Chapter 2: Our Secret Sides, Known Only to Animals
Chapter 2: Our Secret Sides, Known Only to Animals
TWO days after my strawberry treats received the prized label of “delicious” from His Majesty, I was invited to go and visit Lady Natalie.
Lady Natalie had finally received her formal punishment as of yesterday.
It was light, just as His Majesty had informed me it would be.
She would be fined a lump sum of money and stripped of the right to her usual lavish lifestyle for two months. Naturally, that prevented her from inviting people to her villa for extravagant parties, but the invitation I received from her was an exception.
Lady Natalie had informed me that she wanted to meet me in person and offer me a formal apology for the chiffon cake plagiarism.
That was why I decided to leave my villa for a bit, putting my strawberry research on pause.
“I’ll be back soon, Fon. Take care of the place for me while I’m away, all right?”
“Kwah!!”
“As you wish!” the griffin’s cry seemed to say.
Fon’s way of acknowledging me as his owner consisted of acting like some kind of knight.
He stood at attention near the wooden crate that was set up in a corner of the villa’s front yard. It was his temporary home until the construction approved by His Majesty could be carried out to build him a special shelter.
I felt bad that I had to keep him so locked up. I petted the scruff of the beast’s neck all the way down to his shoulder.
Next, I put more strength into the tips of my fingers, like I was scratching him. Fon shook his wings in what appeared to be pleasure. He closed his sharp, eagle-like eyes in a cute display of perfect calmness.
“Lucky bir— I mean, how disrespectful to let his guard down in front of Lady Laetitia, his master.”
“Ahaha. Goodness, Lucian. Fon isn’t human. There’s no need to let it bother you.”
“But it does bother me. Fon has sworn his allegiance to you, my lady. He needs to get it into that bird brain of his that such behavior is inappropriate.
“Bird brain…”
Well, Fon did have the head of a bird of prey…
On occasion, Lucian’s commoner upbringing would come out in the form of a sharp tongue. But that only happened around people he was very close with, like my older brothers or me. Lucian’s words and conduct were absolutely perfect around everyone else, never betraying his status as a man of class.
I wondered if that was why Lucian was on edge around Fon.
He tended to let an unseen side of himself show around animals, with their furry coats and lack of language, so unlike humans.
I was no different in that regard. The wolves and Lord Aroo saw a side of me I could never show anyone else.
It was perfectly natural to act like a different person around fluffy creatures.
Assuring myself that that fact remained unchanged, even in a different world altogether, I bid Fon farewell and boarded my carriage.
We reached a certain spot near Lady Natalie’s villa after a brief ride.
There were still ten minutes before our scheduled arrival.
Since I rarely left my own villa like this, I decided to use the opportunity to scope out the area around Lady Natalie’s residence.
“Look at all the flowers in bloom. What a beautiful garden.”
The well-kept shrubs were arranged in geometric patterns.
I strolled through the garden, enjoying the brilliant flower beds, when I suddenly heard a faint, soft cry.
Was that a cat?
Not wanting to scare the creature, I quietly advanced toward the source of the voice. The sound drew me to a hidden corner of the garden surrounded by a mass of shrubbery.
“…A person?”
In between the sound of a cat’s meows came the quiet words of a human.
I peeked through the shrubs, curious to see who it was, but then…
“Little kitty, won’t you help ‘me-ow’ figure out how to get through today?”
Someone was speaking in baby talk to an orange tabby cat. She didn’t seem to have noticed our approach.
“Ugh! I’m just so anxious, and I don’t know what I should ‘mew’ next… Huh?”
Our eyes met.
She fell silent.
Time seemed to stand still.
The girl in front of me, speaking so sweetly to the cat…
Was the usually doll-like Lady Natalie.
“……”
“……”
Neither of us spoke.
Lady Natalie was frozen. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.
…Sure, I did say that people act differently when they’re around animals…
But isn’t this a bit too different?!
“Mraaaaaaaw!”
The cat let out a loud cry, breaking the silence between us.
Orange tabbies pay no mind to the plight of humans.
It stretched its front legs, then the back ones, and strolled off into the shadow of a grove of trees.
“Ah…”
Lady Natalie let out a sad sound as she watched its light-brown tail disappear into the greenery. But right away, she seemed to remember Lucian and me standing there.
She turned to face us, so stiffly, I expected to hear gears grinding together.
“Did you overhear me talking to myself…?”
“…Not a peep. Or a mew.”
“You did hear me!!”
Lady Natalie blushed furiously.
She began to tremble lightly. Even her ears turned red.
…I know how you feel. I know it so well.
I liked to meow back to cats when I spoke too.
But what if a passerby ever witnessed me doing something so disgustingly cute?
Well, Lady Natalie was playing out that scenario right in front of me. I would be just as intensely humiliated as she was. Sympathy overcame me to imagine being in her place.
“Lady Natalie, please don’t worry. Just calm down and listen to—”
“Lady Nataliiie?”
The girl flinched when she heard a voice calling for her.
The owner of the approaching voice turned out to be a woman in a maid’s uniform.
“Lady Natalie!! There you are!!”
“…I’m sorry to have scared you.”
Whoa. Look at that.
Lady Natalie had already snapped right back to her usual doll-like expression. Her cheeks were still a bit pink, but other than that, it was a perfect transformation. I mentally applauded her display of talent.
“Lady Natalie, you must hurry up and prepa— Your Majesty?!”
“Good day.”
I greeted the maid, who’d frozen at the first glimpse of my face, and then I decided to help Lady Natalie out.
“I ran into Lady Natalie just now, and the two of us have been chatting as we tour the gardens. …Isn’t that right, Lady Natalie?”
“…Yes, that’s right. Queen Laetitia is very kind and a skilled conversationalist, and I’ve enjoyed my time with her.”
She was quick to follow along.
Despite her blank expression, I felt like I could see the relief on her face as Lucian and I headed toward her villa together.
◇ ◇ ◇
WE entered one of the rooms and exchanged formal greetings, and Lady Natalie sent the servants away.
The maids seemed hesitant, but they couldn’t ignore orders from their master.
I asked for Lucian to leave as well, and he reluctantly agreed.
Once Lucian and the maids were sent to wait in the next room, Lady Natalie and I could talk on our own.
“Your Majesty, thank you so much!! You were a great help back there!!”
Lady Natalie bowed deeply toward me.
Her gesture was an expression of gratitude and respect of the highest level.
“Please lift your head. I can tell how strongly you feel, Lady Natalie.”
“Thank you, truly!! But I also have a request!! Please, please, please don’t tell anyone about how you saw me acting…!!”
“Don’t worry, that’s the last thing I feel like doing.”
The red-faced Lady Natalie had looked as if she was about to burst into tears back in the garden. I wasn’t so cruel as to rub salt in her wounds. Not at all. I shared the same inclination to chat with animals, so seeing her like that didn’t put me off at all.
Lady Natalie seemed a bit relieved to hear me repeat my vow of secrecy.
“Thank you! …When I’m feeling anxious or disheartened, I have a bad habit of talking to cats and other animals. I know it’s pathetic, but I’d appreciate it if you could just forget what you saw.”
“I don’t think it’s pathetic. I understand feeling embarrassed to have been seen by someone else, but there’s no need to berate yourself for it.”
I let her know she was mistaken. I spoke both to cheer her up but also to reflect on my own past.
All kinds of animal lovers out there talk to their fluffy friends like that…I strongly hoped.
I’d certainly struck up conversation with Lord Aroo about all kinds of things. I interacted with the wolf in relaxed ways I would never use with another person, outside of Lucian and my family. There was no doubt in my mind I would be stricken with agony if someone like His Majesty or a stranger ever saw me act like that.
“Y-You don’t say…? Everyone I know seems to agree that complaining about one’s life to animals is something pathetic…,” she murmured weakly.
Her Doll Princess mask was gone, and in its place was the face of a normal sixteen-year-old girl.
When I considered her hometown and upbringing, I understood why she seemed so anxious.
Lady Natalie’s home region had a deep history of prejudice toward beastfolk.
From what I’d heard, this meant that the culture of doting on dogs, cats, and other small animals didn’t exist. They believed humans were superior and everyone else was below them.
Such people in her life would never allow Lady Natalie, a duke’s daughter, to confide in animals.
“I understand that you wouldn’t be allowed to bond with animals in your homeland. But there are many people in this world who cherish animals and trust them with their deepest feelings. Why, even I remember snuggling up to furry friends when I was feeling down.”
“You, Your Majesty…? Is that true?”
“You don’t believe me? Don’t you think everyone behaves in ways they wouldn’t show other people at times?”
“F-Forgive me!! I didn’t mean to cast doubt upon you. But you’re always so elegant, Your Majesty. You’re only one year older than me, and despite coming to this kingdom as a bride from foreign lands, you behave with such grace and grandeur…”
Her intense gaze of admiration and respect made me feel a bit awkward.
There was one reason in particular why I felt so at home in this foreign land.
It wasn’t just my past-life memories—it was the education I had received from my oldest brother in this world.
If I didn’t have to endure the crack of my oldest brother’s loving whip…or rather, his rigorous education course, marrying into a foreign country definitely wouldn’t have been possible for me. After all, I lived a completely average lower-middle-class life before I reincarnated. But my brother’s training was just that intense. I still had nightmares about it sometimes, even now.
Well, thanks to my brother’s steady stream of merciless critiques, always given with that beautiful smile on his face, I generally had no trouble socializing with fellow nobles at all. Though that brother and I now lived far apart from each other, I still had Lucian, my trusted companion, with me all the while.
I was certainly blessed in comparison to Lady Natalie, who’d lived with Diaz at her side.
“I thought you showed great courage in coming here to live at the castle so far away from your home. At the birthday celebration, when you agreed to accept punishment for the chiffon cake plagiarism led by Diaz, I thought that to be a very dignified act.”
“…Thank you, Your Majesty. But that only happened in the first place because I wasn’t able to stop her…,” Lady Natalie said, then bowed her head deeply once more. “Queen Laetitia, I’d like to formally apologize again. I made trouble for so many people by failing to realize what Diaz and her followers were up to. There’s no excuse for my actions. Everything that occurred was a result of my own inadequacy.”
“Lady Natalie…”
“Are you going to reprimand me? I know better than anyone that I’m not fit to be in the running for queen.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I mean just what I said. You saw me earlier, didn’t you, Your Majesty? I’m a pathetic person who can only share my honest feelings with cats and other creatures. My parents scolded me every single day for my shyness and clumsiness. It was supposed to be my vivacious sister, three years older than me, who came to the palace as a candidate for queen…”
Lady Natalie bit her bottom lip.
I’d heard that her older sister had suffered from a grave illness, for which there was no treatment.
“I became the only one from my father’s bloodline who could compete for the title. But I’m not suitable for something so important… I’ve tried to keep my facial expressions hidden so that no one sees how truly cowardly I am, and I left any true power to Aunt Diaz to secure my position. I didn’t want to betray my parents’ expectations for me either.”
Lady Natalie spilled one detail after another about her life and how she had become a candidate for queen.
For a moment, I wondered if she should be revealing so much to someone outside her family. But I could tell she had been holding so much conflict inside her.
As the head of the house in which Diaz, the perpetrator of the stolen recipe, was a member of, Lady Natalie took a big hit to her reputation when the scandal had been revealed. She managed to hold on to her position as King Glenreed’s potential future bride, but the chances of such an outcome for her had slipped dramatically.
She had no choice but to remain at the castle unless she wanted those chances to drop to zero.
Her unwavering declaration of guilt during the king’s birthday party earned her some sympathizers, while simultaneously, many people used it as an opportunity to tear her down.
The castle became a bed of thorns to Lady Natalie.
It was a bitter situation. Leaving the castle altogether may have been the healthier option for her.
…And then, on top of all that, she had caught me watching her as she complained about her life to a cat.
Her desperation seemed to originate from then too. I’d seen her in her most fragile state, one she’d described as “pathetic.”
The dam holding back her fears crumbled away, leaving a despairing Lady Natalie who had to pour her heart out to me.
She was only sixteen in a world where most women married around the age of twenty. In Japan, she would have been a high school student, but here, she was given the heavy burden of being candidate for queen. It would be difficult to carry such a hefty responsibility on her slender shoulders alone.
Even her parents were worried about their daughter, from what I’d heard.
But after Lady Natalie’s older sister fell ill, their mother grew weak of heart and poor of health as well. She was unable to accompany Lady Natalie to the castle, and her father was too busy as a duke to join her either. His younger sister, Diaz, had to be chosen as her attendant in the end.
“Diaz was given a lot of power as my overseer. Father felt that his own sister would be much more reliable than someone timid and meek like me.”
“So that’s why Diaz acted as though she was in charge of you.”
“…It made things easier for me too. All I had to do was exist in the palace as one of the candidates. I thought Diaz and the others would make everything run smoothly if I kept my mouth shut and lived like a doll… Well, I wanted to believe that would be the case.”
When she spoke of the now-convicted Diaz, Lady Natalie’s face showed sadness, rather than anger or resentment.
Even if Diaz was the woman who had sabotaged Lady Natalie’s chances of success, she was still the young lady’s aunt.
I didn’t know if they ever shared a familial closeness, but whatever they had between them had gone to waste.
“…You trusted her with that power, and that’s probably why Diaz grew so arrogant. I imagine she was thinking about all the power she could obtain if you really did marry His Majesty. That may be why she resorted to stealing the chiffon cake recipe. It was a way to leave an impression on the king while raising your status with other nobility as well.”
“…Yes. I think you’re right. Diaz was probably impatient with me, since I was such a poor candidate. Her crimes are unforgivable, but I’m the one who drove her to them…”
“Is that why you tried to take responsibility at the birthday party?”
“…That was the only thing I could do… Pathetic, isn’t it?”
Lady Natalie smiled, but her eyes were on the verge of tears.
“It’s not pathetic at all. You’re living up to your role, Lady Natalie.”
“What…?”
“It’s the one with power who must atone for crimes committed by their subordinates. However, very few people actually take such responsibility when the time comes.”
“…It wasn’t anything so honorable. I was full of shame and frightened, and I had no other choice left.”
“Being frightened is the normal response in such a situation. But no matter how much fear you felt in your heart that day, you were able to speak up. That’s all the proof I need.”
Lady Natalie had many insults for herself, like “cowardly” and “pathetic.” But still, she acted in the moment during that birthday party of her own free will. She wasn’t just some weakling who couldn’t stand up for herself.
“You’re still staying here at the palace, refusing to flee from the pressure of your position. Even if it may be true that you lack in certain areas as a candidate for queen, you’re still able to grow, little by little.”
“Your Majesty…”
Lady Natalie’s eyes glistened as she gazed at me.
“Would you be so kind as to pay me a visit at my villa sometime? I still have the griffin you sent me, and perhaps the two of us could have tea while we watch the wolves and cats in the yard.”
“…Are you sure? I caused you all kinds of trouble, Your Majesty, and I’m not allowed to indulge in any luxuries right now…”
“Then you’ll be all right if there’s no luxuries, yes? I can simply say that I needed advice from you about caring for the griffin.”
Inviting Lady Natalie over for that was a perfect pretense.
The two of us came from different homelands and different families, and thus, it would be difficult for us to open up to each other. But I did believe that our shared love of furry creatures could result in pleasant conversations.
It might even help Lady Natalie find some relief from her burdens. That would be the best outcome.
“Thank you, Queen Laetitia. I’d be honored to visit your home.”
Lady Natalie smiled at me.
Her expression wavered, but I could tell she was looking toward the future.
The two of us would discuss our love for animals over an array of tea and snacks.
We said our goodbyes, having agreed on plans for a laid-back, pleasant afternoon together.
◇ ◇ ◇
“THINGS have been hard for Lady Natalie…”
That night, I was lying in bed, murmuring to myself.
Berry and I were the only inhabitants of the dark bedroom.
My words were partially directed to the Gardener Cat. She was curled up on top of my cozy pink blanket.
“It’s an honor to be chosen as a potential queen, but she’s still only sixteen.”
I’d never even worked a part-time job at that age back in my past life. Whenever I had complaints, I would vent to Jiro, my pet Shiba Inu.
“Hm…?”
Something suddenly didn’t feel right.
What is it?
I was certain that back then, “I” was just a normal student living a normal life…
“No, wait…”
Something hit me.
My name.
I remembered my parents’ names. I never forgot Jiro’s name, the dog I loved so much. I still knew my friends’ names and even my elementary school teachers’ names.
“But what is my name…?”
A chill ran through me.
It was like someone was pressing ice against my spine.
I couldn’t remember the name I had in my past life.
All the hair on my body stood on end. How could I go all this time without noticing?
It was as if an insect had chewed that one, single fact straight out of my brain. Both my first and last names were completely gone from my memory.
“What’s going on…?”
“I” was reborn into this world after I was struck by a car during a walk with Jiro.
As far as I could remember, I never met “God” or anything divine along the way, nor was I given any special orders for my next life.
“So if I can’t remember my name, it must be…”
It must be because of my reincarnation.
How terrifying.
I didn’t understand how I could go so long without realizing I was missing my name, even after thinking back to my past-life memories so many times. Something definitely wasn’t right about that.
I began to rack my brain for any clues about my previous name.
I’ll figure it out. I’ll figure it out. I’ve got to figure it out.
How many letters was it? Did I have a nickname?
I did have memories of something people called me throughout my school years.
Come on. Think, think, think, think, th—
“Capybara.”
“Excuse me?”
The word that finally crystallized in my head was so unexpected, I felt my whole body go stiff.
…But then I recalled a memory from my early years of elementary school.
“XX, you’re so calm and relaxed, you’re totally like a capybara.”
“You know, capybaras? Like the ones who act all spaced out all the time but then get real fast when they’ve got something to do.”
One of my classmates called me “Cappy” in my memory. It came from my capybara-like personality.
The capybara, who gets so fast when it has something to do…
“Pfft! That’s so weird…”
An awkward smile formed on my face at the unexpectedly silly revelation.
So I was “Cappy” in my past life.
The memory caused my stiffened body to relax.
“Meow? Meow?”
Pat.
The bottom of Berry’s paw landed on my cheek. She seemed worried, as if she could tell I was acting strange.
“Thank you, Berry. I’m okay now.”
I stroked her soft fur, growing calmer as time passed.
“…Right now, I’m Laetitia Gramwell.”
Why did I reincarnate into an alternate universe instead of on Earth?
I couldn’t comprehend the reason, but still, I had seventeen years of memories from my life in this world.
Although, it was hard not to feel vexed by the mystery of my past-life name and how on earth it connected to that nickname.
“I mean, really? A capybara…?”
I was such a laid-back, average, lower-middle-class kid that I ended up with the nickname Cappy. It was like my roots hadn’t changed at all, even when I was reborn as a duchess, and even when I became a queen.
What I needed to focus on was getting good rest, eating good meals, and enjoying each day—not endlessly obsessing over things.
“…Good night, Berry.”
“Mew!”
I picked up the cat and set her on top of my blanket.
She curled up into a snug ball. I lay back down in bed too.
I pulled the covers over my body and closed my eyes.
It took a bit longer than usual, but in the end, I drifted off into slumber.
◇ ◇ ◇
“THE Great Capybara Circus…”
“What was that, my lady?”
Lucian’s voice snapped me out of my daze.
A slice of bread topped with strawberry jam was still sitting in my hand. I’d been in the middle of breakfast.
“…I was just remembering the dream I had last night.”
My dreams had been full of capybaras. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I counted capybara instead of sheep in an effort to fall asleep.
Either way, the memory slipped out of my mouth while I was spacing out.
“‘Capybara.’ It doesn’t quite ring a bell. Is it the name of some kind of recipe?”
“…No. It’s a fictional animal with light-brown fur. They’re from a book I read many years ago.”
This world had dogs, cats, horses, and even cows and pigs, but apparently no capybaras to speak of.
It was too bad I’d never get to see those lumbering creatures again. But maybe that was exactly why the Great Capybara Circus had come to me in my dreams.
With those nearly incomprehensible thoughts in my head, I finished breakfast and went outside to the front yard.
“I wonder if I should put Fon’s house over there…”
I was strolling through the garden while I waited for Edgar to arrive with the wolves.
The front of my villa housed a sprawling garden centered around a water fountain. It was smaller than the garden at Lady Natalie’s villa, but mine was well kept, with plenty of beautiful flowers in bloom.
My plan was to clear some of the trees on the edge of the yard to make a place for Fon’s shelter.
It was directly diagonal from the front of the villa.
“Then I’ll have them fence off the strawberry grove in the woods…”
I made my plans for Berry’s strawberry patch, which was located in the forest behind my house.
His Majesty had already given me permission to make adjustments to the surrounding area.
As long as construction costs remained low and I didn’t change the actual building, I was allowed to do pretty much whatever I pleased.
After Fon’s house and the strawberry patch renovations, there were still a few other things I wanted to build too.
I was busying myself with my construction plans when I heard something rustling in the trees.
Finally. It was fluffy time. The wolves were here to play.
“Woof?”
“…You’re not a wolf.”
A pair of round black eyes stared up at me.
A white ball of fur leaped out from the tree line…
No, looking closer, it appeared to be a fluffy white dog with a pair of pointy ears.
Its face was friendly, almost like it was smiling at me. It reminded me of the Samoyed breed I knew from my past life.
“We haven’t met before, have we…?”
“Arf!”
The animal swished its round tail back and forth as if to respond.
But why was such a friendly dog here in my yard?
I didn’t have any clues, at least not until Edgar appeared behind the dog.
“Good afternoon, Your Majesty. You’ve never met Sana before, have you?”
“So her name is Sana? Is she your companion animal?”
“Yes, exactly. Cute, isn’t she?”
Edgar stroked Sana’s head proudly.
A companion animal is a creature that beastfolk love and cherish as another part of themselves.
I’d heard that Dog-Fang clan beastfolk in particular, such as Edgar, put a lot of love into training their companion animals.
And while I’m on the subject…
There are a few races of beastfolk that exist in this world.
Edgar and my head butler, Borgan, are both from the Dog-Fang clan. Krona was from the Wildcat clan.
There’s also the Snow-Fox clan, the rarer Bird-Wing clan, and even more subcategories of beastfolk that live in this kingdom.
Humans often lump beastfolk into one big group, but the many clans have vastly different cultures and histories, which is expressed even in the way they choose and raise their companion animals.
Dog-Fang clan members customarily pick dogs as their companion animals, giving them strict training to establish a relationship between master and animal. Opposite them, the Wildcat clan tends to let their companion cats roam about freely.
Many people refer to the Dog-Fang clan as diligent and the Wildcat clan as self-centered for those reasons. But those are only generalizations. Some Dog-Fang beastfolk prefer to live on their own, while some Wildcats appreciate a bond of loyalty.
In Earth terms, it would be somewhat like describing Japanese people as high-strung and Americans as overexaggerators. As a Japanese person in my past life, I certainly wasn’t very meticulous myself. It seemed to me that a person’s individual qualities play more of a role in their behavior than their race or nationality.
“May I pet Sana?”
“Of course! I think she’d like that.”
I began to stroke Sana’s head once I had her owner’s permission.
Most of my palm sank into her white cotton-candy-like fur. I started to relax and close my eyes at the soft sensation. Sana followed suit until her eyes formed little slits.
A sudden wind from above interrupted my peaceful moment. Shadows blotted out the light from the sun.
“Fon!”
“Gyaaah!!”
Fon immediately landed at my side.
His birdlike eyes were completely fixed on Sana. He appeared to be both curious and alert at the appearance of the brand-new creature.
Fon stepped out in front of me protectively.
Sana seemed surprised to see such a large creature in front of her. She looked up at Edgar and me to gauge our reactions.
“Don’t worry, Fon. Edgar and his animals are very special guests here at the villa.”
I stroked Fon’s neck to calm him down. Fon allowed this for a while before appearing to understand that our guests weren’t foes. He nuzzled his beak against me, then stepped back, flapped his wings, and flew back toward his wooden crate.
“Griffins are so amazing up close…!” Edgar murmured, sounding very excited.
He didn’t even seem frightened after receiving such a glare from Fon’s sharp eyes.
Edgar, the boy who was so scared of me when we first met, didn’t appear to have any problem with Fon.
“Thank you very much for providing such a valuable opportunity!”
“And thank you for letting me pet Sana. …Are the wolves not with you today?”
“No, another wolfkeeper is taking them on their walk today, so they’ll be here a bit later.”
“So you decided to come here with Sana instead?”
“I wanted to teach her the road to the villa. Sana’s always stayed at the wolfkeepers’ station, but I decided it was time to let her go to new places as well. I hope to have her help with my wolfkeeping duties once she’s ready.”
“Oh, I see. So she’s a wolf dog instead of a sheepdog. How impressive!”
I looked at Sana in awe. With her Samoyed-like build, she was quite the large canine. She seemed well trained and was apparently even up for the job of working with the wolves.
“Yes! That’s exactly right! She’s an incredible companion animal. I almost feel like she’s too good for me.”
Edgar lit up as he gushed about his dog.
I could see the happiness in the swishing of his tail. Sana’s tail began to wag identically to Edgar’s. Their matching gestures were very cute.
“She’s the whole reason I was able to become a wolfkeeper.”
“Are companion animals’ personalities and abilities considered criteria in becoming a wolfkeeper?”
I looked at Sana. She was sitting on the ground, perfectly calm.
Wolfkeepers are given their positions by the royal family. It’s a revered and, from what I’d heard, fiercely competitive job.
“That’s right. About half of the wolfkeepers inherit the job from family over many generations, like Mr. Moore, and the other half are hired from the outside, like me. Sana and I passed the employment exam together.”
“That’s amazing, Edgar. I’m sure it’s not every day that someone so young, much less a commoner, passes such an exam.”
“Th-Thank you very much!! You’re far too kind…!”
Edgar blushed. Perhaps he wasn’t used to receiving praise.
Though his response was quiet, I could see his tail wagging behind him.
“It’s all thanks to Sana that I became a wolfkeeper, and that I got to meet you too, Your Majesty. Sometimes humans and beastfolk can’t keep up with four-legged animals when they run, so leading the wolves becomes the job of companion animals like Sana.”
“I see. So having a companion animal is a very important requirement in hiring beastfolk.”
“Absolutely. I owe it all to Sana.”
Edgar ruffled the fur of Sana’s head.
His humility never failed for even a moment.
“But it’s plenty impressive in itself that you brought out that personality in her, Edgar. Even the smartest dog won’t be able to make use of its talents without patient leadership.”
I thought back on Jiro, my pet Shiba Inu in my past life.
He had a mix of brown and white fur and a glossy, wet nose.
Jiro knew a few tricks like “stay,” but I remembered how much of a nightmare it was to train him. I would probably lose my wits altogether if I tried to teach him how to lead wolves like Sana.
As a dog lover, I couldn’t help but respect Edgar.
“You two must have put in years of work to become wolfkeepers.”
“Well, it was my dream ever since I was a boy.”
“That’s wonderful. Might I ask what inspired you?”
“…The wolf with the blue-green eyes.”
“Wait, you mean Lord Aroo?”
Wolves generally had brownish eyes. Lord Aroo was the only one of the pack whose eyes were blue-green.
I didn’t expect his name to come up so suddenly.
Edgar quickly opened his mouth while I tried to make sense of it.
“M-My apologies! I didn’t explain that very well! What I meant was that many years ago, I was saved by a wolf who looked just like Lord Aroo.”
“A wolf who looked just like Lord Aroo?”
“He had the same beautiful silver fur and those unusual blue-green eyes. I don’t remember his face very well…but I believe he resembled Lord Aroo. Sana was still just a pup at the time. The two of us got lost in the forest next to the capital, and that’s where we met him.”
I’d heard that the capital woods were a relatively safe place, not being home to any dangerous animals. But that forest, which seemed to stretch on forever, had been deeply frightening to the young Edgar. He told me about how he was wandering through the woods with Sana, his tail hung limp and meek, and just before he burst into tears, the Lord Aroo lookalike appeared.
“I was so frightened. I thought that wolf might make me his dinner right then and there. But he made no attempt to attack me at all. In fact, he led me through the forest until we reached an exit.”
“It sounds like you had one shock after another.”
The wolves who visited the villa were like big, friendly dogs, which made me tend to forget their nature. In this world, much like Earth, wolves were generally wild animals who didn’t approach humans. It was very unusual to hear about a wolf coming to the rescue of a helpless child.
“I still remember how startled I was, despite my young age. I was even more surprised when I saw that the wolf’s eyes were blueish-green. It was like the silver wolf from the legend, the one who fathered the Wolfvartian royal bloodline, had come to save me himself. I was so grateful for his help, and ever since then, I’ve found myself drawn to wolves.”
“And that made you want to become a wolfkeeper.”
“…Are you going to laugh at me?”
“Of course not. Pursuing your childhood dream for so long is no easy task.”
Edgar looked relieved to hear this.
“A lot of people made fun of me. They said there was no way the wolf saved me and I must have seen his eye color wrong. Some people even said I fell asleep in the woods and dreamed the whole thing up. If I heard anyone else tell the same story, I would think it was all a lie too…”
“But you don’t believe them, do you? That’s all that really matters. Whatever others may say about you, you still put in so much effort to follow your dream and never once gave up.”
“I appreciate it, Your Majesty…”
He kept his face hidden from me, but I could see his tail bouncing from side to side.
“I really am blessed. I never did meet that same wolf again, but my fellow wolfkeepers are both strict and kind with me, the wolves themselves really like me, I get to converse with Your Majesty, and I even met Lord Aroo, who’s a perfect lookalike to the wolf who saved me.”
“Lord Aroo…”
Melvin had told me that Lord Aroo was a young wolf, still only three years old.
He was too young to be the one who’d saved Edgar as a child, which should be enough of a distinction, but since they shared the same unusual blue-green eyes, there could be some kind of blood relation between the two.
“I hope you get to meet that wolf again someday.”
The boy, now an adult, reuniting with the wolf who rescued him all those years ago. It was like something out of a storybook.
I looked up at the sky and thought about that wolf—if he could still be alive and where he might be now.
◇ ◇ ◇
MEANWHILE, as Laetitia basked in her dreamy, fairytale mood…
“Achoo!!”
Unbeknownst to the queen, King Glenreed sneezed quietly to himself.
◇ ◇ ◇
AFTER Edgar finished his story, I decided to consult him on my plans for a tea party with Lady Natalie—petting Sana all the while.
“I’m thinking of inviting Lady Natalie to my villa sometime soon. We could set up a table in the front yard and have tea while we watch the wolves. Does that sound all right to you?”
“L-Lady Natalie?”
Edgar’s tail slumped and his dog ears sank down.
Lady Natalie’s family was famous for their harsh treatment of beastfolk. Edgar didn’t seem to welcome the idea.
“Lady Natalie herself has no ill will toward beastfolk. She even told me she loves dogs and wolves. But if you’re not comfortable…”
“N-No, that’s fine!! I just…might not fit in very well if I’m there…”
Edgar hung his head.
By now, he’d become accustomed to speaking with me casually, but at first meeting, he displayed a high level of uneasiness.
Edgar appeared to struggle around strangers, humans in particular. That wasn’t strange considering the bad blood between humans and beastfolk. In fact, maybe it was actually unusual for someone like him to open up to a human like myself so quickly.
The slicker brush worked in all sorts of wonderful ways.
“If you’re able, could you possibly schedule your tea party on a day one of the other keepers is in charge of the wolves?”
“Very well. If the wolves aren’t feeling well that day, you don’t have to force them out on a walk. Could you ask for the wolfkeepers’ cooperation, so long as it doesn’t harm them or the wolves?”
“Of course! Our job is an extra rewarding one if more people come to love the wolves.”
“Thank you, Edgar. Lady Natalie doesn’t have much experience with animals, so I’m going to have her watch them from afar at first.”
The girl had told me she loved fluffy animals but, apparently, had hardly ever actually touched them. She’d never owned a pet before. In fact, the only animals she’d directly touched were horses.
She’d said she didn’t usually talk to animals either, like what I saw the other day. She’d only happened to see that tabby cat crossing through the garden while she was out there fretting over the coming meeting with me.
Once she was away from the eyes of her maids, Lady Natalie got her fill of fluff in an attempt to calm her nerves.
She’d sidled up to the tabby cat but couldn’t bring herself to touch it, scared that it might run away if she got too close. Since she couldn’t pet it, she decided to confide her troubles in the animal—the problems she could never share with another human.
I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to let her jump straight to petting wolves.
They were well trained, sure, but they still had sharp claws and fangs, and they were very large as well.
Lady Natalie, despite her love of animals, might be frightened to see them for the first time. Wolves can sense those kinds of emotions in people.
Just to be safe, I decided to watch Lady Natalie’s reactions before I let her pet them.
There were other small, well-behaved, and perfectly pettable animals she could start with first.
I drew up a list of candidates in my head, got my fill of stroking the wolves when they arrived, bid farewell to Edgar, then went back inside the house.
Borgan, my butler, was waiting for my arrival. There was something I felt like asking him.
“You’d like us…to bring our companion animals to the villa?”
“That’s right. I’ve heard that some beastfolk are accompanied by their companion animals when they take up live-in work.”
There were thirteen beastfolk who lived and worked in my villa. I allowed them routine days off so they could all go home and visit their companion animals. It was like a furry friend vacation for them.
While it depended on their individual personalities, many companion animals wished to stay with their beastfolk masters. Live-in jobs with high numbers of beastfolk employees generally allowed their companion animals to join them.
Here at the villa, I was a human from a foreign land, so it seemed that the beastfolk were exercising caution in not bringing their companions.
“I’ve heard that some companion animals don’t take very well to strange places, so I won’t force anyone into it, but if the animals and their masters would like, they’ll be allowed to live here together.”
In all honesty, I really wanted them to bring their animals here.
I’d heard that companion animals tended to feel less stressed around their masters, and I’d get the benefit of getting to look at cute critters whenever I wanted.
Dog-Fang clan companion animals in particular were composed of all kinds of dogs—brown or white fur, big or small, sweet or brave. I was so looking forward to seeing them.
“I appreciate your kind words, Your Majesty. I’m sure the beastfolk will all be thrilled to hear this.”
“Wonderful. Might I also ask a favor of you?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“When Lady Natalie is here for her tea party, I’d like to have her pet one of the companion animals, so long as they’re not shy. What do you say?”
“That would be perfectly fine. It would be an honor to have Your Majesty and Lady Natalie pet my very own companion animal, if that’s to your liking.”
“Thank you, Borgan. Could you bring them to the villa during your next vacation to familiarize them with this area?”
“Of course. Where shall I keep my companion during work hours?”
“I’m going to build a doghouse out back and, hopefully, a place for them to exercise as well.”
I was planning to build something like the dog parks we had back in Japan.
My goal was to grant the companion animals a place where they could relax. That was part of why I needed construction permission from His Majesty.
“A place to exercise? Your Majesty, we couldn’t possibly ask you to do so much for our animals’ sake…”
“It’s no trouble at all. I’d like to do it, in fact. I’ll just need your help in describing what kind of area would most appeal to them.”
“I appreciate your thoughtfulness…however, some of the companion animals are dogs of larger breeds. They’ll need quite a lot of room, and I’m afraid some space in the forest would need to be cleared for such a purpose. Wouldn’t you agree that the time and cost of such work will be considerable?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll be the one to clear the forest.”
“You, Your Majesty?”
“My magic should do the trick. I’d like to make use of some spells in the renovations to be sure I keep my skills polished.”
Tools grow rusty when they go unused for too long.
I hadn’t used any spell besides transmutation recently, though I’d been thinking up ways to make use of magic in my life.
As long as I had such an incredible power, I had no intention of being stingy with it when it came to adorable animals.
◇ ◇ ◇
“SO you’re planning to clear out part of the forest behind the villa?”
“That’s correct. Would you be able to watch over me while I try cutting down a tree with my spell?”
Five days had passed since I inquired about the dog park with Borgan.
A carpenter named Carter had arrived at the villa. His short-cropped brown hair was slightly graying. With a large, robust body, Carter gave off the appearance of a kindhearted old man.
I was there with Carter, the top carpenter in his field, to inspect the construction site before beginning the job.
“For today, I’d like to remove around twenty trees from this area.”
This was just the initial test.
First, I would use a spell to burn down the trees where I wanted to build the dog park, since controlling fire was my magical specialty. I thought it would make for easy cleanup if I burned it all down to ashes.
…A pillar of smoke billowing away from a fire near the castle.
“…Has there been a coup d’état?”
It would be a bad look, that much was for sure. I abandoned the idea. Even though I had permission from the king to restructure the area, Fire Magic would make it stand out far too much.
I decided to scrap the fire spell and turn to a form of magic that wouldn’t invite any misunderstandings.
I faced the front yard, ready to begin.
“Fon! Come!”
“Kraaah!!”
A shrill cry came in response.
The flapping of wings grew louder in a flash. Fon descended in front of me.
“Good boy, good boy. Thanks for coming. Would you like to go for a walk in the forest with me?”
“Kyuwah!”
“With pleasure!!”
Fon nodded his head up and down. The plumes of feathers on his head bounced with each nod.
I exchanged looks with Carter, who was clearly shocked to see Fon, and then the three of us headed into the forest.
Once I found a more open area, I began to walk with my hand on Fon’s back.
I felt his silky coat and the shifting of his powerful muscles underneath. Suddenly, the bushes in front of us began to rustle, and a small shadow darted out.
“Oh, a squirrel.”
So cute.
It ran in the opposite direction of us, with its brown tail bobbing behind it. It didn’t want to be anywhere near Fon.
With the upper body of a bird of prey and the lower body of a lion, the griffin was a Mythical Beast that dominated both land and sky. No ordinary animal, even with an advantage in numbers, could hope to defeat such a creature.
The squirrels seemed sensitive to the appearance of the foe. They fled in a panic.
Squirrels who lived close to the villa weren’t particularly frightened of people and would only keep a short distance away if I tried to approach them.
Their big black eyes were calming to look at, but if I used my spell without taking any precautions, the squirrels would get wrapped up in it too.
Fon was my assurance that the squirrels would run far away to safety.
I had heard that the squirrels didn’t build their nests near the villa, which meant they only had to leave for a brief period.
I checked the rest of the bushes to be safe, making sure to clear out any remaining animals. Then I thanked Fon for his help with a stroke of his fur. The two of us relocated to just outside the tree line.
Taking in the sound of the forest—somewhat quieter than before—it was time to let my voice and spell fly.
“…Wind Cutter!”
An invisible, formless blade shot forward.
It stirred up a sharp whirlwind that blew into the trees.
“What was that…?”
Carter cocked his head.
“What exactly did you just do? Sadly, I’m no expert when it comes to magic, but—Huh?!”
Shink!!
The earth let out a hearty rumble as trees went toppling down.
Each remaining stump was perfectly smooth where the tree had been split.
“One, two, three…eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Perfect!!”
“Well done, my lady.”
Yes!! I did it!
Lucian’s praise comforted me.
The spell was neither too powerful nor too weak.
I adjusted the whirlwind perfectly to cut down exactly twenty trees.
What a great feeling!
I enjoyed making convenient tools with transmutation, but it was a nice change of pace to use my magic for something on a much larger scale.
I proudly took in the sight of what I’d done.
“Fast and precise work. I’ll admit I underestimated you.”
Captivated, Carter examined the stumps of the fallen trees.
“Even the best carpenters and lumberjacks would have trouble cutting them this smooth.”
“Will you be able to take this wood for yourselves?”
“Of course. I’ll gather the younger guys and have ’em carry these trees out of here.”
“I appreciate the help. You’ll only need the tops of the trees for lumber, yes? I don’t think these stumps will do you any good.”
“Right you are. They can’t be used as lumber, but we’ll take care of them for you too.”
“All right, then. I’ll go ahead and make them easier to dispose of.”
“Easier to dispose of?”
“Take a look.”
Just diagonal from where I stood was the perfect spot.
The cut trees had all fallen in the distance, blown back from the impact. Smaller foliage still remained near the stumps.
“Wind Cutter!”
The blade whipped up in a breeze and shot forward at my command.
This time, the whirlwind moved vertically as it was sucked toward the ground.
I cast one spell after another until the stumps stuck in the earth were chopped down in size.
“Like this, see? The remaining stumps and trunks are whittled down, making them easier to transport.”
“…It’s like mincing food in the kitchen…”
Carter was correct, although he sounded a bit horrified about it.
Digging each stump out of the ground would be no easy task. I tried slicing away at them, just like how Gilbert diced his ingredients for a dish, to make that process easier.
“I’m real impressed with your strength, Your Majesty. With spells like yours, I bet you could give all the knights in Wolfvarte a good beat— Ahem!! You never have to worry about being attacked by evildoers!!”
…What was that just now, Carter?
He certainly had my attention, but I decided to drop the subject.
“That will be all for today. My magic is drained, so I’d like to get some rest.”
“No problem!! You put on a real show with that spell, so please, rest up.”
I made a show of rubbing my shoulders as I retreated to the villa.
…I still felt perfectly energized, but that would remain a secret.
I was perfectly able to clear the whole area of trees and stumps within a single day if I felt like it, but judging by Carter’s reaction, I’d chosen a good stopping point.
Revealing the true strength of my spells would only invite more trouble.
I had no intention of causing a coup d’état or beating up the kingdom’s knights.
Instead, my plan was to save the full strength of my magic for when I needed it in a situation like self-protection. Until then, it would remain hidden.