Chapter 2: Let’s Make Crepes Together
Chapter 2: Let’s Make Crepes Together
THE day after I wrote a letter to His Majesty asking for permission to formally train Lelena as a maid, Lady Natalie had joined me at the villa for a tea party.
“Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask of you.” Lady Natalie looked a bit stiffer than usual as she said this.
A favor?
I took my teacup away from my lips and sat up straight. “What kind of favor?”
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s generosity, I’ve had the opportunity to meet lots of dogs and cats.”
Lady Natalie had always taken time to pet my servants’ companion animals when she came to visit. Just earlier, she’d been gleefully petting Snarl—a dog who resembled a beagle.
“I feel like it’s helped me come to a better understanding of how to interact with these animals.”
“Even I can see how much your petting technique has improved. Snarl was wagging his tail.”
“He was so cute…!”
The two of us thought back to Snarl, who had wagged his tail as if to say “I love attention!” We both broke out into smiles.
“…Anyway, back to the subject at hand. What was it that you wanted to ask?”
“Would you allow me to get close to any of the wolves?”
Lady Natalie’s gaze was earnest, but also visibly full of hope.
The wolves at the royal palace were considered special to many of the people of Wolfvarte. Lady Natalie, a true animal lover, was one such person who harbored an admiration for the wolves.
The pack that visited my villa had been well trained by their wolfkeepers. Due to their large size, I’d been having them keep their distance from Lady Natalie. However…
“I think that would be fine. You’re not scared of them, are you?”
“Actually, I’ve seen them from afar many times, and have always wanted to try petting them.”
Lady Natalie had recently begun to pet larger, lop-eared breeds of dogs. I doubted the wolves would be frightening to her any longer.
“Very well. Let me consult with the wolfkeeper first.”
I decided to speak with the one who already happened to be at the villa with the pack. Once I explained the situation, he didn’t hesitate to accept my request.
This wolfkeeper had already witnessed Lady Natalie doting on dogs and cats on many separate occasions, so he gave his approval believing she probably knew the proper way to interact with the wolves.
“Wow…!” Lady Natalie exclaimed, cheeks flushed as she stared at the pack. “They’re cute, but also so regal…! And fluffy, to boot!”
Her eyes were sparkling.
How adorable.
The girl known as the Doll Princess was like a completely different person in her current state.
“Woof?”
“Who’s this new lady?”
One of the wolves cocked her head curiously as she approached us. She sat down in front of Lady Natalie and began to sniff her.
“You can go ahead and pet this wolf. Just be sure you do it gently, like you’re petting one of the dogs.”
“Okay…!”
I kept an eye on her as I began to play with the wolves myself. They seemed somewhat nervous at first, but grew calmer as they came to understand that Lady Natalie wasn’t a bad person.
“You’re so popular, Your Majesty…!”
Jenna, the friendly wolf, and three others were nuzzling me.
“Pet us! Pet us!”
I reached down to pet each animal as they pressed their foreheads against me in wolfish head-butt.
“There, there. You’re all so cute today!”
“Roooof!” Jenna let out a pleased cry. The fur around her head was soft and bushy. It felt wonderful against my hands.
As I took in her fuzzy round head with strokes of my palms…
“Aroo…?”
It was Lord Aroo.
His blue-green eyes were fixed on Lady Natalie in apparent interest.
“Oh my…! What a beautiful silver wolf!”
“Indeed, Lord Aroo is quite the little hunk.”
“Hunk…?”
Oh, right.
Of course someone like Lady Natalie wouldn’t understand that word.
“I only meant that he’s a handsome wolf.”
“I see. I agree that he’s very handsome…and strangely proud?”
“Grah!”
“Exactly. I’m proud indeed,” he seemed to say in agreement.
His silver fur fluttered as he took step after confident step in our direction.
“Oh, that’s right. Please don’t pet Lord Aroo, Lady Natalie.”
“Am I not allowed?”
“Well, he’s a moody fellow. He didn’t allow me to pet him at first either.”
That thought took me back. The first time Lord Aroo let me pet him was when I was upset about the stolen chiffon cake recipe. He’d nestled close to me and stayed there by my side.
I could still vividly recall the feeling of stroking his soft coat.
“He’s moody, but he’s a kind wolf. Isn’t that right?”
“Aroo!”
“That was just a whim!” I read from his grunt.
Lord Aroo then turned away from me. His tail swished a few times, perhaps out of embarrassment.
“Is Lord Aroo really so kind?” It was the wolfkeeper who voiced his doubts in response to my comment. “He’s not aggressive, but he’s not particularly fond of us wolfkeepers either. He never allows us to pet him at all, in fact.”
“Oh my. Is that right?”
“I think Lord Aroo has taken quite a liking to you, Your M— Whoa!!”
“Grrruff!!”
Lord Aroo let out a menacing growl for the man to hear.
What’s got him so upset now?
But that interaction did seem to support the statement that the silver wolf never allowed anyone else to pet him.
“Calm down, Lord Aroo. Are you hungry? Is that what’s got you cranky?”
“Roo!!”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” he indicated with a cry.
Lord Aroo seemed a bit on edge today. He separated himself from the rest of us, but unfortunately, I was busy watching over Lady Natalie, so I couldn’t exactly pursue him.
I could feel Lord Aroo’s eyes on me as I conversed with Lady Natalie. The wolf seemed to be sulking, though I wasn’t quite certain what he wanted. He plopped down on the ground and closed his eyes like an angry spouse who needed to sleep off their irritation after an argument.
“Hmm. I just don’t understand Lord Aroo’s fickle wolf heart…”
With a bitter smile, I continued my conversation with Lady Natalie. We talked about wolves, cats and dogs, and the treats we were served at our tea party. Somewhere along the way, the topic shifted to that of King Glenreed.
“You’ve been cooking meals for His Majesty as of late, right?” she asked.
“I have. We dine together and discuss certain topics.”
I felt a smile form on my face. I always looked forward to those opportunities to see His Majesty. Secretly, I’d grown very fond of the man I saw on those occasions—the man who praised my cooking and called it delicious.
“I’m eager to dine with him again. I just perfected a cookie recipe that uses blueberry jam, and I’m going to bring them with me next time.”
“Oh, that sounds delightful!”
“I have some extras from my last batch, as a matter of fact. Would you like to take some home with you?”
“Yes! Thank you very much!”
Lady Natalie sounded very happy. She was still stroking the wolf.
I smiled back at her and decided to offer a second suggestion.
“…You’d like to have a tea party with Lady Kate and me together?” Natalie asked.
“I would. What do you say?”
Lady Natalie took a moment to think about it. “Well…I do wish to form a better relationship with Lady Kate…”
“I’m sure you have some concerns, but what say we try it once? I’ll do whatever I can to aid the two of you.”
“…Very well. I’d be happy to join both of you for tea.”
Lady Natalie’s response was definitive, even if it was delivered with a bit of hesitation.
After deciding on a specific date, I saw Lady Natalie off for the day, and it was then that my head butler, Borgan, came to see me.
“Your Majesty, a letter from King Glenreed has arrived for you.”
I took the letter from Borgan and quickly scanned it.
“I have some things I’d like to ask you about. See me tomorrow night, and bring dinner with you.”
Those were His Majesty’s words for me on the page.
◇ ◇ ◇
“GOOD evening, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, thanks for joining me.”
I raised my head after bowing in greeting and was met with the sight of the king’s lovely face. As always, he was stunningly beautiful.
Smooth strands of silver hair framed the king’s pale face. His almond-shaped eyes, both blue and green in color, were reminiscent of a frigid winter lake. His Majesty’s beauty rivaled that of a sculpture.
I sat across the table from King Glenreed as Lucian set out the sweets I’d brought with me.
“I’d like to present you with these blueberry jam cookies.”
“Oh, so these are the cookies you spoke of.”
…Hmm?
Did I tell him about these already?
This question hung in my mind as His Majesty picked the first one up to observe it.
“What a strange shape…”
“They’re shaped like paw pads.”
I alternated layers of plain and blueberry-jam dough, then baked them in the oven together to form a paw print pattern. Each cookie turned out very cute and had a fun combination of flavors in each bite.
“Oh, by the way, I designed these paws based on the wolves who come to visit my villa,” I explained.
“Eating the paws of wolves… It’s like eating one of my own…”
“…One of your own?”
Without thinking, I repeated what the king had said.
“…?!”
I felt something lurch into motion deep inside my head. It was a nostalgic feeling, like something I’d long forgotten. My face flushed as I tried to remember what it could be—
“Laetitia, what’s the matter?”
His Majesty’s words snapped me out of it.
I thought I’d kept a smile on my face, but maybe I was unsuccessful after all. In the time it took to focus on my facial expression, the strange sensation was already gone from my mind. It was deeply confusing. I didn’t feel physically unwell in any way either.
“…No, it’s nothing. You seem quite taken by the cookies. What do you think?”
“They’re well made. The paw shape is very accurate.”
“Hehe, thank you, Your Majesty. Please go ahead and try one.”
King Glenreed sipped his black tea in between bites of a cookie. The snack crumbled under his teeth, hopefully allowing the sweetness of the jam to entertain his palate.
“These are very good. I liked the last cookies you brought too, but these have a different flavor.”
“I’m glad to hear you enjoy them. Would you like me to bring more cookies that use seasonal fruits in the future?”
“Certainly. I’ll look forward to them.” He smiled faintly, and a fire lit up in my chest.
I began to picture it. Summer had just arrived, and would be quickly followed by autumn. If I was going to have the opportunity to eat more seasonal fruit cookies with His Majesty…
…I was certain that meant many more enjoyable times together in the future.
I swallowed my final cookie as I quietly looked forward to this idea.
“I know you wished to ask me something today, Your Majesty. What’s on your mind?”
“I heard you’ve been having Natalie over at your villa recently. Are things going well between the two of you?”
He seemed concerned about my relationship with Lady Natalie. I smiled wider and responded to his inquiry.
“Yes, they are. Just yesterday, the two of us conversed as we played with the wolves together. It’s been helping Lady Natalie and me grow closer. However…”
“What is it?”
“A wolf named Lord Aroo became upset with me while she was visiting.”
“……”
For a brief second, when I brought up Lord Aroo…
I could have sworn His Majesty turned a little stiffer.
“When I was speaking to Lady Natalie, Lord Aroo seemed strangely grumpy. He wouldn’t interact with me at all, so I was wondering if he felt lonely because I was—”
“It’s not loneliness,” His Majesty interrupted me. “You and Lady Natalie looked like you were having a good time, so that wolf named Lord Aroo only wanted to watch over you for the day. He wasn’t lonely or any such thing.”
“…Is that right?”
His Majesty, after speaking as if he’d witnessed the incident, turned his face away from me for some reason.
All I could do was cock my head slightly in confusion.
Though I harbored some lingering questions, the rest of my conversation with His Majesty finished without incident.
Lelena’s official training as a maid.
Mediating a friendship between Lady Kate and Lady Natalie.
I managed to receive permission to continue on both counts.
His Majesty revealed that he, too, harbored concerns about the bad blood between the candidates for queen. As the Wolfvartian king, he couldn’t intervene directly, which was why he decided to support my actions instead.
◇ ◇ ◇
“I hope everything works out…”
The day of my joint tea party with Lady Natalie and Lady Kate had finally arrived. Lucian and I welcomed the two of them to the villa.
“Lady Natalie, Lady Kate. Please make yourselves at home.”
“Good day, and thank you for having us over.”
“…Thank you for hosting us today.”
The two women took turns answering my greeting.
Lady Kate’s response was loud and rapid.
Lady Natalie’s came stiffly and quietly.
Both of them appeared to be nervous.
“Please, come have a seat. Tea and snacks are already out for you.”
I led them to the table in the front yard, which was already fully stocked. On top of the table were cookies, dried fruits, and other treats for us. In truth, I felt like it might be a bit lacking compared with most tea parties at my villa. But that was to ensure our conversation was the main focus of today’s gathering, as well as for one other reason.
“Oh…”
I heard a bit of disappointment in Lady Kate’s quiet murmur. It was a clear sign of how she’d been looking forward to the grander spread of treats she would typically be served at my villa.
On the other hand, Lady Natalie showed no change in expression as she quietly took her seat at the table. It was the unreadable look she’d stopped using lately when the two of us spent time alone. I was well aware that it helped the shy Lady Natalie get by in life, but Lady Kate seemed to find her hard to approach in this state.
Nervous as I was, today’s goal was for the two girls to get to know each other better. I decided to listen to their conversation without interrupting.
…But plans change.
“I love the apricots on top of these cookies. Don’t you agree, Lady Natalie?”
“I think they’re delicious. Do you like apricots, Lady Kate?”
“I do, both the taste and the aroma. What kinds of fruit do you enjoy, Lady Natalie?”
“Fruit? I like all kinds.”
“…I see.”
The conversation, once again, came to a halt.
Lady Natalie’s not a very good conversationalist…
She likely worried about what to do if her preferences differed from Lady Kate’s, so she landed on the safest answers she could think of. It was perfectly understandable. But it also made it impossible for the two to get acquainted.
On top of that, Lady Natalie remained nearly expressionless during the entire exchange, and Lady Kate seemed to hesitate in pressing her further.
Lady Kate was a lively and proactive young woman, but that emotional side of her could also cause missteps. The two ladies had recently been on opposing sides of a dispute, and with the differences between humans and beastfolks, Lady Kate appeared to be struggling with how to proceed.
I tried to bolster the conversation on more than one occasion, but too much meddling and I’d ruin the point of the gathering altogether. I was in a pickle.
“This tea is very delicious…”
Clink.
Lady Kate’s dishes made a quiet sound.
It was all so awkward.
Lady Kate was already on her third cup of tea. She was constantly reaching out for her teacup and more snacks as if to kill time.
…Hmm. I guess their proximity in ages isn’t as helpful as I thought it might be.
I thought back to my past life and how the class changes at the beginning of the school year often resulted in a period of shyness among all the newly acquainted students.
I think…I know what this is. It’s like when you don’t know how to act around your friend and their other friend whom you don’t really know.
Perhaps time would put an end to that problem, but fortunately, I’d prepared for such an outcome.
“Lady Kate, Lady Natalie. Are the two of you free after this?”
“Hm? Is something going on?”
“…Your Majesty?”
Lady Kate and Lady Natalie simultaneously turned to look at me.
Despite their difficulty in bonding, in that moment, they were perfectly in sync.
“The two of you usually take some baked goods home with you when you visit my villa, right?”
“Yes, and they’re always delicious when enjoyed at home. The sweets are popular among my servants as well.”
“It’s the same for me. They’re always asking when I’m next going to visit Your Majesty’s villa.”
Lady Natalie, followed by Lady Kate, answered me happily.
The two always seemed much more relaxed when they were speaking with me directly. Ideally, they would interact in the same way with each other without any interference on my part.
“…But where did that come from all of a sudden?”
“Now that I think of it, we haven’t received any treats to take home today…”
Lady Kate flicked her cat ears.
Lady Natalie squinted slightly.
They were both signs of confusion in each respective girl.
It was time for me to make my proposal.
“What say the three of us do some baking together?”
“Huh?”
“Huh?!”
“You’ve both shared that you’d like to see how I cook. So why don’t the three of us have a go in the kitchen and bake some sweets for you two to take home?”
“The three of us…”
“In the kitchen…”
From the way Lady Kate’s ears twitched, I could tell she never even imagined such a possibility.
It isn’t unheard of for noblewomen of this kingdom to work in the kitchen, but never as anything more than a hobby. Lady Kate and Lady Natalie were both daughters of dukes—high-ranking nobles. Between the etiquette lessons and social events that kept them busy, it appeared they had no experience with cooking whatsoever.
“I’ve already prepared the necessary ingredients and utensils. It won’t take very long, so what do you say? Will you try making some simple treats with me?”
It might be kind of like a cooking class from my past life.
Conversations were more likely to bloom naturally as the three of us baked together.
My hope, anyway, was that it would yield more results than the previous attempt at a simple face-to-face chat.
◇ ◇ ◇
“YOUR Majesty, how do these clothes look?”
“They suit you well, Lady Natalie.”
Lady Natalie fidgeted as she held up the apron she was wearing. I had asked her and Lady Kate to change into an outfit that would be easier to clean if stained. Fortunately enough, the two women were close to my height, so they were able to comfortably wear some of my spare aprons and kitchen dresses.
Lady Natalie wore a blue-and-white striped dress, reminiscent of her hair color. Lady Kate’s dress was made of a light green fabric. Both wore matching white aprons over their outfits.
Just having the two of them stand in the kitchen was already lightening the mood. I asked them to tie their hair up and out of the way, and with that, it was time to start baking.
“I’ll be having you both cook crepes with this batter today.”
A bowl of crepe batter was already sitting on the counter where I’d left it to rest.
At first, I had planned to have them make the batter as well, but that would’ve ended up taking too much time. It probably wouldn’t be easy for two beginners to mix it together either, so I took that step upon myself for today.
The way I saw it, cooking the crepes themselves would probably serve for a more entertaining kitchen experience.
“You’ll each place the crepe batter into this frying pan to cook.”
I gave the pan I was holding a little knock with my hand. It was a shallow pan, which I thought would make it easier to flip the crepes when the time came.
The two girls listened intently to my explanation. They were eager to absorb all the new information that came with their first venture into the kitchen.
I poured oil into the frying pan and let it get hot. Their eyes never left me. Once the pan was hot enough, I poured in crepe batter with my ladle.
“That smells so good.” Lady Kate breathed in deeply.
The warm scent of eggs and flour tickled our noses.
“Holes will form in the batter, so you have to tilt the frying pan in different directions to fill the holes. Take care to keep the crepe at an even thickness…then use your spatula to flip the crepe over to the other side.”
“Goodness!!” Lady Natalie let out a small cry. She appeared taken aback by her first glimpse of such a motion.
“Now we wait a bit for the other side to cook, at which point you simply take it out of the pan.”
I lifted the crepe with my spatula and slid it onto a plate. The thin crepe had browned in color. The two girls were fixated on it.
“Incredible. So this is how you make a delicious treat…”
“It’s very well made. What an appetizing color and aroma.”
“Hehe, thank you. Now you two can give it a try.”
“…Are you sure we’re capable?”
“I really don’t think I can do this…”
The girls appeared to be a combination of perplexed and anxious, but I felt like they really did want to give it a try for themselves.
“It’s okay if it’s not perfect at first. We can still use the batter, even if it doesn’t cook quite right, so please don’t worry about messing up.”
“…Then I guess we’ll have to give it a try.”
Lady Kate quickly slid forward to the stovetop as Lady Natalie kept a supportive gaze on her. With the frying pan in one hand and the ladle in the other, Lady Kate waited for the oil to heat, then poured a scoop of batter over the surface.
“The batter’s dripping…!!”
“P-Please don’t panic! You simply tilted the ladle too far!” Lady Natalie cried out to aid her.
Lady Kate had poured in more batter than I had, but it was still salvageable.
“Please tilt the frying pan so that the batter spreads evenly,” I said calmly.
“Evenly? Like this?”
“Yes, you’ve got it. Well done!”
Lady Kate smiled shyly and continued to cook the batter as I’d shown her.
“It tore when I flipped it over…”
“Only at the corner. You’re still doing great for your first time. Would you like to try next, Lady Natalie?”
“…Very well.”
Lady Natalie stiffly gripped the handle of the frying pan. I heard Lady Kate chuckle quietly at the other girl’s body language, which exuded nervousness.
“Hehe, you can relax a bit. Simply scoop up the batter and drizzle it in!”
“Scoop and drizzle…”
Lady Kate was already using her experience to coach Lady Natalie, who gave a nod and then reached out for the ladle.
◇ ◇ ◇
“URK… She surpassed me in the blink of an eye…”
Lady Kate was muttering to herself as she stared at the crepes in front of her.
The two girls had each cooked ten crepes from the store of batter. Lady Kate produced one perfect crepe, while the rest turned out broken in at least one part.
“Lady Natalie, aren’t we both beginners? How did you do that so well…?”
“Her Majesty helped me, as did you.”
Shyly, Lady Natalie looked down at her ten crepes, four of which were completely perfect. She’d been so nervous to even pick up the ladle at first, but along the way, she really began to get the hang of it.
“I copied Queen Laetitia, followed your advice to scoop and drizzle, and they seemed to turn out well.”
“Scoop and drizzle… I really thought that’s what I was doing too…”
…Perhaps this came down to a fundamental difference in technique.
Lady Kate was skilled for an amateur, but Lady Natalie’s handiwork was even more impressive. Her thoughtful personality seemed to shine in cooking as well.
She reached out to Lady Kate, who had picked the ladle back up to see what she had done wrong.
“May I? It’s slightly easier when you hold the ladle like this.”
“Show me, show me! Do I just put my middle finger on this side?”
Lady Natalie guided Lady Kate’s fingers, showing her how to hold the ladle.
I could tell that some of the distance between them had closed during this experience.
Lady Kate had been enjoying herself, but now that the plate of crepes was set out in front of her, the look on her face had returned to one of disappointment.
“You helped me figure out how to hold the ladle, Lady Natalie…but most of the ones I already cooked are falling apart. My servants definitely won’t be smiling if they see these.”
“There’s no need to worry. There’s a simple way to make these look more presentable.”
With perfect timing, Lucian swooped in to deliver the other ingredients I’d prepared.
I put one of my crepes on a plate. Next, I piled whipped cream on top and spread it across the surface.
Crepe, cream. Crepe, cream. Crepe, cream…
Lady Natalie watched closely as I constructed layer after layer.
On top of the seventh crepe, I used a thin layer of strawberry jam instead of whipped cream. I was planning to share a portion with Berry later on.
“You stack the cooked crepes at the end like this…and it becomes what’s known as a mille crepe cake.”
“Oh my! What an adorable dessert.”
“It looks like it’s striped on the sides. That’s so neat!”
Lady Kate seemed taken with the design of the mille crepe cake. Her kinked tail bounced from side to side in excitement.
“Do you like stripes, Lady Kate?”
“Yes, I do. They remind me of my companion animal’s tail.”
“I didn’t know you had a companion animal with a striped tail, Lady Kate!!”
It was Lady Natalie who’d jumped into the conversation. She’d been hooked by one of her favorite topics—cute animals.
Lady Kate blinked her eyes at the sudden interjection, but she smiled.
“Do you like cats, Lady Natalie?”
“Yes, I do. I really, really do! In fact, I’d love to try petting your companion animal sometime.”
“Really? I don’t mind, but she can be very moody. Just today, she spent her time sunbathing at my villa like a normal cat instead of following me around at all.”
Lady Kate didn’t seem particularly bothered by this behavior despite commenting on it. Beastfolk loved their companion animals and treated them just like a family member. She seemed especially happy to hear of Lady Natalie’s interest in such an important part of her life.
After they wrapped up their enthusiastic conversation, I asked them to craft mille crepe cakes for themselves. It was easy to cover up imperfections in crepes by smothering them with cream. Since the two ladies were beginners when it came to this recipe, I decided to have them use cream only, no jam.
They stacked layer after layer, saving the flawless ones for the very top, and after a bit of adjustment to the shape, the cakes were ready.
I could tell how impressed they were with the end results.
“Who knew torn crepes would make such a lovely cake…?!”
“Fantastic! We did it! Let’s slice one up and eat it now!”
“Hehe, now wait a moment. These cakes are for you to take home. Let’s start with the remaining plain crepes first.”
Each cake used eight of the ten crepes they cooked, respectively. The remaining two were ready to eat here and now.
Lucian had been setting out some extra ingredients while the two women had eagerly built their cakes. There were various fruits like glossy oranges and plump blueberries, whipped cream, honey, different kinds of jam, and crumbled cookies. In addition to the sweet ingredients, Lucian had also brought out sliced boiled eggs, sausages, and leafy green vegetables. They were the perfect topping choices for our cooked crepes.
In this kingdom, it was normal to place a crepe and a pile of ingredients on top of a plate. The common method of serving crepes back in Japan—wrapped up and placed in paper holders so that they were easy to eat on the go—didn’t seem to be popular here.
“I’ll take these sugared apricots, whipped cream…and what else should I add…?”
“How about those crushed cookies?”
Lady Natalie and Lady Kate were discussing which toppings to use.
Having a variety of options for building your own crepe is one element that makes it extra fun.
Lady Natalie was even voicing her own opinions more readily than before.
“How about this one?”
“I don’t want to leave anything out…”
The three of us had a fun but challenging time in choosing which ingredients to pile onto our crepes.
For mine, I chose a classic combination of cream, jam, and a layer of cookie crumble on top. Lady Kate filled both of hers with her favorite ingredient—sugared apricots. Lady Natalie crafted one crepe with sweet jam, and another with savory sausage to balance it out. I found it especially amusing just how much our respective creations reflected our personalities.
The three of us stared at our plates, then dug in with forks.
“What a nice, fluffy crepe.”
“I’ve never tried a sausage crepe before, but I really enjoy the saltiness.”
The two girls seemed pleased as they continued to eat. I imagined their treats tasted even better with the knowledge that they’d cooked and assembled them on their own.
“Wow, that was delicious… I got so nervous while I was making them, but now I’m glad I gave it a try!”
“Me too. I feel like I now understand why Her Majesty loves to cook so much.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re satisfied. How would you like to cook with me again some other time?”
“Definitely!! Yes, please!”
“…I’d love to as well.”
I smiled at their responses.
Over the course of the day, the two girls had opened up and become considerably less awkward with each other. I could tell they genuinely wanted to become closer. The crepe-making lesson seemed to have done its job in that respect.
Through the shared, though brief, experience of cooking, the relationship between the two candidates for queen began to change.
◇ ◇ ◇
“THANK you for having us over today, Your Majesty. I hope to see you again sometime soon.”
“Me too, me too! Today was so much fun! See you again soon!”
Lady Natalie was formal and eloquent.
Lady Kate was bubbly and brisk.
With their respective farewells, the mood in the air was peaceful as the girls returned home.
I watched their carriages disappear down the road and went back inside the villa with a smile on my face. Pleased with the outcome of the day, I entered my bedroom and saw Berry fast asleep by the window. She had often been taking her naps in my room as of late. This was to avoid any interference from Melan, the black cat Lelena brought with her to the villa.
Berry’s little nose was twitching.
“Mrow?!”
Her eyes went wide as saucers.
“Do I smell strawberries?! This is no time for a nap!”
Her eyes harbored an intense blaze.
“Here you are, Berry. It’s a mille crepe cake with strawberry jam.”
“Meow!!”
She made a beeline directly for Lucian, who was carrying the cake.
“Kitty dive…!”
I admired Berry’s graceful leap and took a seat at the table Lucian had arranged for me.
Berry was practically drooling just from looking at her slice. She then swung her fork straight into the neatly layered mille crepe cake.
“Maw maw, maw mraaaw!!”
She closed her eyes as her cheeks launched into motion. With each bite, she nodded her head as if to say:
“This is a great strawberry treat. I love it, I love it, I absolutely love it!!”
It really reminded me of how a human would convey the same thoughts. In fact, all her reactions had grown more human-like, perhaps because we always ate our strawberry treats together.
Berry had truly taken a passionate interest in my strawberry cooking.
Maybe at this rate, someday she’ll be able to voice her opinions with actual human speech?
As I came up with ridiculous fantasies, I took a bite of the mille crepe cake for myself. The delicate scent of strawberries tickled my nose. It was enough to make my heart sing out in joy. The tip of my tongue trailed over the layers of soft crepe in between smooth whipped cream.
“It feels so nice to bite through all the crepes at once.”
It was like a burst of sweet egg flavor combined with the acidity of the strawberry jam. My eyes drooped as I savored the taste. Just then…
“Meow!!”
Berry was holding her empty fork up in the air. It appeared she had finished her serving. She began to reach out for the remaining cake that wasn’t sliced up yet.
“No more, or you’ll spoil your appetite for dinner.”
Lucian quickly whisked away the cake.
“Mraw mraw mraaaaw!!”
“Stay, Berry. Stay.”
That afternoon, I ended up finishing my cake while blocking the soft blow of kitty punches from the frustrated, yowling Berry.
◇ ◇ ◇
AS I stood in the front yard of my villa, my eyes were drawn to a pair of brown ears.
They were fuzzy and bright, with a hint of red in their coloring.
The pointy, triangular ears were erect and perked atop the head where they rested.
“Jiro…”
The name slipped out of my mouth.
I was looking at a pair of soft brown ears that looked exactly like those of Jiro, my Shiba Inu. I knew this wasn’t Jiro, but I couldn’t help but stare.
“Your Majesty?”
The man with Jiro’s exact ears…had a name, which was Keith. Keith called out to me, sounding concerned.
He was a young beastfolk knight with dog ears and a tail. He was currently stationed at the villa after taking over the shift from his coworker. The two of us were on good terms, and we would occasionally chat while I waited in the yard for the wolves to arrive.
“Are you all right? You seem a bit spaced out.”
“…I was just relieved to see that you’re here to protect the villa for another day.”
“Wow, thank you!!”
Keith’s tail bobbed back and forth. It was straight and long, unlike Jiro’s.
Keith’s personality was similarly straightforward. He was a cheerful knight with an expressive face.
“I’m good with a spear too! No matter the enemy, I’ll protect you without fail, Your Majesty!”
“Wow! I’m impressed!!”
He swung the spear left and right, up and down through the air. It was much too fast for me to even follow the tip with my eyes.
“I’m just getting started! Look at what else my spear can do!”
Keith swung it even faster now, as if summoning a storm, and the gust of wind sent my own hair flying back. He possessed impressive strength, even for beastfolk, who were already naturally stronger in physical matters than humans.
I was holding my hair down, impressed with his work, when…
“Grrrrrrrrr…”
I suddenly heard an angry growl.
It was none other than Lord Aroo. He’d appeared from the woods beside the front yard, and was now directing his growl at Keith.
“I think that wolf wants to kill me!!” cried Keith in shock, his entire body flinching. He gripped his spear tightly, clearly nervous.
“…Oh, you scared me. It’s just Lord Aroo, as intense as ever today. Are we sure he’s really just a wolf?”
“…I wish I had an answer to that as well.”
Lord Aroo turned his head away to pout when he heard my response to Keith.
…Suspicious.
Lord Aroo really seemed to understand human speech at times. Perhaps it was nothing more than coincidence, but his reactions were always somewhat strange.
“Maybe Lord Aroo just has an IQ of two hundred for a wolf…?” I wondered aloud.
“Aroo?”
“‘IQ’? What’s that you speak of? Some kind of food ingredient?” Lord Aroo seemed to say with the cock of his head. He approached me, his nose sniffing at the air all the while.
“Sorry, but I don’t have any food for you today. Are you really that hungry?” I asked as I watched that black nose drawing closer.
“That’s not it. You don’t really think of me as such a glutton, do you?”
He snorted quietly as if to object.
“Then what’s the matter, Lord Aroo? It seemed like Keith was bothering you… Was that it?”
“Aroo…”
“I’m not bothered by him in particular.”
He looked away from Keith, as if to make his point…
But his body couldn’t help but be honest. Those silver ears were still twitching exactly in Keith’s direction.
“Hmm… I guess he just doesn’t like me?”
“Or maybe he’s scared of your spear?”
“I don’t think that’s it. He’s never acted that way around the other knights, has he?”
“That’s true…”
It didn’t make sense. When he first met Keith, Lord Aroo didn’t seem to react in any particular way, but from time to time, he became strangely menacing toward him.
As Keith and I were pondering this state of affairs, a fluffy white dog wandered up to us.
This was Sana—Edgar’s companion animal, who resembled a Samoyed dog. Her tail bounced in the air as she scampered toward us.
“Woof!!”
Sana was as adorable as ever. The corners of her mouth were curved upward. It always looked like she was smiling. Like a ball of white, fluffy cotton candy, she began to walk circles around me. Her black eyes looked at me expectantly.
“Welcome, Sana. I’m so glad to see you again.”
“Roooo!”
I stroked the top of her head with my palm, gripping the space behind her ears to massage her scalp. The black skin of her mouth began to stretch out on each side. It was a quirk of hers whenever she was happy or something felt good.
“Good afternoon, Your Majesty, and hello, Keith. I see you’re hard at work today.”
“The same goes for you with your wolves there, Edgar.”
Edgar, with the pack of wolves behind him, exchanged greetings with Keith. Though Edgar always acted awkward around humans, he didn’t seem to have a problem with Keith, who was beastfolk like him. It helped that Keith wasn’t shy either. The two got along fairly well, to my eyes.
“Oh, I see Lord Aroo’s here again. I figured I’d find him here.”
“…You did?”
“He passed us while I was leading the wolves to the villa, racing like the wind.”
“Lord Aroo, did you really rush here so quickly? Could it be that you were just that eager to see me?”
“……”
Lord Aroo fell silent at my question.
He kept his head turned away from me and stubbornly refused to so much as cast me a glance.
I just don’t understand this wolf.
I decided it was time to play with the rest of the pack instead. One by one, I gave the wolves scratches in all their favorite spots.
“Roooo…”
I ruffled this one’s fur and dug my fingers into her body with a bit of strength. This caused the wolf to squirm around and collapse on top of the grass. She stared up at me with her belly exposed.
“There, there. Who’s a good girl?”
“Woof!!”
I made sure to scratch every inch of her tummy. As I did, her fur rustled softly under my fingers. It was much less coarse than the fur on her back, and the light-colored coat of her belly tickled my skin. The wolves had shed their winter coats, but they still had quite a lot of fur.
I moved my hands down her belly, stroke after stroke, going in the opposite direction at times too. The wolf fell into a daze, closed her eyes, and wriggled on the ground.
Wolves display their bellies as a show of trust.
I was deeply charmed by the way this wolf sought my attention. As I lost myself in the act of pampering her…
“What are you up to, Lord Aroo?”
I heard Keith speak up.
“Flowers…?”
Red, purple, white, yellow, and pink.
A rainbow of wildflowers was blooming in the early summer field.
Lord Aroo’s eyes were fixed on the colorful display.
“Do you like flowers, Lord Aroo?”
When I approached the wolf and called out to him, he turned his head to look at me.
“……”
I suddenly felt a bit nervous.
Those blue-green eyes of his were beautiful and piercing, yet gentle too. The color made me envision His Majesty’s eyes. It almost felt like I was staring back at his face.
Unable to look away from the wolf, I watched as he narrowed his eyes and let out a breath, much like a human chuckle… At least, that’s what it sounded like to me.
“…Lord Aroo?”
“Aroo…”
The wolf gave a nod of his head.
He turned toward the wildflowers, then once more to me, as if confirming something in his mind.
Once I noticed the unusual intensity in his stare, an idea hit me.
“Do you want to eat the flowers? Are you asking me to cook them for you…?”
“Grah!!”
“How rude!!” said Lord Aroo with his cry. “You see those flowers and think of cooking? Your appetite for food really trumps your appetite for romance…”
I could just see that judgmental statement coming from his astonished face.
He was really staring at those flowers, though. Maybe he’s a wolf with a feminine side?
“…All right, I see… Wait just a minute, Lord Aroo.”
I crouched down and stuck my hands into the grass. Once I’d gathered up a handful of wildflowers, I began to weave their stems together.
“There!! It’s perfect!!”
“Aroo?”
It was a crown of flowers.
I’d failed to make a perfect circle, but the ringlet of mostly light blue flowers was still in a suitable shape.
As soon as I set it on top of Lord Aroo’s head, I saw that it was the perfect size for him. It seemed to hang off his ears, and the colors of the green and blue wreath stood out against his silver coat.
“What do you think, Lord Aroo? Do you like it? You look like the king of the wolves with that on your head.”
“Aroo…”
“I suppose that’s fitting, but I wasn’t after a flower crown in the first place…”
Lord Aroo’s expression was mixed, like that of a hesitant human. The other wolves began to approach him from all directions. Once they noticed the flower crown, they turned to look up at me and began wagging their tails.
“…Do you all want flower crowns too?”
“Woof!!”
“Ruff!!”
With sparkling eyes, they each barked in an apparent demand to be the first recipient.
One by one, I made each wolf a flower crown in the garden.
◇ ◇ ◇
“A flower…crown…”
Glenreed, having returned to human form, set the ringlet on his desk.
Unable to refuse a gift from Laetitia, he ended up taking her creation all the way back to his own bedroom.
I’ve worn crowns plenty of times, as the king…
But this one was made with more affection than others. It was simple and lightweight too.
In fact, Glenreed’s mind was filled with one thought in particular—that he wouldn’t mind wearing that flower crown when he visited Laetitia in wolf form, since it would probably make her happy.