Chapter 30

What lay ahead, guided by the calico cat.

The red, lustrous fruits that had ripened at the end of the vines stretching from the ground.

The seeds lined up on the juicy surface, with a green stem attached in a triangular shape.

"Strawberries……"

In appearance and the nostalgic fragrance, they were exactly like the strawberries on Earth. If one were to point out a difference, perhaps they were slightly smaller than the strawberries he often ate in Japan? Since they were close to the ground, some parts were splattered with mud, but they looked completely like strawberries.

Can they be eaten?

The sweet and tangy aroma stimulated his appetite.

Strawberries were his favorite, to the point that he was singing a strawberry song (his own composition) just before he died in his previous life.

As he fidgeted, looking at the strawberries (tentatively), the calico cat approached the strawberries.

It sniffed the air, enjoying the scent, and then bit into them with its fangs.

One bite, two bites.

The calico cat, with its fur around the mouth stained a light red from the juice, quickly devoured the fruit. It skillfully left the stem and licked the juice from around its mouth.

"Sure enough, these fruits can be eaten……"

If the cat can eat them without any problems, then probably a larger human can eat them without any issues as well.

He carefully squatted near the strawberries (tentatively) without startling the cat. Using magic, he created a tiny blade of wind to cut the fruit from the vine. He caught the fruit that fell into his palm and then used magic to create water to clean it. He washed away the mud and dust, and checked to make sure there were no signs of insect damage or dirt.

When he took a bite from the tip, the fresh sweetness and fragrance spread.

"Delicious……"

The sweet and tangy juice overflowed, leaving a refreshing aftertaste in his mouth.

It was a very delicious fruit, just like the nostalgic strawberries.

"Did you want to show me this taste?"

Looking at the calico cat, it was leisurely moving its mouth, devouring several strawberries.

It seemed this cat was a big fan of strawberries.

"What a peculiar cat……"

Lucian muttered.

He agreed.

"But thanks to it, we found the strawberries, so we should be grateful."

"Strawberries?"

Lucian tilted his head in confusion.

……Ah, right.

In this world, at least in the country where I was born and raised for 17 years, strawberries were not available. Lucian, who lived with me, had no way of knowing the existence or name of strawberries.

"That's the name of this fruit. I once saw a description of this fruit in an old book."

"I see, so this fruit is called a strawberry. It has a cute and charming atmosphere, just like its appearance."

"Right? It's cute to look at and delicious to eat, don't you think?"

"Yes, it's indeed lovely, but…… please don't eat it so casually. I inadvertently watched as you ate it so naturally and happily, but if it were poisonous, it would be a serious matter."

"……I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

"No, I apologize for not speaking up sooner."

Oops.

He realized his mistake and reflected on it.

He got excited about finding the strawberries and ate them, but there was a possibility that they were something different from strawberries.

If they were poisonous, it wouldn't be a laughing matter.

In his previous life, he would have just been a clumsy office lady who blew herself up. But now, even if he was just a figurehead, as a queen, if he accidentally ate something poisonous, the impact could be unpredictable.

Fortunately, this fruit tasted almost the same as strawberries on Earth, so it probably wasn't poisonous……

He resolved to be more cautious in the future.

"I'm sorry for worrying you. Perhaps the culinary experts like Gilbert might know something about this fruit, so let's take it back and have them check it?"

"I agree. Please use this."

He placed the strawberry on the handkerchief that was offered and wrapped it up. As he handed the handkerchief to Lucian, he noticed the calico cat looking up at him.

When he started walking, the cat followed him on all fours.

……Did it get attached to me?

Thinking so, he reached out to pet it, but it slipped away and escaped.

However, it didn't try to get too far away and followed them silently until they returned to the palace. It seemed to want to be a pet.

Even after entering the palace, it followed at a distance.

Perhaps it was after human food.

He decided to give it some milk or something, so he left the calico cat behind and peeked into the kitchen door. Fortunately, he found a young cook who looked free.

"Excuse me, could you give me some milk or something that a cat would like?"

"Princess Letitia, what's the matter? Are you planning to keep a cat?"

"Um, I'm not sure yet…… I want to give it something as a thank you, like milk. I remember there was an iron container I made during 'Refinement' practice in the corner of the kitchen. Could you use that to give it something?"

"Sure, please wait a moment. I think the container is over there……"

The cook efficiently prepared the milk.

After thanking him and taking the container, he decided to accomplish his other goal.

"Thank you. I have one more question, is it okay now?"

"What is it?"

"I found some delicious fruit in the forest. Do you know anything about this fruit?"

He opened the handkerchief and picked out a strawberry.

"Ah, a monster's gem……?!"

A very fantastical and somewhat ominous word escaped the surprised cook's mouth.

Thank you for reading.

For more details about the strawberries (tentatively) and the calico cat (or something like it), please look forward to the next update.