Chapter 54

"When it comes to the candidate for the Eastern Palace, it would be Lady Kate of the Lynx Clan, right?"

I pictured the layout of the royal grounds in my mind. In the center of the vast grounds, slightly to the north, is the main castle where King Glenreed resides.

The four candidates for the position of consort reside in the detached palaces, each located to the east, west, south, and north of the main castle. The locations of these detached palaces correspond to the directions of the candidates' home territories. For example, Lady Natalie, who was given the Western Palace, is from the western part of the country, making it easy to understand.

"Lady Kate is the eldest daughter of a duke who governes the eastern part of the country, and I've heard she is a proud and beautiful lady. What was Lady Kate like from Lady Natalie's perspective?"

"…………Perhaps the complete opposite of me?"

Lady Natalie paused for a moment before speaking.

"She is bright and expressive, with a strong personality. She has a beautiful face and hair, and her animal ears are a well-groomed golden brown. Her tail, which curves at the tip, was always moving busily."

Is it what they call a hooked tail?

Lady Natalie, as expected, seems to be a fan of fluffy things, paying attention to even the smallest details. The image of Lady Kate as a beautiful girl with a hooked cat tail began to take shape in my mind.

"Lady Kate gives the impression of being very active."

"Yes, she is the complete opposite of me. …………Not only in personality, but also in the circumstances that led her to become a candidate for consort."

"…………So, the rumor that Lady Kate and her younger half-sister were competing for the position of consort is true, then?"

Lady Kate, at 18 years old, has a half-sister who is one year younger. The mother of the half-sister, while slightly inferior to Lady Kate's mother, is also from a high-ranking noble family. It was rumored that there was a quiet competition within the family over which of the half-sisters would become the consort.

The noble daughters of the Lynx Clan, …………the phrase "catfight" inadvertently came to mind, but that's a secret.

"It's not confirmed information, but at least from my perspective, Lady Kate seems to regard her half-sister as an enemy. It would be best not to mention her half-sister in front of Lady Kate."

"Thank you for the information. It's very helpful."

"…………Such a generous compliment."

Lady Natalie was sipping her tea, perhaps to hide her slightly blushing cheeks. Due to the strict upbringing by her parents and the supervision of Mr. Dear, she seemed unaccustomed to receiving compliments.

Lady Natalie was sent as a candidate for consort in place of her ill sister. She herself has little desire for power or fame and is a kind-hearted girl who loves fluffy things. Her situation is the complete opposite of Lady Kate, who competed with her half-sister for the position of consort.

Lady Natalie, who became a candidate for consort unwillingly, and Lady Kate, who apparently competed with her half-sister for the position of consort. If their positions were reversed, they might have been happier, but things don't always work out as one hopes.

As I pondered the complexities of the Lynx Clan's consort candidates (with hooked tails), I sensed someone approaching. Not a Lynx Clan member, but a cat from my own detached palace. It was I-chan, the gardener cat, silently creeping closer.

"She's so cute. Is she Lady Letitia's pet cat?"

"Something like that, I suppose?"

I-chan's goal was the cookies on the table. They were small, strawberry-colored cookies made by kneading crushed strawberries into the dough. The color was cute, but the shape and the original form of the strawberries were lost, so I prepared them to introduce strawberries to Lady Natalie.

"I-chan, you're so observant………"

Of course, I had given I-chan some strawberry cookies, but she must have wanted more, which is why she appeared. Despite the lack of strawberry shape and scent, I-chan was quite observant. She came right up to the table and looked up at me expectantly.

"………Lady Natalie, could you give I-chan one of the cookies?"

"Is that okay?"

"I-chan is a gardener cat, a type of mythical creature. It's fine to give her a cookie."

"Gardener cat! I've never seen one before!"

"They are quite rare. Please don't spread the word about I-chan's existence."

I made sure to keep it confidential. Lady Natalie seemed to understand immediately, nodding in agreement. Her gaze remained fixed on I-chan.

Lady Natalie offered a cookie, and I-chan, unable to wait, stood up and grabbed it with her paw.

"She stood up! She stood up, Lady Letitia!"

"Her name is Clara."

"………Clara?"

"………Forget it."

I tried to cover up my mistake. I had inadvertently used the name of a certain Alpine girl character, but of course, Lady Natalie didn't understand.

Perhaps I was more excited than I realized, having a conversation with Lady Natalie, who is of a similar age and status. When I used to chat casually with the maid, Krona, I felt a bit nostalgic and a twinge of pain in my chest.

"Ah, I-chan, you've finished the cookie, haven't you? I think it's okay for Lady Natalie to pet you now."

When Lady Natalie reached out her hand, I-chan didn't run away. Perhaps satisfied with the delicious strawberry dish, she allowed Lady Natalie to pet her. Lady Natalie couldn't hide her smile at the softness of I-chan.

After a while, it was time for Lady Natalie to leave. I decided to ask her one more question.

"Lady Natalie, you said earlier that you and Lady Kate are complete opposites, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"You mentioned that the differences are in personality and the circumstances that led you to become a candidate for consort, which are rooted in the past………but that's not all, is it?"

The differences are surely not just in the past.

What kind of future does Lady Natalie hope for?

Specifically, I wanted to confirm her stance on the competition for the position of the next consort.