by Yu Sakurai
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 k
now 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.
Chapter 5: The Gardener Cat and Strawberry Jam
“SOOOOOO fluffyyy!!!”
Fluffa fluffa fluffa fluff!
I, Laetitia, was running my hands all over the fluffy wolf, getting my absolute fill of soft fur.
I was even starting to fluff up my words. Oh dear.
Surrounded by so much fluff, fluff wasn’t even sounding like a real word anymore.
“This is exactly what I needed!!!”
The soft strands of fur tickled both of my palms.
With each stroke of her coat, the wolf closed her eyes in bliss, and I started to forget all my cares in the world at the same time.
Yesterday’s visits to Lady Natalie and His Majesty were the first time I’d conducted any official business in days. I wanted nothing more than to play with the wolves and heal my weary soul, but sadly, they were already done with their walk by the time I got home.
My instinct to pet fuzzy creatures was in full swing. Today, finally, I got to pet all the wolf fur I wanted.
“Roooo!” cried the wolf.
She started to shove her face into me.
Right here? Is this your favorite spot?
I scratched her from the nape of her neck, down to her shoulders, and all the way down to her chest.
“Arooooo!”
She leaned into me and enjoyed the scratches.
This female wolf, Jenna, was extremely friendly.
