Chapter 22

"………So, in order to have a delicious meal, I decided to have Gilbert help me with the cooking."

After recounting my conversation with Gilbert from three days ago, I let out a small sigh.

My conversation partner was the silver wolf sitting beside me.

This silver wolf had appeared out of nowhere again today and taken up a position by my side.

It was a joyful reunion, but he would never let me pet him.

He sat near me, occasionally moving his nose as if to sniff, but when I reached out my hand, he growled in rejection.

"Hmm, it's torture………"

There was a supreme fur right in front of me, yet I couldn't touch it.

It was very disappointing, and I felt a bit restless, so I had been talking to the silver wolf.

At first, it was more like talking to myself……

"Guu?"

As I continued the story, the silver wolf tilted his head as if to say, "So, what happened after that?"

Carried away by his gestures, I found myself talking at length.

"You, to be able to nod along, you must be very smart."

This silver wolf, of course, couldn't understand human language, but it seemed he was reacting based on my tone and expressions.

I thought I was praising him, but………

The silver wolf had a somewhat displeased look, as if to say, "No, I don't appreciate being praised for that……"

"What's wrong? I thought you were amazing…… Did I say something that bothered you?"

Knowing that he couldn't understand me, I still tried talking to the silver wolf.

Thinking back, in my previous life, I used to talk to my Shiba Inu, Jiro. To others, it might look like I was a suspicious person muttering to myself, but it was just a habit.

"You're a strange one, aren't you?"

Muttering, I stared at the silver wolf.

His blue-green eyes looked back at me, and his silver fur was swaying in the breeze.

The silver wolf was majestic and beautiful, but there was so much I didn't understand or know about him.

The only thing I knew was that his paw pads were black.

They stood out against his silver fur, smooth and uncracked.

Someday, I wanted to pet them to my heart's content.

Paw pads are supreme. I don't accept any objections.

………But let's put that aside for now.

I didn't know this silver wolf's name or even his gender.

He seemed to have a proud and somewhat arrogant personality, but was he male or female?

Edgar didn't seem to know either, so I decided to ask Maure next time.

"………By the way, I've been a bit curious………"

Looking down at the silver wolf, I muttered, and he tilted his head as if to say, "What? Speak up?"

The silver wolf had a rather domineering attitude.

"You don't shed at all, do you?"

The silver wolf in front of me had a fluffy and beautiful coat.

I wanted to pet him so badly…… but wasn't he hot?

Looking around, the other wolves Edgar had brought were in the middle of their shedding season.

Some had already finished shedding and had grown sleeker, more robust summer coats.

Compared to the other wolves, the silver wolf showed almost no signs of shedding.

I remembered that when I brushed him with a slicker brush before, he only lost a few hairs, even though he seemed to enjoy it.

"Shedding can vary a bit, but……… If you stay in your winter coat, won't you get overheated and damage your hair follicles, leading to bald spots―――――――――Ouch!?"

"Who said I'd go bald!?"

Protesting, the silver wolf bumped his head against mine repeatedly.

He was holding back, but it still hurt.

"Sorry, sorry. I was too hasty with my words. I apologize, I'm sorry."

"Understood."

The silver wolf snorted, as if to say, "Understood."

………Does this silver wolf really understand human language?

While harboring this suspicion and trying to appease the silver wolf, I heard Lucian's mutter.

"For a wolf, it's disrespectful to make Lady Letizia worry……"

I smiled wryly at Lucian's disgruntled look when Crona's voice reached my ears.

"Lady Letizia～～～You've received an invitation～～～～～～"

Crona, lifting the hem of her maid's dress, ran over but stopped at the entrance of the courtyard.

Her eyes were fixed on the wolves, as if on guard.

As a feline beastkin, Crona might not get along well with canine wolves.

She never came near when I was playing with the wolves.

"Lucian, can you get the invitation from Crona?"

"Understood."

Lucian quickly ran to Crona and brought the invitation to me.

A high-quality envelope. The wax seal on the surface read:

"An invitation from Lady Natalie……?"

At my mutter, the silver wolf's ears twitched.

Using the paper knife Lucian quickly handed me, I peeled off the wax seal and opened it.

"The day after tomorrow, to have lunch together at Lady Natalie's villa……"

An invitation letter.

The sender was one of the reasons I came to this country.

A woman who had been considered a candidate for the queen of King Glenread.

Thank you for reading.

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