Chapter 66

"Hmm…………"

Bathed in the sunlight filtering through my eyelids, I stirred my body.

While rubbing my eyes, I tried to get up from the bed,

"…………Why is it so heavy…………?"

I looked around with sleepy eyes.

For a while now, my mornings had always been accompanied by the weight of I-chan resting on my chest.

Thinking it was unusual, I saw I-chan’s back turned to me.

In front of the strawberry pot, I-chan’s back seemed to exude a sense of melancholy………or so it felt.

"I-chan…………"

"………Mnyaunyaa…………"

Her meow lacked strength and sounded somewhat sad.

The strawberry pot in front of I-chan was completely devoid of fruit.

The goddess of spring had passed, and the season was now early summer.

The potted strawberries signaled the end of their prime, and the same was true for the strawberry fields outside the palace.

While the gardener cat I-chan could grow strawberries even outside of spring with her magic, the amount she could harvest in a day was limited, significantly reducing the yield.

For I-chan, who had dedicated her feline life to strawberries, it was a season of hardship (or so it seemed).

"I-chan, don’t be down. We still have jam, so it should last for a while."

I squatted down and stroked I-chan’s head.

It was a small, round head that could fit in my palm.

"Besides, there are the last of the seasonal strawberries from yesterday in the kitchen. I plan to make a lot of strawberry dishes today to wrap up the season."

Despite my attempts to comfort her, I-chan’s expression didn’t seem to brighten………or so it felt.

Worried that she might be okay, I got dressed and headed to the kitchen———

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"Meow meow meow meow meow meow!!"

If I had to translate, it would be something like:

"Is this paradise?!"

I-chan’s mood soared at the sight of the various strawberry dishes laid out.

Strawberry shortcake, strawberry chiffon cake, strawberries with condensed milk, strawberry cookies, strawberry jam sandwiches, and strawberry tarts with a crispy cookie crust.

These were the culmination of this year’s strawberry dishes, made by Gilbert and me.

When I placed a portion of the strawberry dishes on I-chan’s special plate, her eyes sparkled as she started to eat with her tiny fork.

She didn’t mind the cream getting on her whiskers and eagerly bit into the shortcake with her small mouth.

"So cute…………!!"

Lady Natalie was writhing with delight.

Her mouth was relaxed, and I felt the same way.

I-chan is always adorable, but her enthusiasm for strawberry dishes was even more endearing.

Her happy and beautiful eating style made me feel joyful too.

With a satisfied smile, I took a forkful of my strawberry tart.

The refreshing sweetness and tartness of the strawberries, combined with the creamy custard, had soaked into the cookie crust.

Lady Natalie, too, was narrowing her eyes at I-chan’s appearance and steadily eating her tart.

Since the strawberry cookies I served before were well-received, I invited her today.

It seemed to suit her, and she was advancing her fork with a relaxed smile.

"Sweet and tart, it’s very delicious! I can understand why I-chan is so engrossed………!"

"Hehe, thank you. I’m glad you like it."

"It’s thanks to Lady Letitia. It’s a shame I disliked strawberries because they looked like monster gems. When did you discover your love for strawberry dishes, Lady Letitia?"

"Once, I read a passage in a book about the deliciousness of strawberries. I was curious, and when I tried them by chance, they were sweet and tart, and I wanted to try cooking with them."

"Indeed, this sweet and tart flavor is something you could become addicted to after just one bite."

As Lady Natalie nodded, I had a sudden question.

Why did I like strawberries?

I’m talking about the “me” from my previous life, not the “me” here.

Among fruits, I liked strawberries the most, but what was the reason I started to like them?

Curious, I tried to recall, but no memories came to mind.

Perhaps I had always liked strawberries since I was aware of them in Japan?

It’s a common story, but it left me feeling unsatisfied.

Even after digging through my previous life’s memories before bed, nothing came to mind.

It wasn’t strange, but it felt a bit off.

"And what was the name of the ‘me’ from my previous life………?"

While dozing off, I let my thoughts wander aimlessly.

Since I regained my previous life’s memories, I had tried several times to remember the name of the “me” from my previous life, but nothing came to mind.

I vaguely felt it was a two-character name in kanji and a three-character name in reading, but I had no concrete evidence.

"Kapi-ko………… No, that’s not it………… Not it………… Jiro………"

Just before falling asleep, the image of a beloved dog I could no longer see came to mind.

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"Jiro………"

I murmured while stroking the fluffy fur.

Last night, thinking about my previous life’s memories brought back thoughts of Jiro, and his name slipped from my lips.

Is Jiro doing well?

He was an old dog, so I hoped the summer in Japan wasn’t too hard on him———

"Gruuu………?"

Goo-sama, sounding somewhat displeased, meowed at my hand.

Hearing his voice, I looked at Goo-sama’s face.

"Sorry, sorry. I was just spacing out."

As an apology, I gently stroked his neck with the pad of my finger.

The warmth of Goo-sama’s body reminded me of Jiro, and I had unconsciously called his name.

Recently, Goo-sama had been letting me pet him, albeit sporadically.

Not wanting to miss this rare opportunity, I enjoyed the feel of his fur when I remembered something.

………I think I read somewhere that Shiba Inus are the breed of dogs closest to wolves.

Thinking about it, the erect ears and the dignified yet adorable face of Shiba Inus do resemble wolves.

While pondering this, I was enjoying my fluffy time with Goo-sama———

"Lady Letitia!"

Goo-sama’s ears perked up at the frantic call from the palace.