Chapter 6: Ordinary but Delicious

 

 

 

Chapter 6: Ordinary but Delicious

 

“…SO, as a result, it seems as if the sibling rivalry between Lady Kate and Lady Sienna will be on hold for the time being.”

Three days had passed since Manilla Day.

I’d been invited to an audience with His Majesty, who had lent out his servants to observe Lady Kate’s villa, so that I could summarize recent events for him. I wanted to directly report the guests’ reactions to the salt-crusted meat dishes and the incident with the chandelier, and also to convey my gratitude to him as well.

“There was a lot of trouble surrounding Manilla Day, but it appears Lady Kate got the best of her sister and has shown a newfound level of maturity.”

“It sure sounds like it. I wasn’t sure how this was all going to turn out, but with your help, the battle of the sisters seems to have been kept from getting out of hand. On top of that, you were the one who planned the salt-crusted meats and the chandelier trap, right? You did very well, Laetitia.”

“…Thank you for your words of praise.”

I was happy to hear him compliment me…but there was still a detail from Manilla Day that I hadn’t yet shared with him.

“Your Majesty, forgive me if I’m mistaken, but…”

“Yes? Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“When the chandelier was broken, one of your observers informed me that they didn’t know who the culprit was…but they probably already knew the offender’s identity and how they were connected to Lady Sienna, correct?”

It didn’t quite make sense to me. I had ordered the chandelier’s room to be less guarded than the others; that weakness was one created intentionally. Still, despite the request for observers, none of them came up with a single piece of information.

It was true that Lady Kate lacked staff, so perhaps the outcome was inevitable… But I didn’t understand how there could be absolutely no evidence pointing to a culprit.

“Did you figure out who it was and let them go free intentionally, Your Majesty? It would be an effective strategy to force Lady Kate and me to focus on making Manilla Day a success if we were able to recover from that wrench in our plans.”

That was what happened in the end, after all…

“If the two of us had failed and Lady Sienna became one of the candidates, you could have then presented her with proof of her involvement with the chandelier destruction, therefore giving you the upper hand over her. Correct?”

As I laid down speculation after speculation, His Majesty watched me quietly.

“…I remained a spectator in order to keep a card up my sleeve, one that could pressure Sienna,” he said. “Do you criticize me for that choice?”

“…No. I believe that’s natural for someone in your position.”

His Majesty wouldn’t thoughtlessly make trouble for Lady Sienna and Duke Garon, who backed her. That made perfect sense and was a very sound judgment for the king to make.

“If anything, I appreciate that you didn’t take any direct actions. If you’d accused Lady Sienna of misdeeds before Manilla Day, our dinner may not have taken place that night, and I wouldn’t have been able to treat Duke Garon and the other guests to the meal of salt-crusted meat I worked so hard to perfect.”

“…But that’s a matter of hindsight.”

“Perhaps. But you also made that decision because you had faith in me and my new dish, no?”

I thought back to the time I had His Majesty taste test the salt-crusted meat dish.

The outer shell had to be broken so the inside could be tested for poison, but even so, the scattered pieces of salt on the plate had great impact. The king praised the method of cracking the shell with a wooden mallet to eat, and he even tried the dish for himself too. I used His Majesty’s preferred choice of pork, so he seemed to enjoy the meal.

I wanted to believe that his acknowledgement of the dish’s merits was part of why he let us be the ones to take care of Lady Sienna.

“If you had accused Lady Sienna, then yes, perhaps the fight between her and Lady Kate would have come to a conclusion sooner. But Lady Kate would never have received her father’s approval like she did, nor would she have become closer to Lady Natalie. Was that the reason why you kept your information to yourself?”

“…Maybe it was.”

He neither confirmed nor denied my line of thought.

He’s tricky… Maybe His Majesty is more of a schemer than I first thought.

Even though His Majesty invited me to his castle from time to time, we were still a husband and wife in name only. The fact that neither of us could be completely frank with each other was natural, but still, I felt…

No, forget it. I’ll leave that aside for now.

I decided to move on to the main reason I was visiting His Majesty today. I had begun with Lady Kate’s situation to get the messy stuff out of the way first. Once we wrapped up the hard-to-digest discussions, it was time to eat.

“Thank you for answering my questions, Your Majesty. I think it would be a good time for dinner now. May I present you with today’s meal?”

“Yes, go ahead. What have you brought me this time? That’s a pretty big serving tray…”

His Majesty was looking past me to Lucian, who stood at my back and was holding a tray with a particularly large lid.

“Today, I’m pleased to present you chicken cream soup and roasted bread known as ‘toast.’”

“‘Toast’… I’ve never heard that term before. Is it a large chunk of bread?”

“The bread is cut into thin slices. I brought enough for one serving.”

“So what’s the big tray for?”

“It’s for cooking the meal.”

His Majesty seemed suspicious of this answer.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to make it from scratch here?”

“No, of course not.”

I signaled Lucian. He removed the lid and placed the contents of the tray on our table. Then he spread out a thin cloth and set down a plate with two slices of bread on top, followed by a small pot of soup.

Next to the food was a metal grill with handles to grip.

“…Is that grill for warming the food?”

“Exactly. You can eat this soup and bread as it is, but it becomes much better once it’s warmed.”

I started with the soup.

Instead of using charcoal or firewood, I would be performing a spell to start the fire. As long as I kept my magical energy under control, the flame from my spell should remain both stable and strong without having to use any other tool.

Compared with using a more normal form of fuel, it would produce less smoke and fewer cinders, making it the best option. My energy would be drained the longer I kept the fire going, but I had no lack of magical energy in my body. It wouldn’t be a problem.

I made sure the flame was a small one as I stirred the contents in the pot. I didn’t want it to burn. The soup was made with minced chicken, onions, and fried potatoes, all simmered together in water and cream. It had cooled off since I first made it, but because the ingredients were sliced finely, it was easy to reheat.

“That smells good,” His Majesty murmured.

The warm aroma drifted through the air. A mild, pleasant, appetizing smell of cream tickled my nose.

“This seems about right…”

Once the surface continued to bubble even as I stirred it, I decided the soup was heated enough.

Lucian placed the pot on a stand and removed the metal grill from the table with potholders.

The white bread would already be delicious on its own, but I decided the extra work was worth it. I roasted both sides of the bread over the hot mesh and placed the slices on a plate.

Finally, I ladled warm soup from the pot into a bowl. The dish was complete.

“It’s ready, Your Majesty. Please enjoy it before it cools, if you will.”

“Can I eat this toast with my hands?”

“Yes, but first, put as much butter as you like on the surface, then go ahead and take a good bite.”

My suggestion was slightly informal, but it prompted the king to butter his toast, if a bit clumsily. He checked the bread to be sure it was properly covered, then sank his white teeth into the surface.

“…! This is…quite delicious…” King Glenreed sounded a bit surprised as he murmured to himself.

But his remark didn’t sound like empty flattery to me. He ate the whole slice of toast without stopping.

Thank goodness.

He seemed to like it.

Seeing the king hungrily devour the toast made me happy. Though I’d presented him a loaf of white bread, an unusual product in this world, the actual preparation of it was incredibly simple. I imagined such an easy-to-make snack would be a valuable treat for His Majesty.

“I didn’t know warm bread tasted so good…”

“It does! Freshly baked toast is very delicious on its own as well.”

Cooking is almost always most delicious when it’s freshly made—a fact most people already know, but something difficult for His Majesty to experience. He almost exclusively dined on food that had to be set aside for poison testing first.

Today’s toast was no different. The designated tester had to taste it before it could be brought here. His Majesty’s safety was a priority, so this was unavoidable, but it did result in the meals losing their warmth and aroma.

I imagined the king could request a way to reheat his food if he so wished…but judging by his disinterest in food, I couldn’t see him going to that much trouble.

But maybe I was wrong. Perhaps His Majesty lost all interest in food by eating cold meals his entire life.

It was a chicken-or-egg kind of problem.

I couldn’t know the answer for sure…but I could certainly tell the king hadn’t dined on warm food in some time.

He brought a spoonful of hot cream soup up to his lips.

The savory taste of chicken and vegetables permeated the dish. He went back for spoonful after spoonful of the soup that contained one of his favorite kinds of meat. His lips parted for each sip and his throat moved as he gulped. Unexpectedly, my heart began to speed up.

My eyes were drawn to the king as he was eating.

His Majesty’s cheeks were slightly red due to the heat of the food. I understood why, but seeing the man’s beautiful face go flushed wasn’t entirely healthy for my heart.

“Your Majesty, try dunking your toast into the soup. The bread has a nice texture when it’s soaked.”

I spoke up to try to distract myself from my racing heart.

“Hmm. …Yes, this is nice too. It absorbs the soup to fill your mouth when you eat it.”

“Exactly! I’m so glad you like it.”

I smiled at the satisfied king. I’d been so uncertain of what food to present him. I wanted him to take an interest in my cooking, so I knew I had to choose something with both a visual impact and a delicious taste. That was the whole reason I first thought to challenge myself with salt-crusted meats…

But during that whole process of trial and error, I realized something.

No matter how I perfected the recipe, it would always need to go through poison testing first. The meal would be cold by the time it reached His Majesty, so he couldn’t experience the wonderful taste of freshly cooked food.

That was why I had to change my way of thinking.

Toast was easy and fast to cook. I could reheat the soup, with its finely chopped ingredients, right at the castle and have His Majesty eat it immediately after. Lord Melvin had informed me that I could bring a metal grill along to reheat the food once it’d been tasted for poison.

In the end, I chose to serve cream soup together with toast.

Neither dish was particularly elaborate. Anyone could cook them, and in fact, they were pretty common. But the point was to have His Majesty eat them while hot.

That alone made them worth making.

“How warm…”

His Majesty’s reaction warmed my own heart too.

It felt like the exact words I wanted to hear today, more than anything else from the king.

◇　◇　◇

A bit before the moment Laetitia’s heart was warmed…

“…! This is…”

Glenreed went wide-eyed as soon as he took his first bite of toast.

“Quite delicious…”

The words spilled from his lips reflexively.

It had been so long since Glenreed’s compliments for a dish were both genuine and a surprise even to himself.

Again and again, he bit into the crunchy bread.

The surface was roasted to give off a nice aroma, but the inside was sweet and fluffy. As the melted butter spread, it brought out the taste of the bread itself.

Even though it gave off an appetizing scent, Glenreed could tell it was still the same bread he ate with the sandwiches. He thought the taste would be the same as well, but…

“I didn’t know warm bread tasted so good…”

“It does! Freshly baked toast is very delicious on its own as well.”

Laetitia’s expression lit up.

Glenreed was a bit taken aback when he saw the gleeful smile on her face.

So she can smile like that even when she’s not with the wolves.

The surprise he felt seemed to be making his heart beat a little faster.

That smile, so unlike the faces she made as the two discussed the serious Manilla Day business, seemed to be very genuine. She was simply thrilled to hear Glenreed praise the toast. Her expression was so carefree.

Glenreed didn’t comprehend how his simple words could please her to that extent. He didn’t understand, but the king did realize that it wasn’t such a bad feeling after all.

Something must be wrong with me…

Glenreed wanted to distract from his reddening cheeks.

He chewed his toast and focused on its flavor. Soon, he was completely transfixed by the aroma of the warm bread. The crunch of each bite of toast was very satisfying. He felt like there was no limit to the slices he could eat.

“Hmm. …Yes, this is nice too. It absorbs the soup to fill your mouth when you eat it.”

“Exactly! I’m so glad you like it.”

As suggested by Laetitia, he tried dipping the bread into the cream soup. The soaked bread seemed to fall apart once it was in his mouth. Even the chicken was cut into nice bite-size pieces. It was simmered long enough for all the flavors to permeate the soup.

“How warm…”

Glenreed took a satisfied breath. Laetitia watched over him happily.

The heat had seemed to have reached not just his stomach, but a deeper place somewhere inside his body.

It all felt so warm.

When that realization hit him, Glenreed began to consider that maybe he’d never noticed a certain coldness that had been with him all along.

I…

The king was saddened at the idea of the meal being over. He was just as saddened to think of parting with Laetitia for the evening.

Bite by bite, he ate the bread, savoring the taste and warmth. But regardless of his strong desire to remain, the meal eventually disappeared into Glenreed’s stomach.

Dinner was over. Laetitia returned to her villa.

After seeing her off, Glenreed collapsed into his bedroom chair.

“She always surpasses my expectations like it’s the easiest thing in the world for her…”

His face relaxed a bit.

The king had been quite surprised when she presented him with salt-crusted pork and its strange method of eating. But after seeing something so odd, he was sure he’d never be as surprised by whatever she served next. As usual, Laetitia went above and beyond anything Glenreed imagined.

That wasn’t just limited to cooking either.

All the turmoil surrounding Manilla Day at Kate’s villa was another example.

Glenreed had many reasons for not revealing the culprit behind the chandelier’s destruction. He did indeed believe that Manilla Day might be salvageable with Laetitia’s imaginative salt-crusted meats, even if the chandelier couldn’t be replaced and the room became less decorative.

While he had expected great things from Laetitia’s special dishes, those expectations began and ended with her cooking skills.

I never imagined she’d gather all the queen candidates for Manilla Day. She even got Natalie, the former puppet, and I-Liena, the trickster.

He knew she’d been growing friendlier with Natalie as of late. But he believed that was only to quell suspicions of discord between herself and Natalie’s family. What Glenreed definitely didn’t imagine was that she’d won Natalie over and persuaded her to break free of her father’s control in such a short period of time.

I-Liena probably attended Manilla Day to keep an eye on Kate but also, more likely, to watch Laetitia’s actions too.

He hadn’t heard of Laetitia and I-Liena meeting more than once before the holiday had arrived. It implied that I-Liena, after only one meeting, determined that Laetitia wasn’t someone she could ignore.

I-Liena and Natalie.

In addition to getting their participation, Laetitia had created a brand-new salt chandelier and presented it as a new way of using the substance. She assured Manilla Day was a great success in a manner no one could have expected.

“If only she could stay…”

Glenreed’s words fell quietly in the room.

Laetitia was never more than a figurehead queen to him, but what if he took her as his true queen, allowing her to govern the kingdom with those talents of hers?

When he imagined the girl at his side, nestled up close to him, his heart began to race.

If only he could see her brilliant smile so close forever. The warmth he felt today would surely never leave him again.

“…What nonsense am I fantasizing about?”

Glenreed slowly shook his head.

That future isn’t a possibility…

He understood well that Laetitia could easily surpass his expectations. She was somehow in the process of winning over Kate in addition to Natalie, and that could happen only because Laetitia was a placeholder queen.

If Glenreed gave Laetitia the official title of queen, even if Natalie and the others agreed to it, it was very unlikely Laetitia’s own family would give their approval.

The kingdom Glenreed ruled was made up of five smaller lands. It was a detailed, complicated establishment. No matter how useful Laetitia may be, opposition to a foreign queen would be much too strong.

“Obviously. That’s plenty easy to see…”

Glenreed smiled bitterly to himself.

His fantasy over an impossible future may have been set off because of how much he loved her cooking.

Laetitia cooked for Glenreed, and when he praised her meals, she smiled.

It was the most normal thing in the world for a married couple, but to Glenreed, it was a strangely embarrassing situation.

The way to a man’s heart is his stomach.

He’d heard the saying before, but never in his life did Glenreed, the man with little interest in food, imagine it could ever apply to him.

◇　◇　◇

“YOUR Majesty! Is that pot boiling yet?”

“Not quite. Once it’s finished, I’ll start arranging the sandwiches.”

I looked over from the pot and responded to Gilbert. My voice was a bit louder than usual. It had to carry over the rest of the clamor around us.

It was just before noon and the kitchen was in a heightened state of activity. Today, the construction around the villa was finally wrapping up. We would be holding a banquet to thank the workers for everything they’d done. Right now, we were busy with those preparations.

“Perfect. The vegetable soup is done.”

I confirmed the completion of the soup and quickly moved to the next dish.

As hectic as it was, the work left me feeling fulfilled. With a lack of chefs to help out, I was participating in the preparations as well. This would be unthinkable in my home country, but the servants at my villa were well aware of how much I loved to cook. They were fully accepting of my hobby.

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you check how things are going outside if you have a minute?”

“Of course. I’ll be back shortly.”

I finished arranging the sandwiches, then left the kitchen and headed outside.

We would be holding the banquet outdoors today. An inside banquet would be too cramped for the large number of construction workers, but also…

“…Yes! What a nice transformation, if I do say so myself!!”

I glanced around the yard.

The before and after of the villa’s surroundings were shocking.

The silent villa alone in the forest is no more!!

“Gyuwah!!”

I heard a pleased cry.

Fon, in all his impressive glory, was soaring through the sky above. He gave his wings a light flap when he saw me. The sunlight glinted off his fine coat. He reminded me of a show horse or something of the sort.

Behind him, I saw his new wooden shed, complete with bedding for Fon to sleep on. Its construction was simple, but that made it blend in even better with the surroundings. It made Fon stand out more too.

The doghouse, or rather, the griffinhouse was built directly next to my villa.

As I turned the corner, the surrounding trees opened up for me to see the dogs running around.

“Arf!! Arf arf arf!!”

It was Snarl, a companion animal. He was racing around the completed dog park. His droopy ears flopped as he played with the other small dogs. The ground had been flattened and covered with a nice bed of grass.

“I’ll have to thank Berry too.”

She had helped by using her Gardener Cat powers to grow the lawn itself.

I wasn’t sure if she just had too much power left now that strawberry season was over, but for whatever reason, she had agreed to help me as long as I cooked for her.

Berry had a weakness for strawberries, but she still took a keen interest in other foods too. She seemed particularly fascinated with sandwiches and my other new endeavors recently. She always used to come to me strictly for strawberry treats, but it seemed she was insatiable in her quest for gourmet food.

A new path just for her now existed between the villa and the strawberry patch in the forest. I also had the workers open up more soil for that strawberry patch. If my plan worked out, next spring should bring a larger bounty of strawberries than this year.

“Your Majesty! You’re just in time. They’re nearly finished!”

“Thank you! I’ll be right there!”

I caught a whiff of freshly baked pizza from the direction I heard the voice.

In the backyard of the villa sat a massive brick oven. The snug stack of stone was both simple and reliable. With an oven in the yard, we would be able to feast on fresh pizza.

“Now this is the ultimate slow life!”

I’d seen sights like these in magazines and on TV in my past life, and now, it was finally a reality. Though it would probably be faster to just make everything in the kitchen, the brick oven was vital to the atmosphere I wanted to create. I even helped build it with my magic. It was a luxury I was eager to bring to life.

“Did the pizza turn out nice?” I asked the chef.

I took in the fragrant scent and peered into the brick oven.

“It’s perfect! Good thing we tested it so many times first!”

He was just removing the pizza.

I helped placed it on the table and began to cut it into simple slices to take some of the burden off the busy chef.

The surface of the pizza sparkled in the early summer light.

My eyes were dazzled by the slick, seasonal tomatoes we used. The crust puffed up nice and squishy like a Neapolitan pizza. A light-brown crust had formed over the cheese. Basil leaves stood out in contrast to the red tomatoes.

Each pizza had slightly different additional toppings. There was sliced sausage, chicken, spicy herbs, and even more varieties. They came out of the oven one by one.

I cut away each slice, then Lucian and I brought them over to the dining table.

“Hand me one of those dishes, Your Majesty. I’ll help you carry ’em.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

I handed a pizza tray to one of the construction workers when he asked to help.

The workers and I had become quite close over the course of their visits. I would go to ask them about their thoughts on the sandwiches, use my magic to help with the building, and things like that. There were lots of opportunities to chat with them.

But today I had to say goodbye to the men. It saddened me a bit, but they needed to move on to their next jobs. That’s why I decided to send them off once and for all with a banquet to show my gratitude.

“How am I supposed to get through the days without being graced by your beauty, Your Majesty?” Hanz asked dramatically.

He was walking alongside me, when suddenly…

“Oh?! Is that Lord Aroo? He must be just as excited to smell all that food as I am!”

His eyes lit up when he saw the wolf.

Hanz was a bit of a playboy, but whenever he was around Lord Aroo, he became an innocent little boy again.

“Arooooooo!”

“I appreciate how you look at me with respect, but get out of my way.”

I imagined that was what Lord Aroo was trying to say as he wedged his way between Hanz and me.

“What’s wrong, Lord Aroo? Are you really that eager for pizza?”

I realized something a bit sad as I spoke to the wolf at my side.

I was carrying the pizza tray with both hands. Lord Aroo was right next to me, but I had no way of petting him.

“If only I had four legs like an animal…? No, I guess that doesn’t make sense here.”

I indulged myself with the imagined convenience of being an animal.

Finally, I finished setting out the pizzas. It was time for the banquet to begin.

“It’s so good! The cheese is all melty!”

The construction workers were big fans of the brick-oven pizza. They seemed particularly impressed knowing those pizzas came from a stove of their own handiwork.

“We get to eat delicious foods and take in our work at the same time! What else could you wish for as a carpenter?!”

Carter, the head carpenter, chowed down as he looked around the dog park.

We decided to hold the banquet outside today so the workers could see the fruits of their labor as they ate. We were fortunate enough to have wonderful weather too. A gentle breeze caressed my cheeks.

The wind carried cheerful voices and the scent of roasted cheese.

As we feasted on one pizza after the next, the mood in the air merry, Lord Aroo never once took his eyes off me.

“Arooooo?”

“Hey, where’s my pizza?”

He let out a low, demanding growl.

“Wait just a bit more, Lord Aroo. I asked the chefs to bake a special wolf pizza, and they’re working on it now.”

I pacified the wolf and took a look at the brick oven.

Today’s pizzas for the humans included many ingredients that were toxic to dogs, such as onions, so the oven was currently cooking up ones that had less salt, no onions at all, and more meat.

“There’s going to be two pizzas, but you only get two slices, all right? The rest goes to the other wolves.”

“Grrrrrah…”

“Hmph. Fine, I’ll allow it, if they’re going to the wolves.”

I seemed to receive his reluctant approval. Lord Aroo sat down at my side.

The way he sat perfectly upright, nice and well behaved, was very cute.

The nose of his handsome face was glued to the direction of the oven.

His tail swished up and down, like he was desperate to taste the pizza and couldn’t wait any longer.

I’d heard that Lord Aroo’s grumpy personality was probably why he didn’t eat much… But lately, he seemed so much more eager for food. Moore, the wolfkeeper, had given me permission to feed Lord Aroo with my cooking. I was allowed to give him something if he was begging.

“Hehe. Lord Aroo, you’re a bit like His Majesty when it comes to food, aren’t you?”

I realized that maybe comparing His Majesty to a wolf was disrespectful. But the two shared the same eye color and everything. They reminded me of each other sometimes.

Whether he understood what I meant or not, Lord Aroo turned away from me. The finished pizza seemed to be much more important to him than my words.

“Just wait. It’ll be ready soon.”

Once the pizza was out of the brick oven, I cut it up for the hungry wolf. I placed a slice on his plate, set it on the ground, and saw Lord Aroo dig right in, sinking his fangs into the pizza. I watched it quickly disappear into his stomach.

“Do you like it? You’re sure devouring that pizza.”

I felt a natural smile form on my face as I watched him eat.

He seemed a bit flustered, maybe because cheese had flown from the food and onto his cheek. I reached out and wiped it off his face.

“You won’t get my thanks for something so simple.”

He ignored me and ate more pizza, as if it made him feel a bit shy.

Lord Aroo was totally absorbed in his meal, until he came to a sudden halt. He sniffed at the air and turned toward the gate where guests would enter. With his ears perked straight up, the wolf braced all four legs against the ground.

It was unusual to see him so alert.

“Kraaah!!”

“Whoa, what was that?!”

“Why’s the griffin screeching?”

The construction workers began to stir.

Fon was a clever creature. He knew not to cry unless there was a good reason, just like a proper watchdog.

Is someone trespassing? Or trying to sneak in?

Now a bit worried, I followed Fon’s and Lord Aroo’s eyes toward the entrance to the yard.

“Pardon me. I’m sorry to disturb you out here.”

With a casual greeting, a person and a creature both came into view.

The young man had black hair with a slight blue tint to it. At his side was a most unusual animal.

---

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“Is that creature…a scaled horse…?”

It was as big as a normal horse, but it stood on its two back legs and resembled a lizard.

Light-brown scales covered its entire body. Both sides of the creature’s head held a single beady, black eyeball.

It was my first time seeing one in real life. If I remembered correctly, they were treated just like horses in the southern area of the continent. I’d heard they looked like giant lizards, so I was expecting something more like a dinosaur…

But its face was a bit more charming than I’d imagined.

And who’s the man with this creature?

Judging by his facial features and skin color, I could see he most likely came from the western region of the continent in which we lived. I decided to introduce myself to gather more information about this man.

“Good day. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Laetitia, and I’m the owner of this villa. What brings you here today?”

“Oh! Sorry, I should’ve introduced myself first. My name is Hayruth, and I’m an artist. I’m just a regular commoner, but I promise I’m no one scary.”

The young man, Hayruth, held up a small wooden tag. It was a visitor pass for all workers and tradesmen to be on castle grounds temporarily. As long as he had that, he was allowed to come to my villa property too.

“I’ve been away from the royal capital for a while, and now that I’m back, I wanted to come visit this place…”

Hayruth’s eyes seemed to be drawn not to me, but to Lord Aroo at my side.

“…That wolf has cheese on its mouth, huh? He sure seems to like you, Your Majesty.”

His dark-blue eyes, which matched his hair, squinted a bit mockingly. His smile was relaxed and friendly.

“Grrr…”

“Why’d an annoying guy like him have to catch me…?”

Lord Aroo gave an obviously grumpy growl.

Fon also glared sharply at Hayruth from up in the sky above.

But the man didn’t seem upset. He remained as unbothered as ever.

“So you’re an artist, Hayruth?”

“That’s right. People say it doesn’t suit me, but art’s my main passion in life.”

“Grah!”

“Liar.”

Lord Aroo gave a low groan.

All the animals seemed to be particularly unrelenting with Hayruth.

“If you’re an artist, does that mean you carry paints or something else that gives off a strong odor?”

“Do I smell?”

“No, you don’t, but Lord Aroo…this wolf seems to be reacting strangely to you. I wondered if he was picking up something that humans can’t really smell.”

“Oh, I see what you mean.”

His shoulders slumped. The man scratched his head with his left hand.

“I’ve always been like that. Dogs, cats, birds—all animals seem to hate me.”

“How sad…”

But these things happen. Animals just avoid some people, even when there’s no obvious reason for it. Perhaps it’s a problem of pheromones, or maybe the frequency of their voice. People used to suggest those kinds of things in Japan, but I don’t believe anyone ever figured out a clear answer.

Hayruth seemed unmoved by Lord Aroo’s attitude because he was used to being hated by animals.

“Well, it’s usually not much of a problem, since all they really do is run away when I get close. I guess that wolf’s just extra sensitive for some reason.”

“I see. …Maybe you’re like reverse catnip to Lord Aroo…to this wolf.”

“Reverse catnip…”

Hayruth’s expression changed. It was vague enough that I couldn’t tell if he was smiling anymore.

Is there a problem with catnip?

This world has many differences in plants compared with those of Earth. For example, one wouldn’t be able to find eggplant here. But catnip still exists just like anything else. It shares the same enticing element toward felines as well.

…In fact, its effect on cats is something of a problem in this kingdom.

Beastfolk of the Wildcat clan experienced strong reactions to catnip. I didn’t know for sure, but I wondered if it came from their shared ears and tails with cats. It depended on the user, but some Wildcats even experienced a state of drunkenness where they completely lost control of themselves.

For that reason, raw catnip and its processed variants are illegal to sell or possess in this kingdom. It’s referred to as an illegal drug, but still sold for large sums in secret. Can you blame me for laughing when I first heard about a black market for catnip? It was such a funny contrast to Japan.

“Hehe. Do you have some thoughts on catnip, Hayruth?”

“Well, I happen to know a person who loves catnip, actually. They got really hooked on it,” Hayruth murmured as he stroked the scaled horse.

Its eyes remained round and beady, but the creature was still as the man petted it.

“That scaled horse sure seems to like you. Do you use one of those instead of a regular horse because of how animals react to you?”

“Yep, that’s right. The horse I brought from my country couldn’t carry me anymore, so when I went looking for a new one, I found this guy by coincidence. Scaled creatures don’t seem to hate me so much, so it worked out just perfect. This one carries me around now.”

“I see. So you’re not from Wolfvarte yourself?”

“I’m from Raiolbern, but I came here about two years ago.”

“Oh, from Raiolbern?!”

Raiolbern was a land of delicious foods.

That was the first thing I thought of, with my own strong preferences for food. It was also a destination I kept in mind when I learned I was to be expelled from my homeland.

“You’ve come from very far away. Why did you choose to leave Raiolbern for Wolfvarte?”

“I came to improve my skills as a painter. This country has a lot of beastfolk who bring unique cultures with them, you know? I wanted to see all of it for myself.”

“You sound very passionate. What kind of things do you paint?”

“For work, I mainly do portraits, like this one.”

Hayruth took a small locket out from under his shirt and opened it. Inside was a tiny portrait made from delicate strokes of a paintbrush.

“You’re very skilled! Have you come here to have paintings commissioned?”

“That’s one of the reasons, but I’m here on some personal business too.”

“Personal business?”

“Gurawh?!”

“What is it? Spit it out already.”

My response came at the same time as Lord Aroo’s impatient growl.

“I wanted to meet you, Your Majesty. I used to have a drinking buddy by the name of Lord Claude, you see.”

“Claude…”

Claude was the youngest of my three older brothers.

I remembered that he came to this kingdom for work about a year and a half ago. It appeared he’d formed a friendship with Hayruth during his time here.

Now that I thought about it, the two of them shared the same easygoing, carefree personality. No wonder they hit it off.

“I heard a lot about you when I drank with Lord Claude. It’s an honor to meet you in person.”

“Why, thank you. …And thank you for taking care of my big brother as well.”

Claude loved books and the act of relaxing. He was a calm person… But as his younger sister, I couldn’t help but fear that his personal life was nearing the point of crisis. He never slacked on work, but he was much, much more dedicated than even I was to living a relaxed life.

“Ahaha. He took care of me just the same.”

Hayruth chuckled a bit.

The two of us stood and chatted a bit longer before agreeing that he would visit the villa again a few days later.

◇　◇　◇

“ALL right, then. Time for me to take my leave.”

“Gyauu!!”

The scaled horse let out a cry and began to walk once Hayruth had mounted him. Hayruth headed down the forest path away from Laetitia’s villa for a bit, then squinted his eyes in one direction.

“That’s…”

He stared off to the side of the path at a thick grove of trees. They formed a shady spot dark enough to hide the greenery beneath from human eyes.

Hayruth watched it for a bit before quietly dismounting his scaled horse.

“Wait here a moment, got it?”

“Gyagyah!!”

“Understood!!” the scaled horse seemed to cry.

His beady eyes stared at his master fondly.

Hayruth stroked the animal’s cold, smooth neck and watched him respond by closing his eyes out of comfort.

“Beasts that like me, at least, sure are adorable.”

Hayruth muttered his feelings as he advanced through the dim forest light.

There were certain reasons why dogs, cats, and other animals tended to hate Hayruth. Regular horses fell into that category too. While he had never been thrown off one before, they’d never bonded with him either. So the existence of scaled horses was a refreshing change.

Horses were generally the only animals used for riding in Hayruth’s home kingdom of Raiolbern. Meeting his first scaled one was an unexpected benefit of coming to Wolfvarte.

“…It’s going well with the scaled horse. I just hope everything else goes equally smooth…,” Hayruth murmured.

He wasn’t just speaking to himself.

In the direction he was heading, a figure appeared from the darkness under the trees.

“It’s been a while, Hayruth.”

Despite the dimly lit space in the woods, the man’s silver hair shone brilliantly.

Glenreed stood completely alone, casting a composed gaze over Hayruth. It appeared he’d entered the forest as a wolf, returned to his human form, then waited for Hayruth’s approach.

“Long time no see, Your Majesty. Well, I guess I just saw you, now that I think of it. How was the pizza?”

“…Forget what you saw earlier.”

Glenreed’s order sounded a bit annoyed.

Hayruth was one of the few people who knew Glenreed could transform into a wolf. The problem wasn’t that he’d caught the king in his wolf form; it was more that Glenreed didn’t seem to appreciate the reminder that he’d just been transfixed by that pizza at Laetitia’s villa.

“Sure thing, got it. I can’t disobey an order from His Majesty.”

“That’s right. I don’t want trouble with your master, either.”

Glenreed responded simply as Hayruth shrugged.

“Anyway, why did you think to visit Laetitia before you came to see me?”

Glenreed’s voice was calm, but Hayruth detected something that sounded more like a whine.

He found this to be interesting. A smirk formed on his face.

“What’s the matter, Your Majesty? You don’t like me talking to the queen directly?”

“…It’s nothing like that. I just didn’t understand.”

“No reason, really. I’d heard rumors about Her Majesty, plus she’s Lord Claude’s little sister, you know? I just felt like I had to go get a look at her.”

As he joked back to the king, Hayruth recalled the words Laetitia’s older brother Claude had said to him.

“My little sister’s so cute. She’s strong, and she’s got this super-scary, intimidating smile, but once you actually talk to her, you’ll see she’s really an adorable girl.”

It was a bit hard to tell if that was meant as praise or an insult, but still, Claude’s love for his sister was obvious from his introduction of her.

Claude was exactly right in one way. She was a beautiful, lovely young woman.

But her smile wasn’t scary like Hayruth had been told. He instead saw her as a cheerful, friendly sort of person.

“Anyway, as the daughter of a duke and a queen, I was a bit surprised to see Her Majesty out there doing the actual cooking. I went to the villa hoping I could request a later visit with her from one of the servants. It was just a coincidence that Her Majesty was out in the yard today and I had a chance to talk to her.”

“So don’t freak out about it”—Hayruth didn’t say that out loud, but he conveyed it in the way he looked at Glenreed.

“You’re sure protective of Her Majesty, aren’t you? I didn’t really expect you to chase me out of there so we could talk.”

“I’d just been wanting to talk to you ever since you got back to the capital city. It would look suspicious for me to publicly meet face-to-face with a painter, wouldn’t it? The opportunity came, so I took it and routed you out so we could talk.”

“I see. Well, I appreciate it,” Hayruth replied.

He went on to explain the knowledge he’d gained on a few subjects while he’d been away. Hayruth had received Glenreed’s help in his endeavors, including receiving a visitor pass to the castle. The two didn’t completely trust each other, but considering the accommodations he received, it was necessary to provide compensation.

“…I see. You brought me many interesting things. Write up what we discussed and send it to me later.”

“Of course. Do you need anything else from me?”

“Let’s see… I have just one thing to warn you about.”

Glenreed’s blue-green eyes briefly glanced at Hayruth.

How scary.

They only met eyes for a moment. But it was more than enough to feel the king’s intensity.

“I understand that you want to get closer to Laetitia to figure her out, but I wouldn’t treat it so lightly. She’s good at surpassing expectations. I can’t guarantee it will go well for you, and I’m sure you understand that she is my queen, even if in name only. Be sure not to act in a way that will cause misunderstandings.”

“…Don’t worry about that. I’m not so popular with the ladies.”

Hayruth felt an urgent itch begin to form inside him.

Glenreed narrowed his eyes a bit, transformed back into the silver wolf, then returned to the forest.

Hayruth watched the wolf leave. Once he was gone, he turned to look in the direction of the villa.

“…She’s Lord Claude’s little sister, and now His Majesty’s grown attached to her too.”

Hayruth silently reached a conclusion in his mind.

I definitely need to gather information about Queen Laetitia.