by Yu Sakurai
Some of the others were still keeping their distance, but Jenna never had any trouble approaching me. According to Edgar, the wolfkeeper, Jenna loved to be petted by humans.
On top of that, she adored the slicker brush as well. Jenna was the perfect wolf for me—I could make her so happy just by petting and brushing her.
The transmuted slicker brush seemed to be a big help for both Edgar and the wolves. He told me all about how hard it was to groom the wolves when they started shedding, but this year, he was so grateful that he had an easier way to get it done.
It was all thanks to the convenience of modern Earth appliances.
However, the wolves still had their own preferences when it came to brushings.
During the spring, many wolves seemed to enjoy it. Maybe their skin was itchy from shedding their coats. But once they were through with that, some stopped letting me brush them.
“Nah, I’m good for now, thanks,” I imagined some wolves saying as I watched them avoid me and the brush.
“More! Please brush me more!!” begged others as they nuzzled me with their heads. Jenna was the most eager of them all.
When she felt that slicker brush against her, the tension left her entire body. I could tell she loved it. And when I was done with her brushing, I loved running my hands along her soft fur too.
We called this a “win-win situation” in my past life.
“So fluffy… I could pet you forever…”
“…Never would have thought I’d envy a wolf…”
“Lucian? Did you say something?”
“No, it’s nothing at all. For a moment, I just felt my heart being stolen away by the lovely little creature.”
“I know how you feel!”
I nodded vigorously.
Wolves are scary and hard to approach at first, but their mannerisms and expressions are truly endearing.
Thanks to the loving training from Edgar and the other wolfkeepers, these wolves were a lot more like giant dogs. I felt myself getting so attached to them.
And now I’d learned that Lucian and I shared the same love of wolves. I’d expect nothing less from the man. It was common that servants and masters had similar tastes, and I greatly appreciated his enthusiasm.
I was also deeply grateful that Lucian came all the way to this land just to take care of me. With our long history, I didn’t have to hide my true self in front of him anymore, and this meant I could snuggle with the wolves all I wanted.
Thinking about it now, as much as I always publicly conducted myself in a proper manner for a duke’s daughter, there were still glimpses of my past-life personality that popped up now and then throughout my life.
In front of Lucian and the brother I was closest in age to, I often acted pretty silly, actually.
…Huh. Oh well.
Being on edge all the time wasn’t healthy. I needed a break every now and then.
Yeah. That was it.
“Fluffy little critter, so fuzzy and soft…,” I hummed to myself. I was really in that good of a mood.
It was all thanks to yesterday’s meeting with Gilbert.
When I had returned from my visit with His Majesty, I went to talk to Gilbert about two topics.
First, I wanted his help improving my chiffon cake recipe.
Second, I asked him to cut back on spices in all the meals he served me.
This second request was something I was trying to save for later.
Usually, if I asked for lighter meals, I’d only be met with resistance. That’s why my plan was to befriend Gilbert and the other chefs, then slowly but surely shift to meals that used fewer heavy spices.
Though, in truth, I wanted a change, and I wanted it fast.
I learned all about the circumstances of Gilbert’s firing at Lady Natalie’s house. With that new information, I felt assured that Gilbert must have opinions of his own when it came to upper-class cooking.
He confirmed my suspicions when I asked him directly.
Gilbert told me he didn’t hate spices and seasonings, but personally, he preferred to eat meals where the natural flavor of the ingredients was the heart of the dish.
At that point, I was able to confess that I agreed with him, and thus, Gilbert and I entered into our culinary partnership.
And fortunately for me, the chefs who worked under Gilbert in the villa didn’t seem to have a problem with that line of thought either. They all had experience working with Gilbert before, so they were more or less on the same page.
The chefs at my villa hadn’t been here very long, but they seemed to be doing a good job working together. Four of them were fired from Lady Natalie’s villa when Gilbert was forced out of his job, and the rest resigned to follow him here to mine.
I didn’t deem Gilbert very talented when it came to getting on in the world, but even so, his subordinates and colleagues all seemed very fond of the man.
Now that I thought about it, I felt very blessed that Gilbert and his chefs were the ones I met at the villa. Lady Natalie and Diaz weren’t pleased with Gilbert as a chef, but for someone like me who hated food that was too rich, he was pretty much perfect.
I continued to stroke the wolf, daydreaming about all the delicious food I was going to eat. I was humming the “Fluffy Friends Song” (lyrics and music by me) to myself, when I heard a rustling sound from the tree line.
“…She’s really just an idiot, isn’t she?”
Seeing the dumbfounded look on the silver wolf’s face, I could almost hear him directing those words toward me.
The silver wolf was already bigger than the rest of the pack, but at the moment, he looked bigger than ever. The others were slimmed down now that they’d shed their winter coats, and the silver wolf looked all the fluffier in comparison.
Maybe his winter and summer coats are very similar?
Even the other wolves looked significantly fluffier than pictures of wolves in summer coats I’d seen in Japan.
Maybe the wolves of this world were naturally fluffier than Earth wolves.
I busied myself with these thoughts, singing to myself all the while, when I felt the silver wolf’s cold stare on me.
“Humming to yourself without a care in the world… What’s got you in such a good mood?” I interpreted from the silver wolf’s blue-green eyes as he observed me.
What a fantastic glare. Thank you, you just made my day.
…I promise I’m not a masochist.
The silver wolf seemed a bit shocked, but really, all I was doing was admiring his cuteness.
If a human were to glare at me so coldly, I was sure I’d shrink away sadly.
Of course, I’d never let a human see me embarrass myself like this in the first place.
On the off chance King Glenreed or one of the other queen candidates ever caught me acting like this, I was pretty confident I’d die from shame right there on the spot.
“Hehe! I see the wolves still love you, Your Majesty.”
“Good day to you, Melvin.”
This time it was Mervin who emerged from that same tree line. I decided to ask him the question that had been lingering in my mind for a while now.
“Melvin, can you tell me this wolf’s name? I don’t have anything to call him.”
“…He doesn’t have a name.”
“Really?”
“I only call him ‘the silver wolf’ in honor of that beautiful coat. Your Majesty, if you please, you’re welcome to come up with a name for this boy here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Well, it’s a bit impersonal to always call him ‘the silver wolf,’ don’t you think?”
The silver wolf’s ears perked up at each point in our conversation. Those jaunty little ears were incredibly cute.
“All right, how about…Howly?”
I thought the name suited the creature’s distinct howl, and yet…
“Grrrah!”
“Absolutely not!!” he seemed to be responding with a snarl.
&nbs
p; “You don’t like it? Then how about Wolfy?”
“Grah!”
“Growly?”
“Grrrrr!!”
He rejected every single one of my suggestions as soon as they were out of my mouth.
What’s wrong with my names?
Melvin just laughed, sounding particularly amused.
“This here wolf has quite a lot of pride, you see. I don’t think he cares for how ‘cute’ your suggestions are.”
“What? He can understand that?”
Melvin’s smile widened when he heard my surprise. Somehow, that expression reminded me of my oldest brother. It was a smile I just couldn’t seem to read.
“…Yes, I think he can. Even if he doesn’t understand the words, he can probably make sense of your tone and the sound of the names themselves.”
“That’s still very clever of him…”
This wolf could have been a famous, well-loved circus animal or something of the sort on Earth.
The image of the silver wolf leaping through rings of fire flashed in my mind. It actually felt right, somehow. I liked imagining it.
“Lord Aroo, the star of the show…”
“Aroooo!!”
“Good. I accept that name.”
The silver wolf lowered his head like a nod.
“Lord Aroo…?”
“Woof!!”
He responded to his name with an approving cry, at least to my ears.
…So, “Lord Aroo” it was.
“Lord Aroo, you’re such a strange wolf…”
“Roooo?!”
“I think not. You’re a stranger sort than me.”
He implied this with a cry. To me, it was only another curious gesture of his.
With a snort, Lord Aroo trotted his way over to me.
It looked like he was curious about the slicker brush, once again.
“…Would you like a brushing?”
“Gruh…”
“No, that’s not it. I just wanted to smell it.”
Lord Aroo wrinkled his nose at me.
He had seemed disinterested at first, but now, he would let me use the brush on him without hesitation. He wasn’t as friendly as Jenna or the other wolves, but he also didn’t hate the brush enough for it to send him running at first touch.
“You don’t hate the brush, but you won’t let me pet you. Shouldn’t it be the other way around…?”
With its metal bristles, I would expect the brush to have a much more intense sensation compared with a human hand.
What a strange wolf he was to still prefer the brush in the end.
Melvin seemed to be holding back laughter as he watched Lord Aroo close his eyes and allow the brushing.
I finished my work while wondering what that could be about.
“I’ll be back again, so be sure you’re ready for me.”
With a confident wave of his tail, Lord Aroo and Melvin went on their way together.
Edgar and the rest of the wolves followed a while after that. Before I went back inside, I decided to go on a brief walk of my own.
Spring was in full bloom. The bright afternoon sunshine filtered through the trees, casting lacelike shadows across the ground.
The trees surrounding my house were like a forest of their own. I loved the rich smell of all the greenery.
I was stretching my body as I walked alongside Lucian when I noticed that the grass to my right was rustling.
“A cat…?”
Lucian had placed himself in front of me protectively, but past him, I could see a tiny, fuzzy creature squirming in the grass.
The cat had a round head and vivid light-green eyes. Its coat was like a gray tabby’s, with alternating lighter and darker gray stripes in its fur.
“……”
“……”
Silently, I stared right into its green eyes.
…What a strange cat.
I always thought cats were supposed to hate eye contact with humans.
Don’t they usually think you’re trying to start a fight if you look them in the eye?
But this cat kept its gaze fixed on me. It wasn’t acting upset at all, either.
Those light-green eyes were captivating, like I was looking straight at the fresh forest leaves that surrounded us.
The wind gently rustled its whiskers, while the two of us continued to stand and stare in silence.
The cat, still looking up at me, started to walk deeper into the woods. The way it kept its eyes on me as it moved felt like an invitation to follow.
“…Shall we go?”
Curious, I decided to tag along.
The cat continued to weave between the trees, ensuring we were still behind it as it moved. As we followed our four-legged guide, I caught wind of something sweet in the air.
The stronger it got, the more nostalgia filled my body.
What I saw there instantly took me back to memories of my past life.
“I can’t believe it…”
The cat had led us through a small copse of trees.
Bright-red fruit sagged from the vines—something I’d never seen since I had reincarnated into this world. Their ripe surface was speckled with bumpy seeds, and each berry was in the shape of a triangle with a green stem on top.
“Strawberries…”
They were nearly identical to the ones I knew from Earth, both in appearance and in that sweet, nostalgic fragrance. The only difference I could make out was the smaller size of some of the berries.
Sprouting close to the ground, some were splattered with mud, but they were still just as easy to identify.
Can I eat these?
The sweet-and-sour scent reached my nose. I felt a sudden hunger overcome me.
I loved strawberries so much, I was even singing my little strawberry song to myself just before I died in my past life.
As I restlessly looked at the strawberries (or whatever they were), the gray tabby strolled right over to them. It sniffed at the berries, savoring the smell before digging in with its fangs.
One bite, then two—the cat gobbled down one strawberry after another, leaving red juice stains in the fur around its mouth. It left the stems scattered around on the ground once it was finished, then took to licking the juice off its fur.
“So you can eat them…”
If a cat could eat them, then so could I. Probably.
Since my body was much bigger, I figured the berries would be safe for me to eat.
I crouched down closer to the strawberries (or whatever they were), careful not to startle the tabby cat.
I cast a spell to make a tiny blade out of wind and sliced the vines, freeing all the berries. Next, I caught the tumbling fruit in my hands and then used another spell to clean the berries.
Once they were free of any dirt and mud, I checked again to confirm they were also free of bugs and mold. I took my first bite into the tip of a strawberry. Immediately, that sweet flavor filled my mouth.
“Delicious…”
I felt the slightly sour juice drip onto my tongue, leaving a refreshing taste in my mouth. The nostalgic flavor was exactly how I remembered it. The berries were incredibly delicious.
“Did you want me to try these?”
The gray tabby cat was still taking its time eating up a bundle of the berries.
It seemed this cat was a big fan of them.
“What a strange cat…,” murmured Lucian. I agreed with him on that point.
“But thanks to this cat, we were able to find strawberries out here. I owe it my gratitude.”
“Strawberries?”
Lucian cocked his head curiously.
…Oh, that’s right.
I’d never once encountered strawberries under any circumstances for the seventeen years I’d lived in my birth kingdom. Naturally, Lucian wouldn’t know anything about strawberries, being from the same kingdom as me.
“These fruits are called strawberries. I’ve seen them described in old books before.”
&nb
sp; “I see. ‘Strawberries,’ are they? I don’t know why, but I find that name kind of cute. It suits their appearance.”
“I agree! They’re cute on the outside and delicious on the inside. Wonderful, don’t you think?”
“Indeed. That’s all very grand, but…please refrain from eating wild fruits like that, Your Majesty. You did it so casually, and you looked so happy as you ate, I found myself completely transfixed at the sight, but you could have been in real trouble had the berries been poisonous.”
“…I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.”
“No, I’m the one who should apologize for failing to warn you.”
Whoops. The mistake made guilt creep into my heart.
I was just so excited over the discovery, I couldn’t help but dig in right away, but it was true the berries could have been “strawberries” in appearance only. If they were actually poisonous, I would have just put myself in a very serious situation.
In my past life, it would have been a simple case of self-destruction by the gluttonous office worker. But here, as the queen, who knew how heavy the consequences would be if I managed to get myself poisoned?
Fortunately, this fruit appeared perfectly strawberry-like in every single way, so I doubted it was poisonous…
I made a mental note to take more caution in the future.
“I’m sorry I scared you. I think Gilbert and the other chefs might know more about this fruit. What say we take some home for them?”
“That’s a great idea. Here, use this.”
I took his handkerchief and placed some of the strawberries inside.
As I handed the bundle back to Lucian, I noticed the gray tabby was still staring up at us. When the two of us turned to leave, the cat started to trot after us on its four little legs.
Did it get attached to me?
I reached out my hand to see for myself, but the tabby dodged my attempted petting immediately.
We continued through the forest until we reached the villa. All the way along, the cat followed behind us silently.
Maybe it wants to be adopted?
The cat continued to follow me into the house, though it kept a safe distance from me all the while.
I started to wonder if this cat was after a human snack.
I left the gray tabby on its own to poke my head into the kitchen, hoping I could find it some milk. Luckily, I happened to spot one of the younger chefs who didn’t seem to be occupied with anything.
