Chapter 35

"Did you get a shock...?"

It seems that due to being lost in thought, I hadn't noticed Gū-sama's approach.

"Are you here early today? Is something the matter?"

I asked, knowing I wouldn't get an answer.

Usually, Gū-sama would come at the same time as Edgar and the others, or a little later, and there were many days when he didn't show up at all.

"Nothing in particular..."

Gū-sama averted his gaze, as if trying to dodge the question.

He stayed close by, lying on his stomach right next to me.

As I watched Gū-sama's fur ripple in the breeze, his emerald eyes, tinged with blue, met mine.

"What's wrong? Your expression is so gloomy..."

His eyes seemed to be asking this.

He might have noticed that something was off and was suspicious.

"I'm a bit down... I let my guard down, you see."

I let the words slip out, as if trying to sort out my feelings.

Earlier, Gilbert was blaming himself for the plagiarism issue, but the responsibility lies with me, the mistress of the palace.

Plagiarism in cooking has been a frequent problem even in my previous life in Japan.

Forgetting about it and failing to take preventive measures was entirely my fault.

Plagiarism is definitely wrong, but people are not all good.

Given my position as a queen, even if it's just a figurehead, I should have anticipated being involved in such situations.

"I'm feeling down... ..."

I felt even more down because life in the palace has been so happy.

I thought everyone in the palace was good, so the idea that there might be a traitor is quite disheartening.

Even the person who betrayed might have had some unavoidable circumstances...

But since I have no idea who it is, I can't understand those circumstances.

With no clear way to solve the problem, I couldn't stop feeling down.

As I was voicing my frustration, Gū-sama got up.

Was he about to leave?

Just as I thought that, I felt a soft touch on my palm.

"Huh...? Gū-sama?"

He was pressing his head against my palm, as if rubbing against it.

"Can I pet you...?"

"It can't be helped. Today is special."

Gū-sama nodded slightly, as if agreeing.

As he moved, his silky fur brushed against my palm.

"It's ticklish..."

I buried my fingertips in the pleasant sensation.

From his forehead to the back of his head, and then down his neck, I gently stroked his silver body.

The touch was slightly cool, and beneath it was soft, lush fur.

"It feels so good..."

I got lost in petting him.

Gū-sama looked a bit dissatisfied, but he didn't run away and let me pet him.

The supreme petting experience, which matched his appearance, made me completely absorbed.

I felt healed.

The fur that seemed to bury my palm and the fact that Gū-sama allowed me to pet him for the first time made me very happy.

"Thank you. As a thank you, I'll brush you."

After petting him to my heart's content, I felt a bit lighter.

As a return, I took out a slicker brush and started brushing Gū-sama.

"Hmm?"

Something was nagging at the back of my mind.

I stopped and thought in silence.

The slicker brush in my right hand was an object I had created through alchemy—

"Ah!"

I had an idea.

I looked at the slicker brush, as if confirming my thoughts.

"Maybe this method will work..."

A way to prove plagiarism.

If it goes well, I might be able to create undeniable evidence in a form that anyone can see.

"It can work...!! It can be done...!! I'll return the favor tenfold...!! I'll show them...!!"

As I made a fist, Gū-sama looked a bit taken aback.

"What's with this guy, suddenly getting so energetic?"

I petted him enthusiastically, ignoring his suspicious gaze.

"Thank you, Gū-sama!! Thanks to you, it seems I can handle it!!"

As I petted him, Gū-sama shook his head.

"Stop it!! Stop it, you fool!! My fur is getting messed up!!"

He took a step back, looking unhappy, and retreated into the forest.

Just then, Edgar and the others appeared from the trees.

"Edgar!! I have something I want to ask you. Is it okay?"

I needed to act quickly.

I had to confirm the suspicious person with Edgar, and there was a lot to do after that.

The solution I thought of would also depend on time.

To convey my thoughts to Gilbert and the others and take swift action, I quickened my pace.

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"That woman, as soon as I let her pet me, she went all out..."

Guren Reed muttered to himself while combing his silver hair in his room.

He had received information that Natalie's cook and Letizia's cook had a dispute today.

Then, he learned that one of Natalie's subordinates had gone to Letizia's palace.

This seemed suspicious, so Guren Reed transformed into a silver wolf to check the situation.

He was a bit late, and Natalie's subordinate had already left, but Letizia and her attendant were standing alone in the front yard.

Letizia, who was unusually downcast.

Her gloomy appearance was bothersome, so he let her pet his fur to cheer her up.

"She perked up quickly..."

That's good. It would be troublesome if she stayed down for too long.

However, he was curious about the root cause of her gloomy expression.

"I'll have someone investigate a bit..."

Lately, there had been suspicious movements around Natalie.

If he dug deeper, he might find something.

The more useful cards he had, the better.

His birthday was only five days away.

Feeling a sense of unrest, Guren Reed called one of his subordinates.

Thank you for reading.

I have reflected on the corrections for typos and responded to the comments.

I am very grateful for the typo corrections and comments.