even more sponge cake.

I slathered on a helping of the just-finished, rich strawberry jam for the fourth layer, then set another slice of sponge cake on top.

Finally, I frosted the entire five-layer cake with whipped cream.

“Once I smooth the cream out, I’ll finish it off with this star-shaped frosting tip.”

I’d used my magic to “transmute” a star-shaped tip for the piping bag I made out of soft cloth. With these tools, I used the remaining whipped cream to give the finished product some accents.

But there was no avoiding the nerves that came along with decorating the cake.

Mr. Bear bent his large body over to get a closer look.

“Ooh…!! It’s like little flowers are blooming on the cake!!”

With the star-shaped tip, the cream came out of the tube forming dainty white flowers.

Finally, I topped the surface with a careful selection of the largest strawberries in my collection, and with that, the red-and-white cake was complete.

“This is…a very beautiful cake indeed. The strawberries on top glisten just like jewels.”

Gilbert seemed quite impressed too.

His words made me feel a bit embarrassed, but now I knew that the appearance of shortcakes was deemed “beautiful” in this world too. It was a relief to hear he was pleased with the outcome.

The “strawberries” of this land were known as Poor Man’s Gems and hated by the natives here.

Despite this derogatory nickname, the inclusion of the word gems seemed to mean they had a favorable appearance, at the very least.

As for the flavor, since this world’s love of sweets was much stronger than back in Japan, I was confident the strawberry could still amass an army of fans here.

But this fruit was hardly ever eaten due to its resemblance to Demon Gems. It was my hope that little by little, strawberry dishes would become more mainstream to the point that it wasn’t uncommon to eat them during the springtime.

All of a sudden, I felt an intense gaze on my back.

I turned around, and sure enough, there was Berry. She was clutching her personal fork, a miniature utensil, and peering in from the kitchen doorway.

“Wait a moment. I’ll slice the cake up right now.”

Berry was the most important component in growing these strawberries.

I immediately began to cut into the round cake with my knife to present it to her.

The neat layers of yellow sponge cake and crimson berries peaked through from underneath the whipped cream with each slice.

Gently, I set a plate of cake topped with strawberries in front of Berry. She gave it a good look from each and every angle, then plunged her fork into the dessert.

“……”

Berry took bite after silent bite, whipped cream accumulating around her mouth.

I learned that Berry was the type to save the top layer of strawberries for very last.

Once she’d gulped them down, she began to cry “Mraw mraw mraw mraw mraaaw!!” with a satisfied look. I took it as an expression of gratitude in her little cat language. Her belly was full and round now.

“Mew, mew…”

Mumbling something else, the blissful-looking Berry started to fall asleep.

I gently lifted her up and brought her to her special bed in my room. Then it was time for the kitchen staff and me to taste test our strawberry creations.

I took a bite from my slice of shortcake.

My mouth was filled with smooth cream, soft sponge, and a juicy, sweet, and sour burst of strawberries. The sponge cake melted on my tongue, sending waves of sweetness washing over my taste buds.

“Delicious…”

The faint hint of sourness from the strawberries made for a refreshing accent.

One of the cake’s strong points was being able to taste the sliced strawberries and strawberry jam together in one bite.

“It’s a fine-looking cake, and the strawberries taste even better when they’re added to things like this. I can really feel their potential as an ingredient…”

Good, good.

I seemed to have earned Gilbert’s stamp of approval on the taste.

The other chefs seemed surprised by the new concept of shortcake, but with each bite from their forks, their smiles told me they enjoyed it.

About three-fourths of the staff were eating the shortcake. The others still seemed put off by the shape of the strawberries, so they helped themselves to the chiffon cake instead. They seemed to tolerate the light-pink cake better, as no strawberries remained in their original shape.

“This is really good.”

“Yeah. The last chiffon cake was great too, but I prefer the sweet-and-sour combination in this one.”

“I wanna see if I can bring myself to try that shortcake next.”

Excellent reactions.

My strategy of gradually whittling away at their resistance to strawberries as a useful ingredient was working.

The movement would start with my chefs, then spread to their acquaintances and friends, making strawberries more widely accepted along the way.

“I’m glad to see them take to the strawberries. Now I just hope my talk with His Majesty goes as well…,” I murmured to myself.

Once night began to fall, I changed clothes for my next outing.

My dress was made of bright-green fabric, reminiscent of strawberry runners and stems, while the white lace trim resembled tiny strawberry flowers.

I finished changing, and one of my maids helped style and decorate my hair. Then Lucian and I boarded the carriage.

Lord Melvin was waiting for us when we pulled up to the castle.

This man, with bright-gold hair and a gentle smile, was King Glenreed’s trusted aide. He led me into the castle until we reached our destination.

“It’s been a while, my queen. Have you been well?”

His Majesty welcomed me when I arrived in the throne room.

Once again, the king was as beautiful a man as ever. His blue-green eyes, the color of a winter lake, were silently fixed on me. The candlelight cast a shimmer over his silver locks, emphasizing the perfection of his silhouette.

“Good evening, Your Majesty. Thanks to your generosity, I’ve been living a satisfying life in my villa.”

“I see. I’m glad to hear it. …Have you brought a gift with you?”

He was looking at the large wooden crate held by Lucian.

“Not exactly… I brought something I’d like you to see in person, Your Majesty.”

I exchanged glances with Lucian, and he opened the box to retrieve the contents.

“Those plants…are Demon Gems… No, a similar fruit?”

“Indeed, they are not Demon Gems. I’m surprised you could tell at first glance, Your Majesty.”

“…I have a good nose.”

…Is that a metaphor?

Either way, His Majesty was most impressive.

Perhaps he was extra knowledgeable on the topic of poisons, seeing as how he sat atop the throne of this kingdom.

As I felt a surge of respect for His Majesty, our meeting officially began.

“I see these are not Demon Gems. So why bring a plant that so closely resembles them here?”

“That resemblance is the reason, as a matter of fact. I’m currently growing these back at my villa.”

“…And so you fear people will get the wrong impression.”

His Majesty nodded slightly while he stared at the strawberries. It seemed he’d understood. I was glad to see this wouldn’t be a long discussion.

The servants who worked at my villa knew I was growing strawberries, and they accepted this fact…but what if someone else, such as a person who was already hostile toward me for my title, caught wind of what I was up to?

The possibility remained that someone would mistakenly believe that I, the queen, was growing Demon Gems in my villa. It could easily spawn nasty rumors about me.

In my past life on Earth, I’d heard stories of police being called to investigate home gardens over plants that seemed to resemble cannabis.

Though I was a queen in name only, there was no such thing as being too careful.

Thinking back on it, one reason the chiffon cake plagiarism incident arose was because I spent too much time inside my villa, letting my guard down.

I had to explain the strawberries to His Majesty, the highest authority in the land, before they caused even more misunderstandings.

“I call these plants ‘strawberries.’ Their natural shape does indeed resemble Demon Gems, but these are not poisonous whatsoever. I’m growing them at the villa for their sweet flavor, which I believe is a great addition to certain recipes.”

“…So that’s why you’ve been so strangely happy lately…”

“Your Majesty? I didn’t quite catch that.”

The king crossed his long legs while he murmured something, as if to distract from his words.

“No, it’s nothing. You have my permission to grow these at your villa. Do you have any other messages or requests for me?”

“Very well. Your Majesty, might I join you for a cup of tea?”

“Tea?”

“Yes. There are some treats I’d like to gift you that pair well with tea.”

With this explanation, he agreed to prepare a space for us.

One of the many small rooms adjacent to the throne room already had a table set up. The parlor wall was home to a giant tapestry that nearly stretched from floor to ceiling. It bore an embroidered silver wolf—the royal crest of the Wolfvartian royal family.

King Glenreed’s distant predecessor, the progenitor of the Wolfvartian royal family, was described in legends as a silver wolf, resulting in the current family crest. As I sat before the king, I silently noted how the crest wolf’s silver fur and green eyes reminded me of Lord Aroo.

Once a pot of black tea was brought out for us, Lucian, who had been standing at my back, lifted the cover from the tray.

“These are newly created sweets made from Queen Laetitia’s homegrown strawberries.”

Underneath the lid was a row of whole strawberries, their stems removed for easier consumption; strawberry jam in a glass jar; the light-pink strawberry chiffon cake, and the shortcake covered and decorated in whipped cream.

His Majesty seemed to be squinting at the bright-red, sparkling, whole strawberries that sat atop the cake.

“They really do look like Demon Gems when you see them up close.”

“They certainly do. But by no means are they poisonous.”

I smiled to quell his worries.

All foods presented to His Majesty were tasted for poison by his servants before they ever reached his own plate.

But that didn’t mean the king was necessarily eager to eat the unfamiliar fruit in front of him.

I reached out and picked up a large strawberry to reassure him. Careful not to let any juice drip out, I bit into it and swallowed.

“As you can see, they’re perfectly fine to eat.”

I enjoyed the sour-sweet flavor of the strawberry while simultaneously offering physical proof of its safety.

“This jam is made from boiled strawberries, while the chiffon cake contains crushed strawberries in the batter. The jam will keep for a while, so please enjoy it at your leisure.”

“Very well, I will. The cakes are ready to eat as they are, right?”

“…Yes. It would be an honor to have you try them, Your Majesty.”

I nodded to him. On the inside, I was surprised by this unexpected development.

I really thought it would be enough to have him take a bite or two of strawberries and probably never try the cakes at all.

My previous gift to the king was my chiffon cake, which I only ever received a very formal reply about.

That’s why I had assumed he hadn’t been impressed by it at all. I even wondered if he disliked sweets altogether.

Today’s strawberry chiffon cake was just intended as an expression of my gratitude, and I assumed his servants would be the ones to eat it after I’d left, so I couldn’t help but be surprised by his remarks.

His Majesty dipped his silver fork into the chiffon cake and lifted a large bite to his mouth.

Is he going to like it? Will the flavor win him over?

I kept my nervous thoughts to myself as I watched him eat.

Though we’d been married for over a month now, it was our first time sitting down for tea together, I realized.

I felt strangely relieved to see the king dining on cake right in front of me.

His Majesty was a very disciplined man. It was hard to discern any emotions from him at all.

He almost resembled an ice sculpture in that sense, but seeing him eat and drink just like me was a reminder that this man was as human as I was. It was a somewhat amusing realization, so I decided to make a joke.

“How relieved I feel to know that you’re human too, Your Majesty.”

“…?!”

The king suddenly began to choke.

Did he get part of the cake stuck in his throat?

“Are you all right, Your Majesty? Can you drink some of your tea?”

“…! Where did that come from? Why would I be anything other than human? Don’t tell me you thought me to be a wolf or something so outrageous?”

“No, of course not. I only meant that in contrast to your usual noble aura, it’s just a bit unusual to see you dining like an ordinary person…”

“…Ah, I see what you mean. You nearly had me worried…,” muttered His Majesty, seeming unusually flustered.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. It was a poor attempt at a joke.”

“…Pay it no mind. Since you brought me this strawberry chiffon cake, I’ll let it slide.”

“Does that mean you like it?” I eagerly asked.

“Yes. It’s delicious.”

I could’ve sworn I saw a faint smile on his face as he shared his thoughts.

The sudden change in expression made my heart speed up.

His usual cold blue-green eyes were alight, like a warm beam of sun on a winter day.

Though, it was only the faintest difference on his face. I would’ve missed it myself if I hadn’t been paying attention.

It was the first time I ever saw him smile, making it all the more striking.

…I’m really happy.

First, he said the strawberry chiffon was delicious.

But then I even got to see the rarest of smiles from the usually expressionless king.

“…Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it.”

“I’ve never tasted something like it before. These strawberries have a pleasant aroma too, don’t they?”

“Yes. I love their sweet-and-sour scent as well.”

A smile naturally spread across my face.

Strawberries were my favorite food in both of my lives. My heart sang out with joy to learn that I’d been able to share the wonders of them with King Glenreed.

From the opposite side of the table, the king silently kept his eyes on me as I rejoiced.

“Is something the matter, Your Majesty?”

“…No, it’s nothing. I was simply curious about the unprocessed strawberries.”

His eyes fell to one of the large strawberries in front of me. It appeared he’d taken a true interest in the fruit itself.

“Please give it a try, if you’d like. I think you might prefer raw strawberries to the strawberry chiffon.”

“Prefer it over the chiffon? Why is that?”

“…No particular reason…”

I tried to wiggle out of the question, but His Majesty’s silence demanded an answer.

“I thought you didn’t care for chiffon cakes in general. You didn’t seem to particularly like the one I gave you for your birthday…”

“…But I did enjoy the one you gave me at the party. It was delicious, although…”

King Glenreed’s eyes fell to the treats on the table. He seemed a bit hesitant.

“I’m not the kind of person who’s ever been interested in cooking,” he stated simply. “I’ve memorized dining etiquette for formal dinners and the distinctions between local cuisines, but never anything more. Eating has always been a chore and a social function for me.”

Being royalty means having to dine with all kinds of guests.

If you have strong opinions on food and request that others cater to your preferences, you’ll just be burdening yourself in the end.

Maybe avoiding that trouble was why His Majesty chose to see eating as nothing more than an obligation in life.

“…That’s why I was confused. I really did enjoy the cake you and your staff prepared for me. But when compared with Natalie’s so-called chiffon cake, I couldn’t form an honest opinion about which was the superior creation, as I’m far from a food expert.”

“…Could that be why you only sent a formal response to mine?”

“That’s right, and I apologize for that. I knew I had to make a judgment about which cake had the better taste, considering the plagiarism scandal, but I didn’t trust my own palate when it came to making that call. …I can see why that bland letter gave you the wrong impression.”

…I see. So that’s why the response had seemed so distant.

But I was glad to hear that my gifted chiffon cake was pleasing to him.

“I see where you were coming from. …Since I was able to hear you call the birthday chiffon cake ‘delicious’ today, that’s all I need to know.”

“Is that really all it takes to satisfy you?”

I nodded back at him.

It was true that the chiffon cake had caused a scandal to break out. But one reason I wanted to gift it to His Majesty in the first place was to share something delicious with him.

“You told me to my face that you enjoyed it, so I’m perfectly satisfied.”

“…Just from that?”

“Yes. You enjoyed the flavor when you took a bite of the cake, so now I know it was worth spending so much time in the kitchen.”

Everyone has different food preferences.

Some like sweets, while others, like my second-oldest brother, love anything spicy.

The chiffon cake was an entirely new concept to the people of this world. No one was accustomed to such a dish.

That’s why I felt so blessed to hear His Majesty praise its taste despite those obstacles.

“I don’t believe cooking to be the kind of thing that requires such deep thought. While I’m sure much of the food you receive is given to you with ulterior motives…simply calling a meal ‘delicious’ when you enjoy the taste is the ultimate reward you can give a chef.”

“Calling delicious food ‘delicious,’ huh…?”

He nodded slightly, seeming to digest my words.

Then he turned his eyes back to me.

I couldn’t decipher the emotions in his eyes, but their color was intensely alluring.

The light pooled in his beautiful blue-green eyes…and reminded me of Lord Aroo for some strange reason.

He blinked slowly and let out a brief sigh.

“I guess that’s only natural, but it’s a strange thing to hear from someone else.”

“…Have I offended you, Your Majesty?”

“Not at all. I should have expected to hear something like that from you.”

Should have expected it?

Was he trying to indirectly say I was greedy when it came to food?

…Well, he wouldn’t be wrong about that.

But I didn’t expect the king, whom I’d hardly developed a relationship with at all, to see through me so easily.

“How did you know I was so interested in food, Your Majesty?”

“…I can tell by looking at you.”

Am I really that easy to read? I always try to be more guarded than usual when I interact with him, though…

“If you weren’t so keen on the subject of food, you wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble in bringing strawberries here to the castle just for my approval to use them in cooking. I’m sure you were aware that presenting a fruit resembling Demon Gems to the king could earn my disfavor, or even a punishment.”

“No, I wasn’t concerned about that at all. I don’t think of you as someone who would bestow punishment without knowing all the details first.”

His Majesty had a cold, distant aura to him.

But after I saw his actions during the birthday party, as well as the brief words we’d previously exchanged in the throne room, I was sure King Glenreed wasn’t the kind of man who abused his powers.

“I believed you would give me permission to grow the strawberries at my villa so long as I explained them properly. Not only did you do so, but you even praised their flavor. I’d like to thank you once again for that.”

I smiled to show my gratitude for and trust in the king.

His eyes narrowed just slightly, and his long silver lashes cast shadows from above.

“…You really are a strange queen, rejoicing over such simple praise. …It’s a political necessity, but still, you’ve been forced to live in an isolated villa, and I was prepared to grant you fine jewelry or whatever you needed to relieve your boredom…”

“I appreciate your generosity, but no, I require no such luxuries. …Instead, might I ask for some alternatives?”

“And what would those be? Go ahead.”

The king pressed me to continue.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. There are a few requests I’d like to make. First of all, I’m planning to clear some of the land in the forest near my villa for a strawberry patch, as well as to build a home for my griffin. I may also need to prepare a few plots of land around the villa. Do I have your permission for this?”

“Very well, as long as you don’t make any big changes to the villa itself. If you speak to me first, I can send along carpenters and craftsmen as needed.”

“Thank you very much. As for compensation for the workers…”

“I’ll take care of that. Don’t trouble yourself with it.”

“No, please allow me to pay. I have something I believe will serve well as payment.”

I slipped my hand into my dress pocket. The object I took out hardly looked appropriate for the setting of a regal castle room.

“…A slicker brush.”

“Oh! Your Majesty, you know what this is?”

The king was quick to learn about things.

I’d already given many of my transmuted slicker brushes to Edgar and the other wolfkeepers.

The wolfkeepers served directly under the royal family. In other words, His Majesty was their boss, at the highest level of the chain of command.

It actually made sense for him to know about these brushes.

“I created this with a transmutation spell. Unfortunately, it breaks down after only a few days…”

While I could make a brush that survived for longer than a month, I wanted to keep that a secret for now. Being able to transmute something that didn’t break after even a few days was extremely unusual by itself in this world.

Just to be safe, I transmuted this brush with enough weaknesses that it would fall apart after ten days or so. That way, my strange form of “overpowered cheats” in this world still remained unknown to others.

“This is a useful tool that makes grooming easier for wolves and other animals with fur coats.”

“Yes, I know all about it. It also feels very good—for the wolves, or so their keepers tell me.”

King Glenreed was nodding.

He’d trailed off for a moment there, but maybe he simply had a piece of cake stuck in his throat or something.

“I’m glad to hear it’s been well received. Would you agree that a craftsman could make quite a profit if he was able to recreate these brushes?”

“…You intend to hand over the rights to the slicker brush to me?”

“Indeed. It felt like a waste, knowing that only the wolfkeepers and myself were using them.”

“A waste, you say… This kingdom is home to many beastfolk, who often take care of the animal whose traits they share. If we were able to mass-produce this brush, you’d be right about the profits. I’m confident it would rake in much more fortune than needed to reimburse the development costs on the land around your villa. …It’s not a fair exchange at all. Should I take this offer to mean you have something else you’re after?”

“…I appreciate your quick understanding.”

His Majesty was quick-witted, that much was for sure—he knew of the slicker brush’s existence and value without any prompting from me.

“I can create many kinds of tools with my transmutation. However, I wish to avoid the attention that would come with that fact being made public, so I’d like to request your help in keeping that information private.”

Transmutation was my secret behind the slicker brush, the whisk, and all kinds of convenient crafts. But it was a difficult form of magic that could take years just to master a single product.

My ability to craft one tool after another with transmutation was highly abnormal.

Few people of this kingdom were magic-savvy, so my skills hadn’t caused much of a fuss yet…

But Bodorey, the palace’s head sorcerer, had already taken an interest in me during the chiffon cake incident.

All I was after was a life of leisure that I could spend holed up in my villa. I wanted to avoid any labels like “master magician.”

“…Very well. I’ll tell my imperial sorcerers and subordinates to keep your transmutation skills to themselves.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. It means a lot to me.”

“I see. Although…I imagine you won’t be able to avoid every headache relating to your magic. Ever since you displayed your transmutation at my birthday party, the head sorcerer has been completely fixated on you. I’d expect to hear from him at some point.”

“…I’ve been planning to deal with him on my own.”

Bodorey had already sent a request for a meeting once before.

It appeared he was currently out of town on a business trip, but I had a bad feeling that the exact moment he returned, I was in for a barrage of questions.

I didn’t want to stand out too much while I figured out how to get him off my back.

“You should deal with him quickly. …Didn’t you say you had more than one request? Let me hear what else you need.”

“…Your Majesty, how are you planning on punishing Lady Natalie?”

“Natalie? I’ll be punishing her father, the duke, since he was the brains behind it all, but the girl will receive no punishment. My plan is to siphon a portion of profits from his territory, a harbor city, by forcing him to pay fines back to the kingdom for a few years. What do you think?”

“That sounds fair to me…but will the duke agree to it?”

“He’ll have to, of course. The plagiarism itself was carried out by Diaz and her gang, and I’m sure the duke was behind it too, but Natalie carries some clear responsibility herself as well. She couldn’t claim unfair treatment even if I disqualified her as a candidate for queen and sent her back home. The duke wants to avoid that outcome at any cost, I’m certain.”

That definitely seemed to make sense.

The daughter of a duke, who was brought to the castle to potentially become the queen, would be sent home as a criminal. There could be no greater dishonor. On top of that, he would lose the chance to have his daughter become the next queen.

Unfortunately for him, Lady Natalie was currently the only woman in his family who was a suitable candidate. Without her in the fight, the duke would be forced out of the running altogether.

Of course, Lady Natalie’s own reputation took quite a hit after the cake plagiarism scandal, but that didn’t mean her chances of being selected as the next queen were zero.

I couldn’t imagine His Majesty wanted to send Lady Natalie away either.

Without her around, the power struggle between the remaining candidates would only intensify, if not become a full-on war. Keeping Lady Natalie in the mix would likely avoid such an outcome, and her family would now owe His Majesty for his mercy, making it the most beneficial option for him.

I asked for more details about the fines on the duke’s profits, then quenched my dry throat with a cup of black tea.

The drink had cooled off completely.

Perhaps I’d stayed a bit too long.

“Your Majesty, thank you very much for making time for me in your busy schedule. I’m sure you have more plans tonight, so I’ll be taking my leave now.”

“…Very well.”

The king nodded, though he seemed a bit hesitant to let me go.

He cast his eyes to the side.

I followed his gaze to see the now-empty chiffon cake plate.

“Perhaps you haven’t had your fill of strawberry sweets, Your Majesty?”

“…It’s possible.”

“I’m very glad to hear that. Shall I send some dishes to the castle when I next cook with strawberries?”

“No, that would be too much…but next time you come to visit, could you bring a dish with you as a gift? There’s still more I want to ask you about the slicker brushes and your transmutation.”

“…Of course!”

I practically sang my response.

He must have liked my cooking if he was requesting more for future gifts.

I left the castle that day excited, filling my head with ideas for what to have him eat next.

◇　◇　◇

AFTER Laetitia went home…

Glenreed heard a small chuckle from behind him.

“What a surprise. I didn’t know you were such a glutton, Your Majesty.”

Melvin, who looked to be enjoying himself, had been standing at the king’s back during the tea party.

He was a tall, slender man with broad shoulders and a sweet, handsome face that made him popular with women of all ages. Melvin’s blond hair was tied up loosely and his sky-blue eyes narrowed with mirth in teasing the king.

“But I like that you’re a little gluttonous, Your Majesty.”

“Don’t be stupid. I’m sure you know it’s not the food I’m after.”

Glenreed recalled the cake’s complex flavor while his aide made jokes at his expense.

The fluffy chiffon cake had given off the faint aroma of strawberries.

The more he thought about it, the more he could still taste the delicate sweetness on his taste buds.

“But that’s not entirely true, is it? I’ve hardly ever seen you look so taken by a plate of food in front of you.”

“…I’ll admit that I enjoyed how it tasted,” Glenreed grumbled a bit angrily.

Melvin was right that the king hadn’t enjoyed a meal in many years.

When he ate with company, he was too focused on his conversations and the situation around him to pay much attention to the food.

Even alone, he couldn’t eat without considering the possibility that his food contained poison.

With no interest in food, he saw the act of eating as a mere necessity in ingesting nutrients. Eating three whole meals each and every day felt like such a waste. Glenreed always wished he could spend the time on other, more important matters.

Thus, his daily meals reflected his attitude on food. Despite being meals for a king, they were all incredibly simple, with flavor being secondary to qualities like safety and convenience to consume. They were dull plates served at the king’s table, but he never felt dissatisfied.

…Which was why tonight in particular was such a shock.

Not even Glenreed had expected to enjoy Laetitia’s food as much as he did. His first taste of strawberries seemed to suit his palate perfectly.

“I just so happened to like the flavor of the strawberries, that’s all.”

“…And the strawberries are really the only thing you liked?”

“Did you say something?”

“No, nothing at all.”

Melvin smiled softly, sweetly, and to Glenreed’s eyes, suspiciously.

“But Queen Laetitia is certainly a most interesting woman. I understand what drives you to visit the villa so often to see her.”

Melvin seemed to be enjoying himself.

This man, Glenreed’s trusted confidant of many years, often found the opportunity to tease his king.

“Don’t make it sound strange. Visiting her often would cause trouble if I’m in my human form. I only go as the silver wolf so that I can observe her safely.”

“But from what I’ve seen, you seem quite taken with the slicker brush, wouldn’t you say?”

“…That’s because of my animal instincts.”

Glenreed retained his free will and memories when he transformed into the silver wolf. However, be it because of his animal instincts or another reason, his logical thinking tended to take a back seat when he appeared as the wolf. He became much more sensitive to both pleasure and discomfort.

Glenreed was all too used to pushing his own feelings aside in order to govern. Perhaps that was why he struggled to control his emotions in wolf form.

A friend of his, the blond crown prince who could take the forms of both lion and human, apparently struggled with the same issue. Animal forms and human forms had different influences on a person.

“Between her mastery of transmutation and her clever handling of Diaz’s crew, it’s obvious Laetitia is nothing like any other noblewoman. Now that I’ve taken her as my queen, even if that title is in name only, I have a duty to understand both her powers and actions.”

“You have my agreement there. You’ve always avoided drawing attention from the candidates by refusing to meddle in outside affairs, but from now on, I might advise you take more direct actions while in human form.”

Glenreed nodded silently. The image of Laetitia appeared in his mind.

It wasn’t the carefree version of her, with a brush in one hand, chatting to his silver wolf form, but instead…

“Yes. I love their sweet-and-sour scent as well.”

Her pleased, somewhat shy smile was strangely vivid in the king’s mind.

When Glenreed took the form of the silver wolf, he always got to see Laetitia smiling as she played with the wolves. …He’d seen that expression over and over again. It was a familiar sight to him. And yet…

Glenreed didn’t understand why he was so charmed by that brief smile that bloomed on her lips while he was in human form. It didn’t make any sense, which was why he felt a bit hesitant to say goodbye when she said she was leaving.

Although, as a result, Laetitia misinterpreted his emotions as a request for more strawberry sweets.

But it seemed he would now have more opportunities to observe and interact with her in his human form, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

…As Glenreed quietly convinced himself of this conclusion, he checked his upcoming plans with Melvin so he could schedule his next meeting with Laetitia.