Chapter 4: Chiffon Cake and the Troubled Chef

 

 

 

Chapter 4: Chiffon Cake and the Troubled Chef

 

ONCE the silver wolf appeared satisfied with his brushing, he and Melvin returned to the forest, out of our sight. After watching them leave, Edgar left with his wolves as well, so I decided to return home with Lucian.

When I entered through the front door, one of the beastfolk maids stood in waiting.

“I’ve come to bring you a message from the kitchen, Your Majesty,” said Krona, the black-haired maid, as she bowed.

The maid’s bushy triangular ears were standing at attention on either side of her bonnet. Her eyes were slim and golden, with slender feline pupils. She was the ultimate black-cat maid.

“The kitchen? Does that mean…”

“They’ve said that starting today, you’re welcome to use the kitchen at any point before dinner preparations.”

Yes!

I struck a victory pose in my heart. Needing to change out of my fur-ridden clothes, I headed upstairs to my bedroom, only to find that a clean apron and dress had already been laid out for me.

My maids were as quick on their toes as ever. Once I changed clothes, Krona approached me.

“Your Majesty, might I style your hair for you?”

“Certainly. I’ll leave it in your hands for today.”

Krona reached her slim fingers toward the back of my head. It was a bit ticklish, but the more I watched her work, the more braids I saw form in my hair, until it was all pulled together in the back.

“Once again, you’ve impressed me with your hairdressing skills.”

“…Your hair is perfect for styling, Your Majesty.”

Her face was as stony as ever, even as she praised me, but I did catch the tip of her tail start to twitch just slightly. She seemed to be pleased as well.

Krona had braided the hair on both sides of my head, then tied the back up with red and white ribbons. The arrangement felt light and easy to move with, while also giving my hair an eye-catching appearance.

I stood up, ready to give her my thanks, when I noticed the girl was staring right at me.

“What is it, Krona?”

“Your Majesty, you’re going to start making sweets in the kitchen, aren’t you?”

“That’s my plan, yes. Would you like to join me and be my taste tester?”

“Absolutely!!”

Her response was instantaneous.

Krona must have had a weak spot for sweets, I determined.

Boy, can I relate to that.

“Hehe! I did it…! Now I get all the treats I want!” she quietly cheered to herself.

Krona seemed to have an unpredictable personality, much like an actual cat.

You might question if maids should be unpredictable, but Krona was fantastic at her job.

She understood the proper boundaries between a master and servant, and she always treated me with the utmost respect too. The other maids were somewhat withdrawn around me, since I was a foreigner in their kingdom, and as a result, it was easier for me to rely on Krona’s help all the more.

I also had my own trusted maids from back home, but it didn’t seem right to only work with people from Elltoria. But through Krona, I planned on slowly getting to know the other maids better as well.

◇　◇　◇

I finished up in the bedroom and made my way to the kitchen.

It was smaller than my home kitchen, but by no means was it lacking—there was enough space for more than ten chefs to work simultaneously.

A line of ingredients I’d requested sat atop the counter in a row.

I spotted eggs, sugar, and more. Lucian was also setting out utensils for my use.

Each one was something I’d transmuted from metal in advance. They were tools to assist in today’s baking session.

With everything I needed at hand, I was just about ready to start cooking, when the head maid appeared in the kitchen.

“Krona! Come with me! We need more hands to polish the silver. It’s taking much longer than I anticipated. Your Majesty, I apologize, but I need to borrow her for a while.”

“Just my luck…,” whimpered Krona, her voice full of disappointment as the head maid dragged her away.

I felt bad for her, but she had to do her job, after all. I would gift her some sweets later. For now, it was time to start cooking.

First, I separated the egg yolks from the whites.

I followed up by forming ice with a spell, then set it inside a box along with the bowl of egg whites.

I would still be able to proceed without this step, but by chilling the egg whites in advance, the meringue would be easier to whisk into the correct consistency when the time came.

This was the first dish of my own making since arriving in Wolfvarte. To celebrate (was that the right word?), I’d decided to make a chiffon cake.

This selection resulted from hearing that the kitchen staff had obtained a large number of fresh, high-quality eggs. Other potential dishes also came to mind, but a nice chiffon cake was one of the best ways to really savor the taste of the eggs.

While the egg whites sat in the icebox, I began to stir the yolks and sugar together to get the cake batter started.

Little by little, I added in vegetable oil and mixed it all together with my whisk.

The “vegetable” in question was the seeds of a plant called “gina,” apparently. In both flavor and appearance, the liquid strongly resembled normal cooking oil, so I used it as a substitute.

Some foods in this world were identical to what I ate on Earth, while others were brand-new to me, or were deceptively similar.

We had common foods like cabbages and onions, but there were also vegetables that didn’t appear to exist anywhere in this world, like eggplants. The closest we had was something that could only be called “imitation eggplant,” which had a round, curved body with reddish skin. They were even yellow on the inside, edible, and with a flavor not too different from that of regular eggplant. I imagined it would be a convenient substitute.

I would make use of what I had access to, and once I was used to those new ingredients, I would begin experimenting with others as well.

But first, I was working with the few ingredients I already knew well.

I was worried about a few steps in the chiffon cake recipe, but I wanted to push through it using magic, or whatever else I had to do.

I continued to add the ingredients, whisking them together loudly in the bowl.

On Earth, I used a hand mixer for this step, but now, it was all up to my own strength.

Muscles, activate! You mix those ingredients together! Show them how hard you’ve been working out!

I picked up the pace more and more, cheering myself on internally. I whisked and whisked as fast as I could while still keeping an eye on the contents of the bowl.

Finally, I switched to mixing with the wooden spatula to be sure everything was dissolved, then poured the batter into my specially made chiffon cake mold.

To make the cake rise nicely, I would have to take it out while it was still hot and flip the mold upside down to let it cool. For that purpose, I transmuted the mold to have a wine bottle–sized hole in the middle to keep the cake in place. I placed the mold into the warm oven and retrieved it later, once the surface of the cake was nice and brown.

Then I flipped the cake upside down and left it there for a while.

After checking to be sure it had cooled, I used metal skewers and a frosting knife to carefully coax the cake out.

“So fluffy…”

The texture looked perfect.

The cake had a soft bounce to it when I pushed on the surface, and it didn’t collapse at all. One section at the bottom didn’t come out of the mold very well, but I decided that gave it some charm.

For its very first creation in this world, the chiffon cake looked quite nice. I took it out to the dining room, cut it into slices, and covered it in whipped cream I’d made while working on the cake.

The cream was airy and light—the perfect texture. It looked just like a cloud as it sat atop the soft yellow cake.

The delicious-looking color combination filled me with joy just to see. The whipped cream also made for a nice change of taste and texture. I could hide the rough patches on the cake as well.

That night, I would definitely be dealing with sore muscles, but I didn’t have any regrets about making the cake itself.

“Your Majestyyy! I’ve finished up my work! Is there still some dessert left?”

“Welcome back, Krona. You have impeccable timing. The cake is ready to be tasted.”

“Hooray!”

With a joyous cheer, Krona came to sit across from me.

I handed her a slice of cake with the whipped cream piled high. Krona was finally able to dig her fork in for her first taste.

“So light…! And fluffy?!” Krona’s eyes went wide after her first bite. Her pupils also expanded with excitement, just like a real cat. “It’s soft and sweet, and it practically melts in my mouth!!”

Krona’s eyes were sparkling with delight. I took a bite of the cake for myself.

It was both moist and airy, and I could taste the delicate flavor of sugar and egg with my whole mouth.

The cake’s perfect texture resulted from adding the vegetable oil to the batter in small amounts at a time.

Krona was mesmerized and finished her slice in the blink of an eye. Wordlessly, she held her plate out toward me, seeking another slice. I was glad to see how much she enjoyed the cake, but I couldn’t comply, so I shook my head at her in response.

“Unfortunately, this is all you can have for today. I want to give the rest to the staff as thanks for lending me their kitchen.

“That’s too bad… But you’re right, we can’t hog the whole cake to ourselves…”

I could feel Krona’s silent disappointment. Somehow, her tail looked limper than usual.

“…I’m planning to make this again, so when the time comes, could you share it with the other maids?”

“Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!”

The tip of her tail perked up happily.

If she loved the chiffon cake this much, I must have assumed rightly.

I’d chosen to make a cake based on the idea that most women love sweets, and in this case, I appeared to have been correct.

Whenever I could, I planned on treating the maids and other servants to various meals to improve my relationship with them.

After finishing the chiffon cake, I drank the cup of black tea that Lucian had prepared for me. It was then that I heard a knock at the dining room door. The man who entered was Gilbert, the head chef of this villa.

…He’s as tall and lanky as ever, but was his face always this pale?

Gilbert always looked gloomy, but today, something about him seemed much worse.

His face, though handsome, was long and plagued by a melancholic look. On top of that, his tall body was slumped into an unflattering posture.

“Your Majesty, I heard that your dessert is ready to eat. Would you allow me to try it for myself?”

“Be my guest, please. I’d love to hear your thoughts.”

I handed him another slice of cake.

After observing its appearance and smelling it, Gilbert went in for his first bite.

How will a real chef react to my finished chiffon cake?

I was a bit excited to find out, but then I watched as Gilbert’s face grew even darker and more serious.

“Perhaps it’s not to your liking…?” I asked him nervously.

But Gilbert immediately swung his head up to look at me. “No, it’s quite delicious! This is just all the more reason…”

All the more reason to what?

I was glad to hear it tasted good enough, and yet, the look on his face was worryingly somber.

With wavering eyes, Gilbert reached into his breast pocket.

He then presented me with an envelope, which read…

“…Resignation?”

The writing was neat and thin, much like Gilbert himself, but the words were simple on their own.

“Has something happened in your personal life? Is your family all right?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I’ve been prepared for this for some time now, and this chiffon cake only confirms my fears.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

I gave him cake. He ate it, calling it delicious. Then he went pale in the face, only to hand me a letter of resignation.

I couldn’t wrap my head around any of it.

“Your cake is incredible. Knowing that you’re this skilled of a chef yourself, Your Majesty, means my cooking won’t ever be able to live up to your expectations… I’m used to being fired, so if you’d please, go ahead and let me have it.”

“I wouldn’t do such a thing… I enjoy every meal you and the staff make for me, Gilbert.”

I wasn’t just being nice.

The day after I arrived at the royal villa, I asked the kitchen staff to start preparing lighter meals.

The kingdom of Wolfvarte was home to races other than humans. It was a land of diverse culinary culture, but the food was generally too rich and savory when it came to human high society.

Naturally, the staff were prepared to serve me dishes that were “properly” seasoned.

I couldn’t bring myself to request an entire menu change, so all I did was ask them to use fewer spices. My request served its purpose—their cooking was much more suitable to my palate that way.

The seasonings were reduced to a satisfactory level, and though they were still rich and spicy, these meals were the best gourmet cuisine I’d ever experienced in this world. Even aside from the flavor, I could see the care Gilbert and his staff took in their craft, from how they handled ingredients to their exquisite plating.

I could never fire a chef like Gilbert.

Having rejected his offer to resign and offering my own opinion, I could see him relax considerably.

“In that case, I apologize. Between you asking me to change my recipes and taking up work in the kitchen, I got it in my head that you weren’t satisfied with my cooking, Your Majesty…”

“You’re mistaken. I borrowed the kitchen today because cooking is a hobby of mine, and I only asked you to change your seasonings because I prefer lighter meals. You and your staff have done a fine job of listening to my requests, so please be confident in your cooking.”

“…Thank you, Your Majesty, but someone like me doesn’t deserve such kind words.”

Gilbert’s gratitude sounded a lot more like self-depreciation. He was still being far too modest, even if I was the new queen of this kingdom.

“Gilbert, I’d like to ask you something… You said you’re used to being fired, so I wonder, does that mean you were fired from your last position, before you came to my villa?”

“Yes, I was. It’s an embarrassing story… Before I came here, I worked in a noblewoman’s kitchen, but things didn’t go so well between the other staff and me. I was dismissed because of that.”

…I see.

My coming to this kingdom and moving into this villa was all very sudden.

I was sure it must have been hard to gather a fine group of kitchen staff on such short notice. Having been let go from his last job, Gilbert had some baggage of his own, though he was still a fantastic cook. Perhaps that was why he was sent to work for me.

However, chefs had more to do than simply prepare meals.

They also had to maintain professional relationships with coworkers, as well as stay in the good favor of their employer. When working in the kitchens of royals, it was very important to maintain those social skills.

In some cases, chefs under the same roof would even form cliques, and the resulting wars would end with someone losing their job.

I didn’t see Gilbert as a bad person, but he also didn’t seem to have an assertive bone in his body…

As long as they couldn’t find any major flaws in his skills as a chef or his personality, I imagined his coworkers would see him as a major target for workplace rivalry.

Gilbert appeared to have lost all confidence in his cooking after being driven out of his previous position.

“Please don’t look so upset, Gilbert. Your talent and experience shine through in all your meals.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, but you needn’t lie to a pathetic creature like me…”

“I’m not lying to you. I don’t know if this will help…but if you’re willing, would you do me the favor of helping me out in the kitchen, when you have the time?”

“…Helping you in the kitchen?”

“Yes. Can I count on you?”

I had many more recipes I wanted to try, but I was still a complete amateur when it came to the recipes and ingredients unique to this world. With an expert like Gilbert to help me, I believed I could make much faster progress in re-creating meals I knew from my days on Earth. The two of us would cook delicious food together, and hopefully, I could help Gilbert regain some confidence at the same time.

◇　◇　◇

“…I think we’ll be able to make some delicious meals together as well, so for all of those reasons, I asked Gilbert to help me with my cooking.”

I sighed. That conversation with Gilbert happened three days ago already.

Listening to me recount my story was none other than the silver wolf, who was seated by my side.

I didn’t know where he came from, but he made his way to me and apparently didn’t feel like leaving.

Getting to see him again lifted my spirits, but sadly, he still wouldn’t let me pet him.

The wolf would sit nearby and turn his nose in my direction for the occasional sniff, yet whenever I reached my hand out toward him, he would let out a grumbling noise, warning me to back off.

“Hmph. You’re killing me, you know…”

There was such a good, fluffy boy right there, but I couldn’t touch him.

The situation was utterly depressing, and since I needed something else to keep me occupied, I started speaking to the wolf.

At first, I was essentially just talking to myself, until…

“Grah?”

The further I got in the story, the more the wolf would cock his head at me, as if to ask what happened next. With a sort of back-and-forth developing, I continued on with my story for longer than I even meant to.

“What a smart wolf you are, following along with my story like that.”

I knew there was no way he truly understood my words, of course. He was most likely responding to the tone of my voice and my facial expressions.

I still wanted to praise him for his level of understanding, though.

The wolf’s expression looked somehow offended. It was as if he wanted to ask me, “What kind of praise is that…?” …Or so I felt.

“What’s wrong? I was just so impressed… Did I say something to upset you?”

I tried responding to him anyway, knowing he couldn’t truly comprehend me.

Now that I think of it, I used to talk to Jiro in my past life too.

It was just a habit of mine, even though I probably looked like a crazy person muttering things to myself from anyone else’s perspective.

“I just don’t get you,” I said to the silver wolf, observing him closely.

Those blue-green eyes stared back at me. His fur swayed as a gentle breeze blew past. The wolf was so beautiful and majestic, and yet, I knew almost nothing about him.

One thing I did know was that the bottom of his paws sported little black pads. They were smooth, without any large cracks in the skin, and stood out against his silver fur. I desperately wanted to give them a good squish.

“Paw pads are the work of the gods…”

I scrunched my fingers, imagining squishing those little pads.

For a moment, I felt the wolf looking at me with a mocking expression. But I was sure I just imagined it.

He narrowed his eyes as he looked at me—the silver wolf, whose name was still a mystery to me.

I imagined it to be a proud, noble name, for some reason, but I didn’t have any real hints to go on. Edgar didn’t seem to know either, so I decided I would have to ask Melvin the next time we met.

“…That reminds me. I’ve been curious…” The silver wolf met my gaze and raised his chin toward me, as if beckoning me to continue my thought. “You really don’t shed any fur, do you?”

The animal’s coat was beautiful and lush. All I wanted was a chance to pet that perfect fur, but still…didn’t the wolf get hot under all that?

When I looked around, I saw that all of Edgar’s wolves were nearly finished shedding their winter coats. Some were even sporting their completed summer coats. These wolves had a slimmer, sharper look to them.

Compared with them, the silver wolf didn’t look like he had lost a single strand of fur in his life.

Even when I used the slicker brush, he did seem to enjoy how it felt, judging by how his eyes started to close, but I remembered him losing only a few strands of fur to the brush itself.

“If you keep your winter coat like that, the summer heat won’t be kind to your roots. I hope you don’t get ugly bald patches— Ow! Ow, ow, ow!!”

“Bald?! Me?! Don’t be foolish!”

The silver wolf butted his head against me in what felt like a form of protest.

It was a pretty painful blow on its own, even though I knew the creature could’ve given me a much worse bite if he wanted to.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Will you forgive me?”

“Fine, as long as you get it.”

I could practically hear those words as the wolf let out a little snort at me.

Maybe he really does understand humans?

Doubt started to form in my mind. While I worked on making up with the silver wolf, I heard Lucian mutter something from behind me.

“The nerve of that wolf, giving Lady Laetitia attitude like that…”

I could only smile awkwardly back upon hearing his disapproval. It was then that Krona appeared with a message.

“Your Majestyyy! You’ve received an invitation!!!”

She ran over to me, lifting the hem of her dress above her feet, and came to a stop in front of the garden gates. Her eyes were glued to the wolves in the yard.

Perhaps, as feline beastfolk, Krona was uncomfortable with dogs, including the wolves. I’d already noticed that, for whatever reason, Krona never seemed to approach me when I was playing with the wolves.

“Lucian, could you fetch me that invitation?”

“As you wish.”

He made a dash for Krona and quickly came back with the invitation in no time.

The envelope was made of high-quality paper and sealed with wax that formed an insignia.

“An invitation from Lady Natalie…?”

The silver wolf’s ears perked up when he heard me.

Lucian already had my letter opener in hand. I took it from him and swiped it through the wax, unsealing the envelope.

“Two days from now, Lady Natalie wants me to have lunch with her at her villa…”

It was a lunch invitation, sent by a woman who was part of the reason I was here in the first place.

Natalie had once been a candidate to marry King Glenreed herself.

◇　◇　◇

AS for why a former potential queen was living within the palace walls alongside the actual queen…

That reason went all the way back to the very foundation of Wolfvarte as a kingdom.

King Glenreed came from an old family that had held on to the crown for hundreds of years now.

However, the kingdom of Wolfvarte itself was less than two hundred years old.

Back then, there were five small countries in this area of the continent, including one ruled by King Glenreed’s ancestor. These small countries were looked down upon for their size and constantly troubled by the threat of invaders.

To protect themselves from the neighboring lands and the menacing demons, the five countries came together to form one kingdom ruled by King Glenreed’s ancestor, the most promising leader out of the bunch.

The capital city of Wolfvarte, where I now lived, was the same land that King Glenreed’s family controlled all those hundreds of years ago.

Now, surrounding this center part of the kingdom in all directions were the locations of the four former smaller countries—to its north, south, east, and west.

They were all part of one kingdom now, but their time as five countries was still recent history, and so these regions didn’t yet exist in perfect harmony.

King Glenreed’s family controlled the throne throughout all of this, but the descendants of the former royalty of the other four countries still wielded power in Wolfvarte as dukes and duchesses today.

This also had an effect on the selection of the queen.

The queen was generally a descendant of royalty from one of the four other lands.

The story differed a bit when it came to concubines, but historically, the queens were noblewomen born in one of the four regions outside of Wolfvarte’s capital.

Every generation, the king is provided with candidates from those select noble families in all four regions, from whom he chooses his queen.

Two years ago, King Glenreed received his four candidates from the outer regions. Only a year had passed since His Majesty ascended to the throne after the sudden death of his father.

Known as the Silver Wolf King, His Majesty had achieved many successes in battle, but he lacked any real influence on the internal affairs of Wolfvarte.

For that reason, he had no choice but to give the four powerful queen candidates villas here within the castle walls, where they quietly carried out their war to win the crown.

From what I’d heard, the candidates had tried to approach His Majesty directly, but as a hater of women, he never thought to accept any of them.

…That hatred probably stemmed from political reasons, now that I thought about it.

This was His Majesty’s third year as king. He was still in the middle of building support within the kingdom.

If he chose a queen immediately and lost the backing of their competitors’ families, Wolfvarte could fall into a troubled state of affairs. That’s where I came in—to prevent an undesirable outcome like that for the king.

He didn’t want a queen from one of those four territories, but he couldn’t leave that position open forever, and thus, he selected me to be the placeholder queen for the time being.

Again, the title of queen is pretty much always given to someone from one of those four families. No one in this kingdom, least of all me, believed that I would be the queen forever. I was a way for him to buy time so he could consolidate power until he was ready to find the true queen.

That was the only role required of me in this land—the time-limited, figurehead queen of Wolfvarte.

Two years of this “white marriage” would be all it took for me to fulfill my duty and be able to give up the royal title.

For that reason, all four queen candidates still lived in royal villas, continuing to set their sights upon securing the crown for themselves someday.

“Your Majesty, I welcome you to the home of Lady Natalie.”

A man wearing a butler’s uniform greeted me politely with a bow of his head.

Lady Natalie—a previous candidate to be queen—was the daughter of the ruling family from the western region.

The exterior of her beautiful villa was made up of intricately carved stone.

Both the location—closer to the main palace–and the size of her house bested those of my own. For whatever reason, I had been given a house much farther away, and though I had a few theories about that, I decided not to bother with them, since it wasn’t an inconvenience to me.

My home sat deep inside the woods.

It was an isolated place, perfect for me to live the life of leisure I so desired.

I spent my days playing with wolves and doing all the cooking I wanted.

I was grateful for this life, regardless of King Glenreed’s intentions.

Each day was relaxing and carefree.

But still, I was the queen of this land, even if it was in name only.

The other four candidates had spent the last ten days scrambling to be the first to interact with me, and now it appeared that Lady Natalie was the one to emerge victorious.

She was just one of the former candidates for queen, but there was still a chance she could end up in my position a few years from now.

Unable to reject her invitation, I reluctantly dragged myself out of my beloved home, putting my life of leisure on pause to attend lunch with her.

Well, I was also curious to find out for myself what kind of person she was.

“Please have a seat, Your Majesty.”

The servant opened the doors to the dining room and ushered me inside.

Covered in glass fixtures and furniture, the room had a dazzling interior.

My nose was abruptly filled with the scent of spices and seasonings when I passed through the doorway.

The staff were waiting on my arrival to serve lunch, but now that I was already picking up the rich scents of food, I knew it had to mean the smells had long since permeated the walls of the dining room.

I could smell the rich, overseasoned food even when it wasn’t around. I was already starting to get depressed. With a mental sigh, I noticed the young girl with light-blue hair staring at me.

“Your Majesty, I’m honored to have you as a guest in my home. Everyone here welcomes you today.”

The young woman’s voice rang through the room like the sound of a glass bell.

However, her tone was cold as the words slipped from her petite lips.

She was the youngest candidate for queen, and daughter of the duke who controlled the western region of Wolfvarte.

Once I’d exchanged greetings with Lady Natalie, taking a moment to observe her doll-like face, we took our seats at the dining table.

Our conversation was brief, only a sentence or two each, until Lady Natalie exchanged glances with her servant.

The food was carried to us, and with it, an assaulting smell.

I kept my expression composed, but on the inside, I wanted nothing more than to be back home.

Each dish was set onto the table—piles of food heaped atop the golden-accented white plates.

Silver cutlery lay at our place settings.

This was customary among high society in our world, due to how silver reacted when coming into contact with poison.

I picked up my fork, used it to form a single bite of ham and cheese, then carried the appetizer to my lips.

…Salty and spicy. Yep.

The ham was sprinkled with pepper and nutmeg, stinging the inside of my mouth as soon as it made contact. I couldn’t even feel the texture of the ham, the way the tip of my tongue had gone numb from the spices.

Even the cheese was covered in seasoning. My poor tongue never had a moment’s rest.

Years of eating the rich food of high society should have left me accustomed to it by now, but this was even worse than usual. It wasn’t even a question of quality—I was basically eating a plate of spices, at that point.

“How do you find it, Your Majesty? The spices are imported through the harbor in my territory, and the food is the prize work of my incredibly skilled chef. Is it acceptable?

“…Thank you for using so many of your exquisite spices on my behalf. That’s very generous of you.”

I gave her the most dignified smile I could muster and answered in a way that wouldn’t hurt Lady Natalie’s feelings. In truth, I wanted nothing more than to leave the table entirely, but it was important that I mind my manners.

The man standing by the window broke out in a proud smile when he heard my praise. He was wearing a white chef’s uniform, so I assumed he was the villa’s head chef. He stood tall and proud, basking in the glow of his accomplishment.

I got the feeling the two of us wouldn’t get along very well.

In addition to the rich food, he seemed rather emboldened by the praise for his cooking. Neither of those things made me particularly want to become acquainted with him any further.

After lunch was served, Lady Natalie and I continued on with a smattering of conversation as we ate.

From what I’d heard, the girl was one year younger than me, making her sixteen years old. She conducted herself in a very proper manner, but something about her seemed quiet and almost cold.

Aside from the occasional smile she would give me so as not to come off as impolite, Lady Natalie was practically expressionless.

Was it possible she was just nervous about meeting me for the first time?

I couldn’t rule it out, even though from what I could see, her hands moved smoothly as she used her silverware.

With a rumored nickname like “the Doll Princess,” I suspected this was just her normal demeanor.

Quietly, I kept an eye on Lady Natalie and the people who surrounded us while finishing my lunch. As if to live up to the abundance of spices, the meat dish was also heavy with oil, and I imagined my stomach would be quite displeased by it.

Once lunch was over, Lady Natalie and I both drank down our tall glasses of lemon water. The look on her face was as unreadable as ever, but somehow, I got the sense that the drink had refreshed her greatly.

…Could it be that Lady Natalie doesn’t like rich foods either?

As I was filled with a new sense of sympathy, Lady Natalie turned her head, her eyes now fixed on me.

“Your Majesty, thank you so very much for allowing us to entertain you today. Were you satisfied with your meal?”

“Indeed. It was a lovely course.”

“I’m so glad to hear it. In that case…”

In that case?

Lady Natalie fell silent, unable to impose her request. With her mouth closed, the girl’s face looked just like that of a perfectly crafted toy doll.

The woman who had been posted behind Lady Natalie suddenly stepped forward.

She looked to be in her midthirties, to my eyes. Her hair was fastened into a neat bun atop her head. The woman’s dress was also detailed and expensive-looking, though not as much as what Lady Natalie was wearing.

“Pardon my intrusion, Your Majesty. My name is Diaz. Would you be so kind as to allow me to speak for Lady Natalie?”

“…As long as she’s all right with that…”

Diaz Diegleys.

Diaz was the youngest sister of Lady Natalie’s father, and she had married into the Diegleys family—a branch of Lady Natalie’s. She appeared to serve as some kind of chaperone or helper for Lady Natalie, who was still very young.

It had only been ten days since my arrival in this kingdom.

When I wasn’t playing with my wolves, I was learning the names and basic information about these noble families. Memorizing that much would have been impossible in my past life. But here, I was used to it, so it didn’t bother me.

Memorization was something my oldest brother always insisted on as part of my education. He was known as an exemplary noble son, but only I knew that, when it came to education, he was a monster. With his handsome face, he’d mercilessly criticize my work. Sometimes I still saw that smile in my dreams…

The reason I got through my grueling royal education in the first place was largely in part because of my brother’s training. He did dote on me as his little sister, but only because of how ruthless his teachings were. Still, the love and education he gave me were a help to me today, so I was very thankful to have received them.

While mentally showing him my appreciation, I watched Lady Natalie to see her response.

She nodded, and Diaz took command of the situation.

“By accepting our invitation and joining us here today, may we take that as a commitment to our faction?”

She held nothing back in her question.

“My role as queen is to be a placeholder. I have no intention of offering support to any of the four candidates for queen.”

“Then why did you agree to meet us here?”

“I wanted you to know that we will not be enemies. I won’t be backing any of the candidates, nor will I oppose them.”

This was my plan of action here in Wolfvarte.

I would have my title for two years, and I would keep my nose out of things like politics and the selection of my successor.

Just as King Glenreed wished, I was going to buy time for him while living a quiet, peaceful life in the villa.

“The four candidates for queen, you say…” Diaz’s lips curled into a smirk. “Sure, that may be the official number, but it’s a bit different in reality. There’s a hierarchy you have to take into account. You understand why it would be bad if, for example, the next queen was from a powerless place like the southern territory.”

“…Is that so? I’m sorry to say that no, I don’t understand.”

Unwilling to say anything disrespectful of the southern candidate, I could only offer a stiff smile.

“I suppose it’s only natural you don’t understand, being a foreigner in our land.”

This time, there was no way to interpret her words as anything other than condescending. At first, I thought she was trying to get a rise out of me. But now, I could tell she simply looked down on me. Maybe she was just a rude person.

“The southern candidate can’t be considered, and the north and east are beastfolk…‘mutts,’ that is. I think you understand what I’m getting at. There’s only one candidate fit to take the throne and become queen.”

“…Yes, I do understand now.”

“Mutts,” she’d called them. And I hadn’t forgotten about being served the excessively spicy meal only moments ago.

This was all the work of Diaz, and most likely, the woman who’d allowed her to speak—Lady Natalie as well. They were now openly insulting beastfolk and shamelessly trying to win my approval.

“Yes, I do understand now. You’ve made it very clear I should stay far away from you and your camp.”

Even as I rejected her offer, Lady Natalie’s doll-like face showed no ripples of emotion.

Diaz raised her eyebrows and leaned forward to speak for Lady Natalie. “Your Majesty, could you repeat that? I’m afraid you might be confused.”

“I’m not confused at all. I want you both to know that I have no intention of forming any kind of alliance with you.”

“…And are you sure of that decision?” She glared at me. I could feel her disapproval loud and clear. “If you don’t pick Lady Natalie, the only other candidates are two mutts and a human from a region with no power. Any way you look at it, those aren’t acceptable options.”

“As I’ve already said, I won’t be taking sides, and I won’t be making enemies. Even if I were to favor a candidate, the last person I’d select is someone who refers to beastfolk as ‘mutts.’”

“Why do you take offense over an accurate description? Don’t tell me, Your Majesty, that you’re so pure of heart that you see beasts and men as equals, do you?”

Her voice dripped with sarcasm. She was challenging me.

Beastfolk.

Partially because of my past-life memories, I felt no contempt for beastfolk, and I wasn’t about to mock them like this.

In fact, I would go so far as to say I wanted to befriend them and learn more about their kind. I knew that few people on this continent shared those views, but that wasn’t the problem before me at the moment.

“Beastfolk make up nearly half of this kingdom’s population. I may only have my position for political purposes, but as the queen, do you really think I’d approve of you insulting half the kingdom?”

“…You sure like to sound noble, don’t you?”

“What kind of person interprets basic decency as some sort of scheme? I understand you two are no friend to beastfolk. But being so unable to control your own feelings, to the point that you display your disdain in my presence, makes you much lower than beastfolk in my eyes.”

“…What did you just say?”

A challenge begets a challenge.

If the situation were different, I could have chosen to let this be water under the bridge, but Diaz was being so blatant in her disrespect for me. I couldn’t let her land every punch, so I had to counterattack.

“I simply have to respond to that. You really mean to imply we’re inferior to those mutts?”

“Yes, I do, if your conduct today is to be believed.”

“So you, a human, want to go hold hands with a bunch of mutts?”

“Be it human or beastfolk, we should only judge someone based on their heart and actions, wouldn’t you say?”

“What about us do you find so insulting, exactly?”

“Well, it’s your words and attitudes, as well as the lunch I just ate.”

The middle-aged chef standing against the wall spoke up when he heard the word lunch.

“…Your Majesty, please allow me to speak.”

“All right, please do.”

“I simply have to inquire. I, the head chef of this villa, poured my heart, soul, and all the spices I had to produce such a culinary accomplishment. If this still wasn’t enough to satisfy you, perhaps you suffer from some sort of disorder of the taste buds?”

…You think my palate’s the problem?

He presented it as a humble objection, but there was no denying that last sentence only served to mock me.

I made a mental note of this man’s desire to get the last word in.

“It’s not just me. I thought a chef such as yourself would understand. I know the course you served today was supposed to be a meal of the highest class, but how can you excuse using that many spices in your dishes?”

“What about my spices? The way I cook is in line with the current trends from Lady Natalie’s hometown. Perhaps it’s a culture you’re too unfamiliar with; to reject my cooking for such a reason is simply immature.”

Who’s the one acting immature here?

The chef liked his retorts. Again, he wanted the last word.

His argument succeeded in slightly irritating me.

“I’m not rejecting your cooking. I ate every bite and kept a smile on my face the whole time.”

“Then why did you wait until now to make your complaints?”

“Because I understood what it would mean to accept your cooking. The amount of spice you use isn’t some ancient tradition. Why, it’s just something that’s come around in the last ten years, is it not?”

“Yes, and as a chef, it’s only natural to keep up with the trends.”

“Even when that ‘trend’ is being used as harassment?”

Harassment.

Today’s meal had been seasoned half to death as an indirect means of provocation.

Overseasoned meals were common among the upper classes of this entire continent, but today’s lunch took it even further.

It all started as a means of harassing beastfolk.

When it came to the five senses, most beastfolk were much more sensitive than humans. Naturally, this also included their sense of smell.

With their sharp noses, they were also extra perceptive of food seasonings. Because of this, beastfolk had a long history of abstaining from rich foods.

It was a simple cultural difference…and yet, some were eager to mock this practice.

The main perpetrators were the humans of the western region of Wolfvarte.

Despite a nearly equal ratio of humans to beastfolk across the kingdom, in the western region alone, humans made up almost 90 percent of the population.

Though they now existed as one kingdom, these regions used to be five separate countries of their own. Each of the four regions had different population makeups, and their people behaved in different ways.

The residents of the west held deeply rooted beliefs of superiority over beastfolk, due to the skewed proportion of their population.

Compared with other countries throughout our continent, Wolfvarte had a large number of beastfolk. But their more common presence also meant they faced more direct forms of prejudice and animosity. Humans and beastfolk had a very complicated relationship.

For example, Diaz’s western territory, which was mostly populated by humans, was often in disagreement with the regions home to many beastfolk. The western style of cooking was one of the obvious results of that dynamic.

On our continent, spices were a symbol of one’s wealth, and in the western region, beastfolk were made fun of for not liking spices.

They intentionally served beastfolk overseasoned food, and when the beastfolk rejected that style of cooking, humans berated them for their underdeveloped palates.

This childish form of harassment had only intensified over time…and now their region’s cooking was served completely doused in spices.

…What exactly do they think food is for?

I was questioning their sanity, honestly, but unfortunately, this was the reality of the western region of Wolfvarte.

The custom was unbelievable to me, a former twenty-first-century Japanese citizen. But even without my experience on Earth, I still wasn’t ever going to take to this style of cooking.

“I don’t mean to reject the entire food culture that was born from your homeland. But as a guest in your home, being served a meal this absurdly rich isn’t something I could just ignore.”

I turned my gaze from the head chef to Lady Natalie. Even for something as ordinary as food, there were political implications when it came to serving a guest in a formal setting.

“Let me ask you something, Lady Natalie. Can you truly say you enjoyed your meal this afternoon? You thought it was a delicious lunch to treat me to?”

“I…”

Her face finally revealed a real expression. Her mouth hung open in hesitation, until she was interrupted by Diaz.

“Your Majesty, you’re not making any sense at all. Only the lowest of commoners would judge a meal’s value on their own flavor preferences. A woman of status should only be valuing the origin and history of her meals.”

The woman’s rapid dialogue made Lady Natalie freeze up and return to her doll-like state.

Diaz wasn’t incorrect. Members of high society saw cooking as an expression of status. But the accuracy of her words made today’s meal all the more unacceptable to me.

These two had served something much more extreme than a normal high-class meal. This was a western-region style of cooking meant as a form of harassment against beastfolk. In other words, it was a silent declaration of their prejudiced views.

“It’s more than just the flavor. It’s the origin and history of the meal you chose to serve me that I cannot accept.”

I wanted to let out a sigh of exasperation, but I kept it in and stood up from my place at the table. Lucian pulled my chair back with perfect timing, which I found reassuring and which let me turn to face Lady Natalie.

“If you two continue to mock beastfolk like you’ve done today, then I will have no friendship to offer you. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way now.”

“…Farewell. I’ll await the next day we meet,” Lady Natalie offered quietly.

It was then that Diaz’s deep voice reached my ears.

“…You’re going to regret your decision eventually, I do believe. When Lady Natalie becomes the next queen, she won’t let you cozy up to her after today. That might spell trouble for the relationship between your kingdom and ours.”

“But Lady Natalie hasn’t been selected as the next queen, has she?”

“So what? Those other mutt candidates won’t get along with a human such as yourself, Your Majesty. One day, you’ll see what a grave mistake you’ve made by turning us down.”

Diaz smirked triumphantly.

I get it now. That’s why she’s been acting so arrogant toward me.

She believed that as a human, I would inherently be at odds with the beastfolk candidates. If that were the case, I’d be in a position with much less power and have no choice but to form an alliance with Lady Natalie.

That was the feeling I was starting to get, and her words finally confirmed my suspicions.

“I don’t believe such a day will ever come. After all, His Majesty should be the one to choose his next wife.”

King Glenreed, whom I hadn’t seen in over ten days.

I believed that the king was aware of just how prejudiced Lady Natalie and Diaz were. If he was forced to choose Lady Natalie as my successor, knowing her character… His Majesty and the kingdom itself would very likely be dealt a blow to their reputation and relationships.

Perhaps I should meet with His Majesty and ask him who he plans to select after me.

With that last thought, I turned to excuse myself from the room.

In that moment, I heard a quiet voice muttering something from behind me.

“…If she’s foolish enough to reject my lady’s help, it makes sense why the queen would hire a man like Gilbert.”

That voice belonged to the bigmouthed head chef.

Why was he bringing up Gilbert at a time like that? I couldn’t just ignore the comment.

“…What’s that supposed to mean? If you have something you want to say, please say it to my face.”

I gave the chef my most evil, devilish smile.

The man was purposefully spouting insults just loud enough for me to hear. This wasn’t the time for kind tactics, so I decided I had to make a real move.

The chef froze in fear when he saw my father’s signature smile on my face.

Diaz and even Lady Natalie seemed to stiffen as well, but I didn’t sense any guilt from them, even though they were the ones responsible for him as his superiors.

“Well? Don’t hush up now. I’d like to hear it. Or did you think you could get away with making your comments as long as you were muttering behind my back?”

“…! I’m very sorry…”

His face grew a deep shade of red with his apology. Those words were remorseful, but his expression showed a different story.

“But, Your Majesty, I was only thinking of your best interest!”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I wanted to warn you! Gilbert was forced to leave this house when he fell out of favor with Lady Natalie. If you still want to use that shameless man as your head chef, your reputation will surely suffer for it!”

“That’s the first I’m hearing of it.”

Gilbert told me about how he had been fired from his previous position, but I didn’t know he had been working in Lady Natalie’s home.

He’d hidden those details out of a duty to keep his past work confidential.

Now, I was surprised indeed to learn about this new connection. Diaz continued on in the meantime.

“That man had the audacity to insult Lady Natalie by complaining that all the rich foods were hurting her and needed to be changed, like she’s a sickly little girl or something. Giran was smart enough to report that behavior to me. Gilbert doesn’t know his place, and he had no right to work in this kitchen, so I let him go. You have my sympathies, being forced to employ a man like that.”

“…I see. So that’s why Gilbert was fired and came to work for me.”

Though I’d only known the man for a short time, I could tell that Gilbert’s skills when it came to cooking were the real deal.

If anything, I was relieved to find out why such an outstanding chef like him could ever be let go from a job at all.

Gilbert wasn’t an assertive man, but he was a respectable chef. I knew that was why he felt compelled to speak up about the overseasoned food here at the villa. As a result, he’d been targeted and forced out of his job.

“Thank you for sharing… But unfortunately for you, I value Gilbert’s work, so I don’t need you to worry about me. Lady Natalie…”

I turned to look at the silent girl.

“Allow me to ask you one last question. Chef Giran just stated that Gilbert was forced to leave after incurring your scorn, but is that really true? Did you decide you didn’t need Gilbert anymore, and so you had him dismissed?”

“…Yes, I did.” She spoke through tightly gritted teeth.

But that was all she had to say, and then she shut right back up.

Lady Natalie seldom spoke at all, and when Diaz, her aunt, interrupted her, she had nothing to say in return.

Officially, Lady Natalie, the daughter of a duke and a candidate for queen, was higher in status than Diaz was.

Does her aunt have something on her?

I was curious about the real story, but there wasn’t any way I could press it further, so I let it go for now. Unfortunately, my attempt to rouse some real personality out of her hadn’t been successful.

I was leaving their villa, my heart unsettled, when I was met by a servant on the way to my carriage. He handed me a sealed envelope.

“Your Majesty, King Glenreed has requested your presence. He’s asked that you meet with him in the palace after departing from Lady Natalie’s villa.”

◇　◇　◇

“IT’S been a while, my queen. Have you been doing well in the woods?”

King Glenreed’s voice echoed through the reception hall.

His Majesty was as beautiful as ever, sitting atop the throne and looking at me with those handsome features of his. His expression was frigid, and it made him look all the more intimidating.

Even though I grew up with handsome brothers, good looks still had quite an effect on me, and my heart skipped a beat when I laid eyes on the king…though I kept a prim and proper smile on my face all the while.

I took a moment to be grateful for my oldest brother’s tough but loving training, as well as for my royal education.

“Yes, and thank you for your concern. I’ve been living a life of ease in the villa without any complaint.”

“…You’re satisfied with that, out there in the middle of nowhere?”

“Weren’t you the one who gave it to me, Your Majesty?”

“That’s right. Have you no grievances with me? You’ve been sent to the woods without any visits from your husband. I expected to hear some grief from you.”

“I’m not angry. Actually, I’m grateful to you, my king.”

“Oh?” he pressed.

As a test, I stared deeply into those blue-green eyes of his.

“I know your absence isn’t a sign of disrespect. In fact, I believe it’s quite the opposite. I’m to be the figurehead queen for a short period of time, but if the two of us start spending too much time together, people will think there’s something more to the story.”

“Right you are. We’re husband and wife in name only, but that name can still draw suspicions.”

“And a misunderstanding like that would be a great inconvenience to me. If people were to believe I had won your affections… Well, Lady Natalie and the other candidates wouldn’t take it lightly.”

I could already see a future where the women launched harassment campaigns against me.

Actually, harassment would be the best outcome. More likely, I’d become the target of assassinations or something equally sinister. That was the absolute last thing I wanted. I’d come to love my leisurely life and all the furry friends it contained.

“Thus, I appreciate your lack of visits, Your Majesty. That’s why you left me to my own affairs, isn’t that right?”

“You sure think a lot of me over something so small.”

“That’s not my only reason. You gave me that villa to protect me from being caught up in pointless disputes, didn’t you?”

The simple house that could barely be called a “royal villa,” tucked deep within the forest. At first glance, it seemed like the opposite of a warm welcome, but His Majesty knew what he was doing.

“Aside from me, the other four candidates for queen also live here in villas within the castle walls. They all have nicer houses in more central positions than mine…but if you sent one of them into the woods so that I could take a better villa from them, that candidate would quickly come to detest me.”

Behind closed doors, the four candidates were at war to determine who would be the next queen.

The only reason there was some sense of peace now was because King Glenreed never treated any of them with special kindness—or rudeness.

If the king upset this order to give me one of the candidate’s villas, things would get ugly for both His Majesty and me.

“That’s why I’m perfectly content in my forest villa, without any visits from you. I’ll stand at your side as queen for the occasional event or diplomatic dealing…but aside from that, I’d prefer if we kept our distance, Your Majesty.”

“…So you won’t be after my favor, or my love, or anything of that sort?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Our marriage is a political matter and has no basis in romance. All I want from you, Your Majesty, is a healthy amount of distance.”

“A healthy amount of distance…”

I felt like I caught a hint of unhappiness in his voice. I’d heard of his hatred for women; maybe he was upset that a woman was now the one laying down boundaries for him.

“…Very well. I’ll keep my distance. That’s what I want from this marriage too.”

King Glenreed gave me a nod.

It was a bit of a relief. My words seemed to have persuaded him.

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty. We may lack the relationship of a normal married couple, but as your queen, I’d like to support you however I can.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been see— I’ve been receiving reports on how you spend your days at the villa, and I’m sure you’ll be a fitting queen for both the humans and beastfolk of this kingdom.”

“I appreciate those words… However, may I ask you something?”

“What’s that? Speak up,” he pressed me.

King Glenreed had a sharp tongue at times, but he was still kind enough to listen when people spoke.

“There are a number of beastfolk among my servants at the villa. Were you the one who selected them, Your Majesty?”

“I did. I gave the orders to send you some beastfolk servants, but I didn’t pick out anyone in particular. Why? Do you have a complaint?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. Each and every one of my servants is doing a magnificent job… But was it your intention to gauge my reaction to the beastfolk?”

I remembered my initial journey to reach this very castle.

We stayed in many inns along the way, and each time, the staff that welcomed us were entirely composed of humans. But that didn’t mean there were no beastfolk staff at all.

I believed this was their attempt at being considerate of me.

Most humans on our continent don’t look upon beastfolk very kindly. Knowing this and wanting to avoid displeasing me, I believed they’d intentionally kept the beastfolk staff from welcoming me to their inns.

Though I had no ill feelings toward beastfolk, I understood why the inns did this. With the experiences I’d had, I was a bit surprised to see beastfolk working as servants at my villa.

Maybe there wasn’t a deeper meaning to it, but His Majesty’s answer made me think I was on the right track.

“So, you asked that I have beastfolk among my servants. Does that mean you wanted to observe how I would treat them? What would you have done if I was prejudiced against beastfolk?”

“I’d have seen your true nature and dealt with it however I saw fit.”

“…I see.”

He was being ambiguous, but that certainly didn’t sound very pleasant.

I imagined myself being completely restricted to my villa and truly becoming the “placeholder queen” once and for all.

I felt better knowing His Majesty’s intentions, but now I also knew I was being tested in that way.

“…You seem undisturbed. You’re not angry to learn I was testing your character?”

“Actually, I’m quite relieved.”

“…How so?”

“Because now I know you had some level of interest in me. Leaving me alone in that villa is something I wished for as well…but even if I’m merely a figurehead queen, if you had no interest in determining my personality whatsoever, well, for all you knew, I could have been a threat to the kingdom. But you did your duty to learn what kind of person I am. I’m very relieved to hear you didn’t just want to forget about me.”

“…You’re either very strange or very smart to rejoice in receiving such a test. Tell me, which is it?”

“Who knows? I’ll leave that judgment to you, my king.”

…Strange, huh?

I meant to give an answer more appropriate for someone in my position, but ever since regaining my past-life memories, there were times I found myself unintentionally straying from the norms of this world. Maybe that’s why I seemed strange.

I finished my explanation, smiled at the king, then decided to finish what I’d come here for.

“Now that you know I have no intention of belittling beastfolk, I’d like to ask you for your opinion of them, and of Lady Natalie as well.”

Though his predecessors had taken beastfolk as queens, they were still a family of humans. His Majesty had no animal ears or tail himself. His appearance was just like that of any other human, excluding his good looks.

Incidentally, there were a few reasons why a human king was the acknowledged ruler of a kingdom inhabited by both humans and beastfolk.

The biggest reason was the legend of His Majesty’s ancestors being wolf spirits.

Though they were humans, because they were considered to be the descendants of wolves, both humans and beastfolk recognized them as king.

Even though it was just a legend, it was a legend the public liked.

“…I was invited to lunch at Lady Natalie’s villa this afternoon, where I was forced to hear all about her disdain for beastfolk. Can I ask what you think of that girl?”

“I don’t feel anything about Natalie either way, honestly, since she’s nothing but a doll.”

I sympathized with his answer a bit. Lady Natalie was beautiful, but talking to her felt like making conversation with a particularly lifelike doll, and I never knew how to respond.

“…But if I had to rate her as a potential queen, I’d say she’s pretty far away from the mark right now. All the people around her, like her father and her aunt, are nothing but trouble.”

His Majesty seemed to be looking for a way to rid himself of Diaz and the others.

However, for the nobles of the western region of this land, looking down on beastfolk was the most natural thing in the world. Aside from her prejudice toward beastfolk, Lady Natalie had made no major blunders. It was difficult to take her out of consideration for the crown without more of a direct reason, it seemed.

“Thank you very much for letting me hear your thoughts, Your Majesty. I have no intention of being friends with Lady Natalie or her group either. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, that’s the best plan. If anything changes, I’ll let you know, so just stick to your quiet life in the villa for now.”

Thank goodness.

I had direct permission from the king to stay at home and live my life of leisure.

I was also relieved to hear that Lady Natalie and her group weren’t going to get any favorable treatment. It made me glad I’d left the villa at all today. Now I could go home and play with the wolves as much as I wanted.

I’d eaten terrible food, put up with Diaz and the chef who always wanted the last word, and had a dialogue with His Majesty.

I was starting to get tired. All I wanted was to eat delicious food and relax with my furry friends.

I wonder if I’ll get to see the silver wolf today, I wondered as I excused myself in front of the king.

◆ ◆ ◆

“JUST what is with that woman…?”

Muttering to himself, Glenreed stared off in the direction Laetitia had left in.

The reason he had shipped her off to the forest. The reason he never visited her. The reason a few of her servants were beastfolk.

Laetitia had correctly guessed Glenreed’s reasoning behind every single one of those points. In fact, she wasn’t wrong about a single thing.

And yet, the woman never thought to brag about her intellect or deductive skills. She even seemed to understand the position he was in as king.

Not only does she make a good placeholder queen, but she’s also a pretty handy person to have around.

Honestly, in the beginning, Glenreed only wanted someone to take the heat off him. Perhaps he was just fortunate to be blessed with such a clever queen, although…

“She’s like a totally different person…”

Glenreed wrinkled his brow.

As a noblewoman and as a figurehead queen, Laetitia was perfect.

But Glenreed knew the other side of her.

“Fluffa fluffa fluffa fluff~ Pet the fluffy babies~”

She sang that incomprehensible song to herself when petting all the other wolves.

Glenreed, in silver wolf form, had seen her acting like such a stupid little child.

Of course, she never sang around Edgar or the other humans, meaning she did know how embarrassing it was.

I guess I don’t hate that side of her…

Laetitia stood in front of others with her pretty yet unreadable smile.

But when her guard was down, well, sometimes she was quite entertaining.

She was a girl with both the rigid expressions of a duchess and the carefree smile of a child.

Despite her role as a figurehead queen, Glenreed felt he needed to dig further into her true nature, as well as find the source of that strange scent.

“…Tomorrow, I’ll find some time to watch her more in wolf form.”

Just earlier, she’d agreed to forgo contact from the king.

So if he couldn’t see her in human form, he could at least see her as a wolf.

That was how Glenreed chose to look at it, anyway.