Chapter 3: Campground Pot-au-feu and the Land of Fuzzy Friends

 

 

 

Chapter 3: Campground Pot-au-feu and the Land of Fuzzy Friends

 

AFTER I left the capital city, my journey proceeded at a smooth pace.

Aside from having to swap horses once, after ours sprained its leg, the trip itself went without a hitch.

I had Lucian with me and two maids from home I was particularly fond of. I was also accompanied by a small platoon of royal guards to escort me to the new kingdom. It was a conservative escort party for a duke’s daughter on her way to become the queen of a neighboring kingdom.

The reason for this was our hasty departure, in addition to King Glenreed’s request that we arrive quietly. The mere idea of my trip turning into a whole procession seemed tiring, so this arrangement suited me better too.

At the king’s demand, we journeyed without stopping longer than needed at the various inns. Unfortunately, this was necessary for my safety.

And just as we were prepared to arrive in the Wolfvarte capital in one day’s time…

“Your scout caught wind of demons, so now we have to take a detour?”

I exited my carriage to listen to the royal guard commander’s report.

“Yes, m’lady! The scout received this information from a village up ahead. It appears there’s been a demon sighting near the main road… Do we have your permission to change course?”

The commander towered over me with a guilty look on his face. As I watched him shrink away in fear, my past life as a corporate drone came back to me and made me pity the man. I stood and thought about our best option.

Demons.

Since ancient times, these creatures have existed in our world and are said to harbor an intense hatred for humans. They sound more like something out of a fantasy story, and even after spending seventeen years in this world, I’ve never once laid eyes on a real one.

There was a simple reason for that: demons have long since been driven off into a small sliver of our continent, where they remain separated from humans.

However, there are always exceptions to every rule. Unfortunately, my future home was one such exception.

The Kingdom of Wolfvarte was occasionally referred to as “the Great Shield.” That name had a very regal sound to it…but the real reason for it was the demon-infested region just to the northeast of its border.

Fortunately, the Wolfvartian army was a powerful force. Demons had no reign over any territory within the actual kingdom…but from what I’d heard, it was nearly impossible to keep them out entirely. The demons would penetrate the borders and be spotted on Wolfvartian land at least once per year.

Just like animals and bugs, these demons became much more active during springtime. Another reason my marriage plans were finalized so quickly was to avoid the demon season peak.

“…Demons move in ways we can’t predict. We shouldn’t risk an encounter. Can’t we just take the other course?”

“Yes, m’lady. We’d certainly like to do that just the same…”

“Is something troubling you?”

I tried to smile gently at the commander, who seemed hesitant to speak. I only hoped that I was successful in avoiding my overbearing, evil-looking smile.

“I just don’t know where we might stay for the night. From what I’ve gathered, other travelers have also been forced to take shelter, so even if we take the other route, there’ll be no room at the lodge for any of us.”

“I see. Then could we make do with camping for tonight?”

We could take the horses and camp out beside the main road. Sleeping outdoors was something I rarely got to experience, so it actually sounded like fun to me.

“I appreciate the suggestion…but, Lady Laetitia, are you sure you’d be quite all right with that? Asking a noblewoman to rough it in the wild just doesn’t sit well with me…”

“I’ll be perfectly fine. The inns we’ve stayed at so far have all prepared exquisite meals for us, but if I’m being honest, I’m a bit tired of that kind of food. I’d like to try something new for today.”

I once again spoke of my desire to camp outside. The commander looked a little relieved to have my approval.

Well, that much was natural.

As a duke’s daughter, if I felt like it, I could wave my family’s name in the innkeepers’ faces and force them to make room for me. However, even if I gave such an order, the commander would have to be the one to carry it out. He’d be the target of all the cold stares from the displaced lodgers if he secured my spot by force.

I watched the commander’s back when he turned to leave, his posture now relaxed. It reminded me of the middle managers back at work and their visible relief whenever they avoided a disaster brought on by a careless boss.

◇　◇　◇

IT was settled. Our group would camp along the roadside.

Since this was a deviation from our plans, it took us a while to prepare, and soon it was even getting late for dinner.

A few of the guards were placed in charge of cooking, and as I watched them, it didn’t look too promising.

Many of these guards escorting me to my new kingdom were the sons of noble families themselves. This was meant to ensure proper social etiquette between us. When it came to cooking, these were the kinds of people who would leave the task to the commoner troops or their servants. I doubted they’d done any kitchen work in years. But surely there had to be some form of outdoor meal prep as part of their military training…

It was like watching a person who’d only ever cooked during their elementary school Home Ec classes suddenly trying to prepare a meal as an adult—not an ideal situation for anyone.

“YEOW…!”

Blood trickled down the tip of the guard’s finger, perhaps from a slip of his knife. It was the first blood shed on our otherwise peaceful journey. Seeing them struggle, I decided to intervene.

“Commander, may I help with the dinner preparations?”

“You, m’lady? I wouldn’t dream of asking you to do our job for us.”

“I’d like to try it for myself. I’m to become the queen of a kingdom where noblewomen participate in cooking, so I think it’d be a good idea to get some practice in. Isn’t it my duty to adapt to their culture?”

“…Very well. I wasn’t aware of the circumstances. Just please be careful not to injure yourself with any of the knives.”

“It’ll be my head if you end up getting hurt.”

Those words were written all over his face.

I sympathized, but really, I was at the end of my rope.

Every meal we’d eaten on our journey had been rich and savory. I knew that the innkeepers had pulled out all the stops in their cooking when it came to serving a duke’s daughter, but the number of spices was starting to get to me. And tomorrow, I’d be welcomed into the capital city. I had a feeling all my upcoming meals would be full of sumptuous, rich dishes. I wanted a delicious meal made to my liking, even if just for now.

One of the guards handed me a knife, and I held it in my hand for a moment to take in its weight. The handle was made of wood and had a bit of heft to it, while the blade was just like the ones I used back on Earth.

Next, I picked up vegetables from the basket and quickly took to peeling them with the knife. It started to get easier after a few attempts, and soon, I was peeling their skins with ease.

“Very well done, my lady.”

“Hehe! I’m more impressed with your work, Lucian.”

Lucian stood next to me, peeling one vegetable after the next. From what I’d heard, Lucian used to help out in the kitchen back when he lived at the orphanage, and he was an excellent assistant.

After making quick work of the vegetables, we started to dish out orders to the guards.

Our campsite meal would be a warm pot-au-feu packed full of vegetables.

I’d overheard them say the only seasoning they were going to use was salt—typical of soldiers inexperienced with cooking—so I wanted to add something special for the occasion.

“Could you please retrieve the dried meat from my luggage carriage and add it to the stew?”

“What? Are you sure? That meat’s meant for you, so it must be quite expensive.”

“It’s perfectly fine. Dried meat needs to be eaten quickly anyway, or it’ll lose its flavor. I’d like to use it all before it goes to waste.”

“…Yes, m’lady. We’re very grateful to hear you’ll share such a valuable ingredient with us.”

The commander bowed his head. Behind him, I saw the faces of the other guards light up.

After a full day of travel, riding their horses while clad in iron suits, it was only natural that they’d worked up a large appetite. Since we’d suddenly changed plans and decided to camp out, they’d had no time to prepare any meat for dinner either.

But my escort couldn’t hide their delight at this turn of events—they would be able to have meat tonight after all.

I knew I’d have to take great care with it so as not to let them down.

All the meat was specially prepared for me specifically, and that meant it was, once again, doused in spices and seasonings. But I decided a pot-au-feu would be a good opportunity to put it to use.

That is, I felt that its rich flavor might turn out better when diluted with water.

I filled the pot with water and added one strip of meat as a test.

Once the liquid came to a simmer and the meat became more tender, the mouthwatering scent of spices started to reach our noses.

“Mmm! It tastes as good as it smells.”

I scooped up some broth with a ladle and took a sip. My tongue was greeted by the savory flavor of the meat.

Satisfied with the taste, it was now time for me to complete the stew.

I added the onions, potatoes, and carrots into the pot and let the contents reach a good simmer.

The vegetables all started to slowly change color. I cut up the rest of the dried meat and added it to the pot. Finally, after letting it simmer for a while, I scooped up a spoonful to taste, then added a bit more salt, and then it was ready.

“It’s delicious…!”

“You can still taste the nice seasoning from the meat!”

“I’d have never thought you could make food this good over a campfire…”

The guards took sip after sip of the piping-hot stew. I was pleased to see that they liked the meal.

Finally, I joined them, putting my lips to the fragrant bowl of pot-au-feu.

“So warm…”

The amber soup entered my mouth and immediately filled it with the hearty taste of broth. The onions were just slightly sweet, while the other vegetables dissolved in my mouth, and the heavily seasoned meat had been watered down enough to make for a nice accent.

I felt relief flood my body as the pot-au-feu warmed me from the inside out. Our party feasted as nighttime fell upon the spring campgrounds.

◇　◇　◇

THE next morning, we heated up the leftover pot-au-feu and ate it with bread before heading out early.

When we finally arrived in the capital city, I was greeted by an extravagant carriage meant for me. The sides and ceiling of the passenger car were completely open, allowing me to see the world around me. It was unlike any carriage I’d ever been in.

“Wow…”

It was my first look at the Wolfvarte capital.

The streets were lined with rows of white houses, framed with dark wood and topped by slanted roofs. On each side of the road, the people of Wolfvarte were gathered to catch a glimpse of my face on the way to the castle.

Human. Human. Human. Beastfolk, and then an animal.

I spotted a young girl with droopy, doglike ears, alongside an actual dog with ears of the same shape. Both of them had their eyes fixed on me.

Beastfolk in this world have the same faces, hands, and feet as humans. They also possess animal ears and tails.

Though they vary in appearance, beastfolk, at the end of the day, still walk on two legs like everyone else. They can’t just transform into actual animals or anything like that, from what I’ve heard. Beastfolk only retain certain features of those animals. Werewolves transforming into hounds under the light of the full moon are nothing but fairy tales in our world.

With these thoughts, I tried waving to the beast girl as I passed, but she flinched and turned red in response.

The dog sensed her sudden distress and began to lick the back of the girl’s hand. I saw her turn to stroke the dog’s head in return, realizing his concern for her.

The beast girl and the big dog played together.

They make such a cute pair.

I quietly smiled to myself over their obvious bond, then turned to survey my surroundings.

The kingdom was full of pointy-roofed houses, beastfolk residents, and demons lurking along its borders. Everything about it felt like a fairy tale, but this place was to become my new home.

Something came to mind as I continued down the capital streets in my open carriage.

Most of the crowd consisted of just normal humans. There were hardly any beastfolk like the dog-eared girl I’d seen earlier, even though they were supposed to make up just under half of Wolfvarte’s population and nearly a third in the capital city alone.

And yet, almost every spectator who’d come to see my arrival appeared to be human.

There wasn’t even a single beastfolk for every ten humans I saw.

…Hmm.

I interpreted it as a sign of the troubled relationship between humans and beastfolk.

While it wasn’t as severe as in my homeland, there was tension between the two races even here.

The Silver Wolf King whom I was about to marry had previously rejected four candidates to be his wife, two of which were human, and two were beastfolk. I imagined that to the other beastfolk of the kingdom, I was the human who came in and broke the tie. Perhaps that was enough of a disappointment to dissuade them from coming out to welcome me.

As I toyed with this idea, the walls of the royal castle suddenly came into view.

My carriage passed through the outer gates.

Scattered buildings, each a royal villa by the looks of them, were surrounded by small patches of forest.

Wolfvarte’s royal castle was made up of two areas separated by border walls.

The outer region contained a spacious area of open land, and within the inner walls was the king’s main residential palace.

We drew closer, and there they were—the towering walls of the inner castle. It was the final destination of my journey.

The massive white stone structure stood out vividly against the sea of green trees that surrounded it.

The many castle spires loomed above me, as if to beckon me inside.

◇　◇　◇

ALMOST as soon as I made it into the main castle, I was whisked away and undressed by my maids. They swiftly helped me freshen up and change into my next outfit.

We’d arrived at the castle later than planned due to the detour, and before I had my first meeting with His Majesty, I needed to clean myself up the best I could.

The maids dusted my skin with pearl powder and painted my lips red. Once they finished styling my hair, it was already time to head straight to where the king was waiting for me.

I walked briskly, trying to be as quick as possible while still maintaining an elegant gait. The one thing I couldn’t do was look flustered.

As I took in the sights of this kingdom’s castle, I thought about King Glenreed, the man I was about to meet.

His Majesty was currently twenty-three years old. That was slightly older than myself, at seventeen, but such a gap wasn’t abnormal when it came to political marriages.

King Glenreed was known for both his brilliance and his hatred of women. My only duty was to become a placeholder queen. I had no intention of trying to force him to take to me, but even so, I was still going to be his wife. I hoped the two of us could be on friendly terms, at the very least.

Just as I was entertaining such ideas…

The door before me opened, and there he was. I was standing face-to-face with the king.

“……”

Silence.

Holding my tongue was just natural etiquette on my part, but at the same time, I was also at a loss for words.

A young man with silver hair sat before me on his throne.

His eyes were crystalline and blue-green like a winter lake. His masculine yet refined features looked as if they’d been carved from ice. He had a cold, beautiful face that was too striking to ever forget.

I’d heard the king hated women, but now, seeing him in person, I couldn’t help but imagine his good looks had gotten him into all kinds of unwanted trouble with the ladies—as rude a thought as that was.

I bowed my head politely to greet him. When I raised it, I thought I briefly saw his handsome lips move.

“…What a funny smell.”

…What?

Wait, what did he just say to me?

It was the quietest of whispers, but I couldn’t just pretend I hadn’t heard it.

Am I wrong, or were you looking at me when you said that, Your Majesty?

I’d just finished freshening myself up—with the help of my maids—and was even wearing perfume to give my body a nice scent. Was it really such a “funny smell”…?

Or maybe I still smelled like the dried meat and spices I prepared the night before? That seemed extremely unlikely, but what else could he have meant with that comment?

I set aside my confusion to give the king a pleasant smile, waiting for him to speak again. That moment was the ultimate display of my years of royal training.

“You’re Laetitia Gramwell, I presume?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s an honor to meet you.”

I took hold of my dress and curtsied before him. The king’s blue eyes slimmed into an unreadable expression.

“I’m sure you’re tired from your long journey. You’ll have your own villa to live in where you can take some time to rest.”

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to see very much of you, but I’d like to help you be as comfortable here as I can. You should get going to the villa to see if there’s anything you’ll need.”

His Majesty shared words of kindness with me.

And yet, they were nothing but superficial.

“I’m giving you a house, so go take your place and don’t bother me again.”

His intentions were clear. I would be treated as nothing more than the figurehead queen that I was.

◆ ◆ ◆

ONCE Laetitia left for the villa, Glenreed stayed on his throne and took some time to think.

Laetitia had once been the fiancée of her kingdom’s crown prince, but after that man had rejected and banished her, she was now Glenreed’s wife.

Glenreed was worried about what kind of woman she’d turn out to be, but once she accepted her orders to stay put in the villa without complaint, he felt a bit of relief. Laetitia appeared to be a well-trained duchess, with flawless, elegant conduct. However…

Just what was that smell…?

It certainly wasn’t foul. It wasn’t unpleasant at all.

But there was no doubt in his mind that Laetitia gave off a strange scent.

Maybe it was because she hailed from a foreign land?

Or perhaps it had something to do with the strong magic he’d heard she possessed?

Glenreed didn’t know what that smell was, but as long as she was going to hold the title of queen, he couldn’t just ignore her forever. He also knew well from experience that his “nose” had a habit of leading him into trouble.

I want to investigate her, but I don’t know how…

He had many skilled servants at his disposal, but when it came to matters of his nose, almost no one would know what to do.

Of course, he could always take matters into his own hands.

Glenreed sat atop his throne and began to hatch a new plan.

◆ ◆ ◆

I excused myself from the throne room and left the castle in my carriage.

I was headed toward my new home.

Though it was still technically a part of the castle, that was only because the surrounding grounds were so spacious. The area inside the outer walls was big enough to hold an average-sized village on its own.

My carriage rattled and swayed from side to side as we traveled. I occupied my mind by listening to the sound of the horses’ hooves.

We’ve been driving for so long. We’re still not at the house yet?

“This is pretty far from the main palace…”

Outside my window was a sea of dark evergreen trees. To all appearances, it looked exactly like I’d been cast out into the middle of a vast forest, even though I was actually still within the castle walls. It appeared we’d made our way to a small forest road in the sprawling castle property.

I felt the carriage start to slow until we came to a quiet stop.

Lucian took my hand and gently helped me exit the carriage.

“This is my villa…”

My new home, where I would live as the queen of Wolfvarte, stood before me. However…

As far as first impressions went, it felt more like a house hidden away in the forest than a royal villa. And it wasn’t just a “house” either. Calling it “deserted lodgings” would be more appropriate. The walls were formed with white plaster and dark wooden frames, all nestled underneath a reddish-brown roof.

It was certainly charming, but in the end, this house was nothing more than a simple two-story building. You wouldn’t think of it as part of a palace at all.

Shouldn’t a royal home at least have a fountain out front?

There was a decent front yard, but directly behind the building itself was the edge of the forest.

As for size, the house where I’d spent my life as a duke’s daughter was more than twice as big as this one.

It was still significantly larger than the average house in this world, and larger than the home my previous-life family lived in too, of course, but it was still a whole lot smaller than I had been imagining.

“Your Majesty, we are honored to receive you. All the staff here sincerely welcome you to your new home.”

The servants stood in a line in front of the house, waiting for my arrival.

One man seemed to speak for the rest of them. He bowed deeply as he greeted me.

As he leaned forward, I had a clear view of two soft, fuzzy ears sprouting from his head.

He wasn’t the only beastfolk among the crowd. I could see many other servants with large animal ears of their own.

One of the maids even had triangular ears like a cat’s. She was a young girl with a slim tail and was dressed in a maid’s uniform.

Many otaku in my previous life would buckle at the very thought of a cat maid, and in this world, they turned out to be as real as anything else.

“Please follow me and allow me to show you around the house.”

The dog-eared head servant led me inside the villa.

He wore a proper servant’s uniform and had a neatly trimmed, dark-brown mustache. For a middle-aged man, he looked like quite a fancy gentleman… And there atop his head was a pair of floppy dog ears, with a bushy tail down below.

Yeah, that’s pretty much the last thing you’d expect to see.

The dog-eared man, a.k.a. Borgan, smoothly explained aspects of the house as he led me around. He took each step with perfect pacing and offered me descriptions of every room, including their purpose.

As I’d thought from the outside, the house didn’t have many rooms inside it. It was a snug little building.

Too much space would require a pointless amount of upkeep, so actually, I appreciated the size. When I heard I would be staying in a royal villa, I’d been preparing myself to see a grand mansion. This was a bit of a relief. Maybe it was my past-life experience that made me feel a bit unnerved by giant manors like the one I grew up in.

When the general tour was over, I had nothing left on my schedule.

“Your long journey and the audience with His Majesty must have left you exhausted,” Borgan said to me, and he agreed to leave the rest of the introductions and details for tomorrow.

“I’m so tired…,” I said with a sigh.

I flopped myself down onto my new bed, thankful that no one was around to see me in this state.

This was my first time being alone in days.

The soft bed wrapped my body in a comfortable embrace.

Underneath me, the sheets felt completely smooth and clean. The house itself seemed a bit run-down with age, but I had no complaints about any of the furniture and accessories inside it.

King Glenreed’s blunt manner had taken me by surprise earlier…but overall, he seemed polite enough, if a bit distant, which was a relief.

Though, politeness was the very least I should expect as the queen, I supposed…

After I’d regained my memories, my ex-fiancé, Fritz, the dim-witted Elltorian crown prince, was the first member of royalty I shared interactions with. Perhaps I was still on guard after that whole experience.

“King Glenreed, huh…?”

When I closed my eyes, his face appeared vividly in my mind.

Those green eyes were tinged with blue—the same color of an icy lake.

His silver hair glimmered in the light.

The way his lips moved as he commented on a “funny smell.”

“…Just what did he mean by that?”

If I really did hear him correctly, I hadn’t the slightest clue how to interpret that statement.

I gave myself a sniff, just to be sure, but I couldn’t smell any cooking spices on my skin or clothes. All I could make out was the faint floral scent of the perfume my maids had prepared for me. It was very pleasant. I appreciated their smart choice.

As far as I knew, I didn’t have much body odor at all, but maybe His Majesty wasn’t referring to any one smell of mine.

“Is it just my natural scent he doesn’t like? And that’s why he sent me here?”

Even though it was my own theory, it was a little depressing to think about…

What if I had some kind of weird anti-pheromone he could smell? If I was unacceptable to His Majesty on a biological level, there was nothing I could do to fix it.

Sure, I was just a figurehead queen, but it seemed there were already more bumps in the road than I’d expected.

“…Thinking about that now won’t do me any good.”

I forced myself to sit up.

I’d been granted a free day to use to my own liking, and even though I was merely a placeholder, being queen still might keep me busy in the future. As much as I wanted to laze around in bed all day, the weather was nice and sunny.

I decided to step out and have a look at the surroundings.

Lucian, who had been standing outside the bedroom, followed me to the yard.

The early spring sunlight poured down from above. It was the perfect weather for a walk.

I took in the beautiful blooming flowers in the front yard, enjoying some calming time to myself.

Suddenly, a nearby shrub started to rustle, and a large shadow jumped out in front of me.

“…A wolf?”

Its ears perked up. The beast’s fur was gray and its tail stood at attention.

The wolf’s brown eyes, shining in the sunlight, were visible from where I stood.

“Your Majesty, just to be safe, I think you sh—”

Lucian was interrupted by a swarm of shadows emerging from the trees.

Each wolf was the size of a large dog, with sharp claws and a mix of gray and brown fur.

“What’s going on…?”

The wolves didn’t try to attack me—they just stood at a distance and stared straight at us.

They glared at me, seeming to be on guard…

Something about them reminded me of Jiro, my beloved dog from the life I lived before. With their perky ears and cute snouts, it was hard to call them anything but an adorable pack of fuzzy creatures.

“They don’t appear hostile… What should we do, my queen?”

“Right… They probably—”

“HEEEY!! Knock it off!! You guys can’t just go runnin’ off whenever you want!!”

Suddenly, a boy came dashing and shouting from the direction the wolves had emerged from. The creatures seemed to stand up straighter when they heard him yell.

The boy had curly white hair, and he was beastfolk too. His animal ears perked up from behind his curls, and just when he spotted us…

“EEEEEEEEEEK!!” he screamed at the sight.

Was I mistaken, or did I not just see this kid yelling fearlessly at a pack of wolves?

I started to doubt my own eyes, now that he’d transformed so dramatically.

The white-haired beastfolk boy looked to be about my age.

His face twitched as he stared at Lucian and me. I could see his eyes darting all over the place behind his long bangs.

The wolves wagged their tails as they trotted up to the frightened boy.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you scared of that lady?”

“Did she startle you? Is that it?”

The way the animals looked back and forth between the two of us, I could almost hear their questions for their apparent master.

“Um, excuse me…”

“Y-Yes?!”

The boy gave an instant response when I spoke.

His rigid stance hadn’t changed, but he at least appeared able to speak now.

“My name is Laetitia. I’ve come to this kingdom as King Glenreed’s wife, and I moved into the villa today. May I ask for your name and what you do here?”

“…Of course!! My name’s Edgar, a-and I take care of the wooolfs!!”

He tripped on his words. And so noticeably, too.

Edgar heard his own mistake. Both his ears and tail seemed to sink and deflate.

By the look on his face, he was obviously very upset. At the same time, I was learning that the ears and tails of beastfolk conveyed their emotions too.

“You’re a wolfkeeper? I’ve heard about you. That’s quite impressive work.” I continued on with the conversation, pretending I hadn’t heard his mistake.

The wolfkeeper.

The people of the Kingdom of Wolfvarte believe the royal family’s ancestors were wolf spirits. Each generation of royalty keeps wolves themselves, perhaps because of that legend.

I’d also learned that the expansive land surrounding the palace was originally used to keep and breed wild wolves.

But instead of the busy kings, it was wolfkeepers like Edgar who looked after the packs on a daily basis. These trained wolves were incredible specimens, from what I’d heard, possessing both sharp fangs and intense loyalty toward humans. Indeed, the wolves around us now made no attempt to bite us, and they seemed to follow Edgar’s every command.

“I see you have over ten wolves there. You can really control all of them?”

“Y-Yes!! W-Wait, no! I’m not the only wolfkeeper, it’s just my turn to take them out on a walk today!”

“Oh, I see. So you usually take them for walks in front of this house, and today you happened to run into me along the way?”

“I’m very sorry to have disturbed you!!”

Edgar shoved his head down in apology.

I could tell he was being incredibly sincere, and yet…

“What are you up to?”

“Why’re you bowing your head like that?”

The wolves pushed their noses up toward Edgar, making for a much less serious scene.

“…Please lift your head. I was a bit startled at first, yes, but you haven’t disturbed me at all. I’m very pleased to see the wolves up close after hearing tales of them. They’re very beautiful and majestic—”

“I agree!!” shouted Edgar, whipping his head back up. “Their ears point straight toward the sky! Their wet noses are always wiggling and moving! I could watch them forever!” Edgar enthused.

I could tell he was the type of person to perk right up when the subject of conversation was something he loved. However, when he looked back at me, the passion faded from his voice all at once.

“I-I’m sorry… That was rude of me. We’ve only just met.”

His beast ears drooped.

“Don’t worry about that. I love wolves too, so I understand how you feel.”

Well, I’m more of a dog lover than just a wolf lover.

When it came to Jiro, my beloved pet in my past life, I could go on for hours about how perfect he was.

“You really…love wolves…? It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just…unusual.”

“Unusual? You think so?”

“Y-Yes. I just…think it’s not common. Wolves are carnivores, after all, so it’s strange you’re not scared of them. These guys would never attack a human unless they were ordered to, of course… But most people, especially those who aren’t native to this kingdom, are too scared of wolves to go near them…”

Edgar stared at me timidly.

“So you’re different, then. If you weren’t, the wolves would be more upset… Wolves are sometimes like mirrors for people, you see. If they can tell you’re scared of them, then they’ll get scared too…”

He let out a quiet chuckle as he gently stroked the head of one wolf.

“I’m…very sorry I startled a nice lady such as yourself. I’ll take the wolves on a different route from now on, so there’s no need to worry.”

“…A different route?”

They’re not going to pass by the house anymore?

…I can’t let that happen.

“Could I ask you not to do that? It’s a rare opportunity to get to see the royal wolves up close. If possible, I’d like you to keep bringing the wolves out this way, whenever you have time.”

“A-Are you sure…? I’d be glad to keep them on their usual route, but I don’t want to bother you.”

“Well, it hasn’t caused any trouble so far, has it? Your wolves appear very well trained. As long as they don’t damage anything in the yard, I can’t imagine it will be any kind of problem for me.”

“…Th-Thank you very much!!”

Edgar’s tail flicked happily from side to side.

For someone who struggled to get his words out, this gesture conveyed his feelings more than anything else had so far.

The wolves would get to keep their favorite walking route, and I would get to regularly see them up close.

It was a win-win situation. I’d now have an opportunity to warm my soul every now and then.

…Maybe, if I gained their trust, I’d even get to pet them as much as I wanted.

With that thought, my heart began to long for the feeling of their fur in my hands.

◇　◇　◇

“*HUFF* *huff* *pant* So…bored… *huff* *huff*”

Greetings.

I’m Laetitia, the new figurehead queen of this kingdom.

…What exactly am I doing?

Why, I’m killing time and working on self-improvement at the same time.

Seventeen years of life as a duke’s daughter, and there was still a stubborn flaw of mine that remained.

To put it simply, my body was almost impressively weak when it came to muscle strength. We didn’t have certain conveniences like cars in this world, but as a noblewoman, I’d always been surrounded by servants and maids.

Thanks to that, I rarely had to do any manual labor, but that also meant my body was quite frail. My experience with things like dancing and horseback riding had all been limited to my education. I had no real interest in either subject.

As for magic, my brothers made sure I was well trained in those arts, but that was by no means a physical activity.

At the very least…I did probably have decent core and back muscles, since those were necessary for proper posture, but other than that, my arms and legs were essentially just limp bean sprouts.

Even when I made that ice cream, I felt the soreness reach my muscles that very night.

It was thanks to the whisk I’d made with my magic.

Perfection in the kitchen demands a certain amount of physical strength. I felt it all the more in this world, with its lack of electric appliances and cooking utensils. Cooking requires a lot of physical exertion, even though magic does help take a bit of the edge off, but I decided it would still be a good idea to build up strength. And so, I stood in my room with shiny metal dumbbells in each hand.

That’s right—a queen working out with dumbbells.

It felt strange to me too. But they were definitely handy when it came to building muscle strength.

The dumbbells also had another purpose—they were a way to get a bit of magic practice in at the same time.

Earth Magic—“transmutation.”

This way of altering the shape of metals is pretty handy, once you get the hang of it.

For practice, I decided to make the dumbbells I used in my past life while dieting. It was a decent training exercise overall—I worked on making them different weights, two at a time for each hand, and even managed to create the right shapes.

Lately, I’d been busying myself with these workouts, using my shiny new dumbbells each time.

“*huff* *huff* *pant* *huff* Today…makes… *huff*…ten…already…*huff*”

It was my tenth day in the royal villa.

My new husband, King Glenreed, hadn’t once come to visit me.

I knew that His Majesty was a very busy man, but at this point, he appeared to just be neglecting me entirely. So, without any political role to fulfill, I was forced to spend the entirety of my days in the villa.

Abandoned in the forest villa, ignored by my husband…

It seemed like a harsh welcome to the kingdom, but right now, I was loving my new life. It was the perfect life of leisure. I didn’t have a care in the world.

Thinking back, I was a busy office worker in my past life, and then after reincarnating, I lived as a duke’s daughter. I was already busy with my regular studies, but during the last few years, the addition of training to be a royal took up every spare moment.

Compared with that, my current life was paradise.

There was no point in lamenting my loveless marriage. I was grateful to His Majesty for granting me a life of freedom.

“The water here is delicious…,” I said with a sigh after gulping down a cold glass of lemon water following my workout.

It was the most blissful of moments. I lived for that sensation.

Having quenched my thirst splendidly, I opened my closet doors to put the dumbbells away.

I had left a whisk and dumbbells of different weights inside one of the drawers. The metal of the utensil was cold, and the shape familiar against my hand.

“This whisk looks like it’ll still last for a while…”

I plucked at the wires to test it, and they sprung right back into place.

The motion wasn’t enough to disturb the shape even slightly.

This particular whisk was the one I made over a month ago, back at my home in Elltoria.

Considering most transmuted items lost their shape within ten days, this was an extraordinary amount of time for it to have survived.

“Hmm… This feels like cheating…?”

It would certainly be convenient for me if I could avoid remaking my tools each time. I didn’t yet understand why it wasn’t breaking…but it probably had something to do with my past-life memories returning to me.

The life span of transmuted items is said to be largely influenced by the caster’s use of imagination. The more familiar one is with the item they’re crafting, the more durable it will stay over a longer period of time.

However, these are still objects crafted with magic. No matter how close you get to the original appearance, and no matter how vivid the image is in your mind, you won’t be able to produce anything that lasts longer than ten days…or so it’s believed. But for some reason, my whisk had survived for over a month, and it showed no sign of breaking down yet.

“Maybe…it’s because I know about iron? I know about atoms and protons and even iron production…”

It wasn’t much knowledge to boast of—just memories from middle school science class and a few other tidbits I happened to know.

But maybe that meant I knew more about “iron” than anyone else in this entire world. Because magic existed here, I wasn’t even sure if we abided by the same laws of physics as Earth did, but with my new unbreakable whisk, it did make some sense to me.

“Your Majesty, it’s just about time for Edgar’s arrival. Are you all ready?”

“Thank you, Lucian. I’ll be right there.”

I put the whisk back in its drawer, stripped off my sweaty undergarments, and changed into a dress and apron.

The dress was cute, not too heavy, and easy to clean as well.

It was a modest outfit for the queen of a kingdom, but I was saving the lavish dresses for my public appearances. If I was to be left here alone in my villa, I wanted to prioritize comfort above all else.

I quickly finished getting changed without the help of a maid, then went downstairs and out into the front yard.

My feet felt light and my heart was joyful.

Since I’d been interacting with Edgar’s wolves every day, they were starting to become fond of me.

“Y-Your Majesty…it’s nice to see you again.”

“Good afternoon, Edgar. I’m glad to see you too.”

I greeted Edgar with a smile. He blushed and stiffened in place.

Edgar’s beet-red face had already become a familiar sight to me. The boy appeared to struggle with human interactions. He was always on edge whenever he had to make conversation with Lucian or me.

But when it was time to give commands to the wolves, he was like a different person—brave and confident.

That strange boy had once again shown up in my front yard with ten or so wolves in tow.

Some went to sniff the newly tended flower beds. Others ran across the grass in pursuit of butterflies. But one wolf came up to me and nuzzled its head against my body.

“Good boy. You came to see me, didn’t you?”

I stroked the wolf’s head, and he stared up at me as if he was waiting for something.

Knowing exactly what he wanted, I reached into my dress pocket.

“There’s no rush, now. I’ll have you feeling much better, okay?”

“Woof!!”

I laid a handkerchief on the ground and sat on it. The wolf approached me from the side.

In my hand, I held a transmuted metal brush.

It looked like what we called a “slicker brush” back on Earth—a grooming device for long-haired dogs.

I used to use one of these to groom Jiro whenever I was at my parents’ house in my past life. The only difference now was the material of the handle. As for the metal wires that made up the actual head of the brush, well, I was confident I’d done a good job reproducing them accurately.

“Aroooooooo!”

The wolf let out a pleased cry and closed his eyes when he felt the slicker brush run through his fur. I dragged it carefully across his body, being careful not to hurt his skin as I undid the knots in his gray and white coat.

The spring days were growing steadily warmer.

Each of the wolves appeared to be shedding their winter coat, leaving their skin itchy as a result. But the slicker brush gave their bodies the relief they craved. When the wolves learned this, they started coming to me for grooming.

“I think the wolves really like that… Your Majesty, you’ve been doing such a g-great job with them. I really respect that!”

Edgar was stumbling on his words like usual, but his fascinated stare was enough to express his sincere interest.

“It’s all thanks to this brush. I saw a diagram for something like this in a book I read back home, so I decided to give it a shot with my magic.”

“That’s amazing…”

“Thank you. Would you like to give the other one a try?”

“R-Really?! I’m allowed to use such a rare brush?!”

Edgar was brimming with excitement.

As the keeper of the wolves, Edgar had much more love and curiosity for the creatures than most.

“It’s all right. I made these from scrap metal, so they’re not particularly valuable. I’m just not sure how durable they are, so they might not last very long… Is that okay?”

He nodded vigorously. The boy’s amber eyes were sparkling with delight.

I handed Edgar the other slicker brush I’d made, and he carefully took hold of it like it was a sacred artifact. Quietly, he trembled in awe.

“Whooooa! It’s the brush of the gods…!”

“Ahaha. I’m not sure I’d go that far. Do you know how to use it?”

“Yes!! I-I can do it, Your Majesty! I’ve been watching you for days now! Ah, I mean, n-not in a weird way… Um, just the brushings…!”

“I know, I know. Go gently with it at first, okay? Some wolves might respond to it differently, so it’s best to be careful.”

Since these slicker brushes were made of metal wires, some dogs didn’t seem to like how it felt. Fortunately, all the wolves around us appeared to love their brushings, just like Jiro did. I only wanted Edgar to be extra careful. It was best to go slow with the brush at first to not scare or hurt any of the wolves.

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty! I understand!”

He held the brush and looked around at each of the animals until one wolf approached him.

Calmingly, he stroked the wolf’s fur with his hand and had the animal sit before him, then placed the brush against the beast’s coat.

Edgar’s movements were timid at first, but he seemed to get the hang of it in no time, and soon he was gliding the brush through the fur with ease. The wolf seemed pleased as well.

That’s why he’s the wolfkeeper, after all.

“Well done. You sure picked that up quick. Oh, look at that! This wolf seems so happy, now that its fur is smooth.”

“Hehehe!” Edgar responded with a happy laugh of his own, breaking into a delighted smile.

Though it was hard to tell with his usual timid demeanor, Edgar was actually rather good-looking when he smiled.

“This brush was so strange to me at first, but it’s actually really easy to use…!”

He was eager to praise the handiness of the slicker brushes.

Edgar was still hesitant to make eye contact with me, but judging by the full sentences he was now able to speak, he appeared to be a bit more comfortable in my presence.

“And it’s so good at getting out tangles. This is going to be so convenient…!” He sent the brush gliding through the wolf’s fur as he spoke.

Naturally, as the wolfkeeper, Edgar already had many brushes to deal with their summer shedding.

They came in different sizes, but those brushes were best used on other beasts. They were made with natural materials, and although they weren’t completely unsuitable for grooming wolves, one problem was how the fur would clump on the bristles, making them hard to use. In comparison, my slicker brushes had smooth metal combs that made for much easier grooming.

For Edgar, who looked after the wolves, that variation made a big difference.

He continued to brush the wolves that were now lining up around him. He had a big smile on his face.

While enjoying this pleasant scene, I continued to comb the fur of the wolf at my side.

“Hrrrm…?”

“Oh my. What’s the matter?”

The wolf squirmed under the slicker brush, letting out a little groan.

Was I brushing him too hard?

Worried, I looked down at the animal’s face, only to find that he was staring off toward the nearby tree line.

The other wolves fell still and turned to stare in the same direction. They sat in the grass, noses fixed on the tree line, their ears perked forward, and their front paws perfectly aligned. It was just like a row of servants standing at attention to welcome their master home.

“Whoa…”

The trees rustled, breaking the silence of the garden, and a single wolf came into view.

The creature had silver fur that glistened under the light of the sun.

Underneath that beautiful coat was a wolf bigger than the rest of the pack. He even looked stronger, too.

The wolf approached the front yard, taking in his surroundings. His eyes were the color of a winter lake, and something about them gave off an atmosphere of pride and intelligence.

He squinted his blue-green eyes at me, never breaking eye contact as he approached.

“What’s the m— Whoa?!”

I suddenly found myself face-to-face with the silver wolf. He began to sniff at me curiously.

Left, right, front, and back—the creature took in my scent from all angles, as if desperately trying to figure something out.

“Just what is that smell? It’s so strange!”

The way the wolf cocked his head at me, I could practically hear him muttering those words.

In fact, it was such a human gesture coming from what was essentially a giant dog, I couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“Ahaha! What’s the matter? Is my scent that interesting to you? You’re just like King Glenreed!”

“King Glenreed.”

I was pretty sure that just for a moment, I saw the wolf stiffen at the sound of that name. On the one hand, he was an animal, but on the other, he’d been raised by humans. Perhaps he recognized the king’s name.

“Edgar, His Majesty sure is impressive, no? Even the wolves seem to fear his name. Sure, he may be the king, but don’t you think that’s a bit much?” I said to Edgar in jest.

“Stay away from him!!”

“?!”

Edgar grabbed my shoulders and whisked me off the ground.

For a moment, I was shocked by his strength. When I looked up at him, his face was icy cold.

“That wolf’s not one of mine!!”

“What?”

A wild wolf? Within the castle walls?

I froze in bewilderment.

Edgar was facing the wolf, trying to contain his fear.

Lucian stood at the ready.

The silver wolf glared back at us.

At that moment, the tension-filled silence was once again broken by the sound of rustling trees.

“Hehehe! There’s no need to be so nervous. I guarantee that silver wolf won’t be any trouble to you.”

“Lord Melvin?!”

I could feel some of the distress leave Edgar’s body.

A handsome young man with golden hair and light-blue eyes had emerged from the forest. This was none other than Melvin.

His work as an aide to the king should have been keeping him more than occupied. So why was he here?

“Good afternoon, Lord Melvin. What brings you all the way out here?” I asked.

“I was just waiting on this here wolf. I apologize if he frightened you.”

“…Whose wolf is he, exactly? Edgar didn’t recognize him either…”

“He’s a bit of a special case. Did you see the color of his eyes?”

“They are a beautiful bluish green. I haven’t seen any other wolves with eyes like his…”

The wolf I had just been brushing was still sitting at my side, looking up at me with amber eyes that lightened in the rays of the sun.

The other wolves’ eyes were varying shades of brown too.

“Indeed! This silver wolf just so happened to be born with blue-green eyes. On top of that, in this kingdom, we view wolves as symbols of our monarchy, and many members of the royal family possess those same blue-green eyes. That has caused the silver wolf to be seen as an object of worship…and he was nearly kidnapped by some wretched soul.”

“…That’s terrible. This poor boy must have been through a lot.”

They’d tried to take the wolf for themselves just because of his unusual appearance. It was a cruel tale.

“Fortunately, the kidnapping was unsuccessful… But the whole ordeal took its toll on him, and now it’s not so easy for him to warm up to people anymore. For everyone’s safety, I’ve been keeping him separate from the other wolves and taking care of him on my own.”

Edgar seemed to accept this explanation. He and I were both seventeen years old. He’d told me it was only a year ago that he first became a wolfkeeper.

“Thank you for the information, Melvin. I’m glad to know this silver wolf’s history…but will he be okay interacting with us?”

“Actually, it’s perfect. Wolves are pack animals, so I brought him here today in the hope of seeing him interact with other wolves and humans. He might show up here again in the future, so please give him lots of love and tr— Ow, ow, ow!!”

“I don’t want anyone’s love!!” the wolf seemed to say as it butted its head against Melvin.

With an annoyed snort, the silver wolf kept his eyes fixed on me.

“Oh… Would you…like a closer look?” I asked.

I was still holding the slicker brush in my right hand.

I was surprised by how intelligent this wolf appeared to be. The sight of the unfamiliar tool might have piqued his interest.

“Melvin, is it okay to touch him?”

“He doesn’t like to be pet, but I think he’ll let you brush him. He’s used to being groomed by other people.”

“…Is that so?”

He doesn’t like to be directly touched, but it’s okay as long as I use a tool?

The distinction didn’t really make sense to me, but Melvin knew this silver wolf best, and I had no reason to doubt him.

I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t pet that beautiful silver fur with my hands, but I decided to offer a nice brushing as a way of introducing myself instead.

Slowly, I glided the brush through his coat, careful not to hurt his skin. Little by little, his silver fur grew even shinier than before.

I stared at the lovely sight and thought about what a strange creature he was.

◆ ◆ ◆

LATER that day.

Within the palace, inside the king’s office…

“Damn it… What’s gotten into me? The other wolves made the brush look so good, I just couldn’t resist giving it a try…”

There stood the Wolfvartian king, his silver locks a bit shinier than usual, grumbling these complaints to himself.