by Yu Sakurai
“Do you really think I’m going to just accept that?”
“How unfortunate. I could go as far as to ask if you were the one who copied our cake first, hmm? The reason I came here today was to suggest you fire your poor-mannered chef here, who just accosted us with baseless accusations of theft.”
“Well, unfortunately, I have no intention of letting this man go,” I replied bluntly. I then turned my gaze to Giran. “How can you even call yourself a chef? Don’t you have any shame, stealing someone else’s recipe like that?”
“What are you talking about? Trying to shift the blame, are we?”
“…Are you actually accusing me of stealing your recipe?”
“Am I wrong? Your head chef, Gilbert, was fired from our kitchen, and now he’s probably trying to get revenge by stealing our recipe.”
“…You’re the lowest of the low.”
I didn’t even try to hide my contempt.
I knew I could never respect Giran when I learned he enjoyed cooking in ways that were upsetting to beastfolk. But I never expected him to resort to blatantly stealing recipes like this. What a terrible disgrace of a chef, and a human.
My days in the royal villa had all been peaceful so far. In fact, I could hardly remember the last time I felt such disgust with another person. What irritated me all the more was how I couldn’t deny that Giran’s argument was persuasive.
If anyone who didn’t know Gilbert heard about this, Giran’s story about the fired chef’s act of revenge would appear to hold water. It didn’t help that I had been spending so much time confined to the house. No one outside of the servants and I could prove that it was our cake. We were backed into a corner.
“…I heard that Lady Natalie would be having a tea party for her friends and family today. You presented the chiffon cake at that event to prove that it was your creation, is that correct?”
“Of course. We wanted our guests to enjoy our newest cake, and we even shared it with commoners, as an act of compassion. There are dozens of witnesses who know the cake came from us.”
She’d called it “an act of compassion.” What a joke.
Diaz’s only goal was to create as many witnesses as possible.
That was why my chef had caught wind of the situation and rushed here to inform me of the stolen cake.
“So, you’re the inventor of the chiffon cake? I can’t imagine that’s all you wanted out of this. In five days, you’re going to give His Majesty a chiffon cake for his birthday, aren’t you?” I ventured.
“Why yes, we are. The chiffon cake is our creation. It appears you’ve come up with something that strongly resembles ours, but I’d strongly advise you against giving it to His Majesty. You certainly wouldn’t want to be seen as a plagiarist in the eyes of so many, would you?”
On that note of feigned kindness, Diaz turned to leave.
“Well, then. We’re very busy back at home, preparing for the birthday festivities, so I’ll be on my way now. I’m looking forward to seeing your birthday present for His Majesty. You’ll have to come up with it in five short days, though.”
So that was her plan.
A birthday present is an expression of the sender’s own class and status. If I, a newcomer to the kingdom, was unable to come up with a proper gift for the king, I would be belittled and ridiculed for it.
At that point, I had already turned down an offer from Diaz and Lady Natalie to back their attempt at taking the crown. If I wasn’t on their side, that made me their enemy. They wanted to weaken my own standing before they tried to obtain any power themselves.
“Hmph. This is what happens when you hire someone like Gilbert as a head chef. What an eyesore to have in your kitchen all day, that know-it-all. He should have quit this line of work altogether, but I guess he just doesn’t know his place.”
That grating sound was the voice of Giran, the man who always had to have the last word. He wasn’t even trying to hide his hatred of Gilbert anymore.
I couldn’t quite figure out why a chef like him would participate in this whole plagiarism scheme, but now it made sense.
“…You were jealous of Gilbert, weren’t you?”
“Excuse me? What are you talking about?”
“He’s younger and more skilled than you, which is why you went behind his back to have Lady Natalie send him away. But when you learned I had hired him as head chef, it ate at you, didn’t it? And now you’ve resorted to stealing a recipe to take away from his achievements.”
“…! Don’t be ridiculous!” His face was turning a deep red. My suspicions were confirmed. “I’m going home too!”
Giran made a dash for the door. After he was gone, all that was left was his forgotten chiffon cake, or whatever it deserved to be called.
“What do we do, Your Majesty?” Gilbert murmured, still in shock. He was always a pale man, but right then, he was as white as a ghost. “No apology would be enough for causing your chiffon cake to be stolen…”
“It’s not your fault, Gilbert. Giran and that whole group just like to play dirty.”
“But, still…”
“First, what say we give this cake a try to see how it tastes? We can discuss what to do after that.”
I was confident they wouldn’t have done anything as foolish as poisoning it.
My grudge was with Giran, not the cake itself.
I busied myself with getting out the silverware and dishes, and we dug into the dessert together.
“It’s quite… Well, no, it’s not very good. But it’s not so bad either.”
“…I agree.”
Gilbert and I were on the same page.
The flavor itself was fine, but what it lacked was the light and fluffy texture that was characteristic of a chiffon cake. It wasn’t soft at all—in fact, it was a bit dry.
Actually, it reminded me of a failed attempt of my own to make a chiffon cake in my past life. I was only in elementary school at the time, and I forgot to add oil to the batter before putting it in the oven.
“I thought the texture and taste of ours was better, Your Majesty…”
“The real problem is that they beat us in presenting it to the public…” I sighed.
Compared with the one made under Gilbert’s instructions, as well as the delicious cakes I knew from my past life, Giran’s attempt was not a success.
But still, in this world, its texture and shape were unique enough on their own. A slightly different texture probably wouldn’t be enough to prove the recipe was stolen.
“I don’t want to roll over and let them win… But seeing as how they took the first move, I’m not sure how we can best them in this situation.”
They’d been so aggressive about it too. However, losing wasn’t an option. A tie wouldn’t be acceptable to me either. If I was going to publicly accuse them of plagiarism, I needed something that would ensure I ended up the victor.
I would be leaving this kingdom after two years, but Gilbert and the other chefs would live out the rest of their lives here. With Gilbert being fired from Lady Natalie’s kitchen and the others coming under suspicion of plagiarism, it would be difficult for them to continue to work in the same industry.
“Your Majesty, if you’re experiencing any concern for my sake, I don’t want you to worry about something so trivial. Please expose Giran for what he is to the whole world.”
“No, I can’t do that, Gilbert. If we lose that battle, my reputation as the queen will take a beating. With that on the line, I have no choice but to let them have the chiffon cake. For his birthday, I’ll send His Majesty some textiles from my homeland instead.”
I already had an alternate present prepared in case our improvements to the chiffon cake recipe didn’t pan out in time.
Unfortunately, the textiles would be a much less impactful present in comparison, and more than anything else, I didn’t want to let the cake I made with Gilbert be stolen away like that.
While I was busy deciding on the next move, I noticed t
he gloomy faces of the chefs surrounding me.
…This doesn’t look good.
The air was harsh and heavy, but not just because of the plagiarism.
…A traitor.
Someone taught Giran how to make that sponge cake.
Most likely, the culprit was one of the chefs here in this very room.
“Everyone? Let’s not look at each other with suspicion. It’s also possible someone from the outside came to spy on us here, so I’ll check in with Edgar, the boy who walks the wolves around our villa, and see if he’s noticed anything unusual. It’s just about time for dinner, so please, return to your posts in the kitchen.”
This seemed to lighten the mood.
I knew that the chefs didn’t want to suspect their colleagues either.
Now that they were considering the possibility of an outsider, along with receiving orders from me to follow, they seemed to be much more relaxed.
Conveniently for me, Edgar would be here to walk the wolves soon.
I exited the house and planted myself in the shadow of a tree, taking some time to get my thoughts in order.
Should I still send His Majesty a sponge cake for his birthday? How can I prove that the recipe was stolen? Who exactly stole it in the first pl—
“Grah!!”
“EEK?!”
A wolf’s pouty whine was suddenly right up against my ear.
“Don’t you dare ignore me,” Lord Aroo seemed to insist as he wrinkled his nose at me, looking annoyed. He sat himself down beside me.
“You startled me…”
I was so lost in thought, I guess I didn’t even notice Lord Aroo walking up to me.
“What brings you here so early today?” I asked him, knowing there would be no response.
Lord Aroo always appeared a bit after Edgar and the other wolves did. But most days, he didn’t show up at all.
“Nothing special…”
He looked away, as if to dodge the question.
Lord Aroo lay down with his belly on the ground. He kept a bit of distance from me.
I stared at the wolf’s fur as it swayed in the breeze, until his blue-green eyes were staring back at mine.
“You look upset. Did something happen?” they seemed to ask me.
I wondered if he was suspicious, since he could tell something was wrong with me.
“I guess I’m a bit down… Well, to put it more accurately, I let my guard down.”
The words came out one by one. I could feel my emotions start to sort themselves out inside me.
Gilbert blamed himself for the stolen cake, but it was my responsibility to bear as the head of this household.
Recipe plagiarism was something I’d seen in Japan during my past life. That meant I could only blame myself for not taking the right precautions to stop this.
Of course, the actual thieves were the ones at fault. Not everyone in the world is a good person. But even as a placeholder, my title of queen meant I needed to keep myself out of trouble like this.
“It’s so depressing…”
What bothered me all the more was how happy my life had been in the villa before now.
Everyone in my home here seemed nice, which made the idea that one of them could be a traitor so dreadful.
Maybe the culprit was forced into it somehow…
But I didn’t have a clue who did it in the first place, so I couldn’t begin to guess their motives.
There was nowhere for me to turn. I felt my mood spiraling into worse and worse territory.
While I was busy whining to myself, Lord Aroo suddenly stood up.
Is he leaving already?
But before I could think any further, I felt something soft against my hand.
“What…? Lord Aroo?”
Lord Aroo was pressing his head up against my palm.
“Can I pet you…?”
“You look upset, so I’ll let you pet me, but just for today.”
He gave a little nod of his head. It looked like a nod of approval.
The wolf’s smooth fur tickled my hand with each stroke.
“So soft…”
I buried my fingers deeper into that satisfying texture. I was gently petting his silver fur everywhere—from his head to the spots behind his ears and the scruff of his neck.
My fingers took in the slight chill of his coat, as well as the bounty of soft fur itself.
“This feels so nice…”
I was completely transfixed in petting the creature.
Lord Aroo seemed a little on edge, but he stayed put and let me continue. He was exactly as soft as he always looked, and I couldn’t get enough of his fur on my hands.
My worries started to melt away.
I was so happy—both to experience petting this animal, with its incredibly thick coat, and also to know that Lord Aroo had allowed it to happen for the very first time.
“Thank you. How about I give you a nice brushing to show my appreciation?”
Having sated my fluff addiction, I felt like some of the weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
I took out the slicker brush and began to groom Lord Aroo, when…
“Hmm?”
A niggling idea in the back of my mind began to rise to the surface.
I stopped brushing and silently racked my brain.
The slicker brush in my right hand was something I made with transmutation…
“…Ah!!”
Eureka.
I stared at the brush to be sure I was on the right track.
“This might be what I need…”
A way to prove the plagiarism for good.
I had stumbled upon something that might be the ultimate, clearest form of proof that everyone would be able to see for themselves.
“Yes…! I can do it…! I can finish the fight they started…! I’m gonna get them now…!”
I clenched my fists in victory. Lord Aroo looked on with what could only be interpreted as disgust.
“What’s with her? Now she’s happy all of a sudden?”
I just smiled back at the wolf, who was staring at me suspiciously, and then I stood up.
“Lord Aroo, thanks to you, I think things might turn out all right!!”
I have to be fast.
First, I needed to ask Edgar if he’d seen anyone suspicious recently. There were a million more things that would come after that.
My solution was going to be a race against time.
I had to share my idea with Gilbert and the others. After that, there were even more things I needed to quickly get to.
“Thank you, Lord Aroo! I love you!”
Giving the wolf my utmost thanks, I gave him one last pat, then raced back toward my house, leaving Lord Aroo there in the yard.
◆ ◆ ◆
“I was just trying to be nice to the girl, but she didn’t have to pet me that much, did she…?”
Glenreed stood in his room, putting the silver locks of his hair into place with his fingers.
He had heard there was some kind of dispute between Natalie’s head chef and Laetitia’s head chef, and that people from Natalie’s house went to visit Laetitia’s villa.
This was suspicious enough for Glenreed to pay Laetitia a visit in his wolf form.
He arrived a bit too late, and Natalie’s people had already left the villa, but he found Laetitia and her servant loitering around in the front yard.
Laetitia seemed much more depressed than he’d ever seen her.
The girl’s gloomy aura didn’t sit right with him, so in an attempt to distract her, Glenreed allowed Laetitia to pet his magnificent coat of fur.
“She sure cheered up fast, though…”
He couldn’t believe he actually felt his heart skip a beat when he saw her smile, and when he heard her say the words I love you.
Whenever I see her in human form, she only gives me that stiff, formal smile…
But that carefree grin, like a flower blooming in the spring…that one did a number
on his heart.
He couldn’t have her acting so upset forever, so he preferred that smile to her gloomy frown, but still, he was curious about what caused this drastic change.
“I’ll have to look into it…”
Glenreed already knew of the suspicious activity that Natalie seemed to be at the center of.
It was possible he’d be able to shake something else loose.
The more cards he had to play, the better.
Five more days and it would be his birthday.
Detecting that some sort of disturbance had occurred, Glenreed called a servant into his office.
◆ ◆ ◆
THE five days before His Majesty’s birthday party went by in a flash. There were many things I had to figure out and prepare for. It was a whirlwind of work, and before I knew it, the day had arrived.
When I stepped into the assembly hall, all the eyes in the room turned to look at me.
I rarely showed my face outside of the villa. To most people, this was their first opportunity to catch a glimpse of the new queen.
Curiosity. Caution. Valuation. Observation.
I didn’t let their stares make me waver—I kept my gait steady and elegant as I walked.
My hair swayed with each step. The maids had painstakingly decorated it with a detailed array of white imitation roses and gems.
I was wearing a favorite dress of mine that I’d brought with me from Elltoria. The fabric was bright red, like a rose in bloom, with golden embroidery the same color as my hair. My puffy sleeves and the neckline that exposed my collarbones were both bordered by layers of frills and lace as white as snow.
Compared with the simple dresses and aprons I was used to wearing in the kitchen, all the accessories were actually making it hard to move around. But this extravagant dress was absolutely necessary to present myself as the queen, and it was catching the eye of everyone around me too.
I exchanged smiles with each person I passed. Eventually, I spotted Lady Natalie and her group.
“Good day. I’m glad to see you now that I’m wearing proper attire for a change.”
Diaz sneered at me in response.
Of course, I wanted her to know I hadn’t forgotten her rude comment from when she barged into my kitchen five days ago.
That act of bad manners was something I could even punish her for. However, it would be hard to follow through for something that insignificant, what with Diaz being a noblewoman.
