Chapter 67

"Miss Letitia!"

Someone calling my name came running over; it was a maid serving at the detached palace.

"What's wrong? Has something happened?"

"Lord Keith has arrived."

"Lord Keith? So sudden."

"He seemed to be in quite a hurry, looking very pressed for time."

"……I see. I'll go right away."

Why Lord Keith?

I don't understand, but I'll at least hear him out.

I suddenly noticed that Gū-sama's presence had disappeared from beside me. He had taken a step back, listening intently to the conversation between the humans.

Gū-sama ends petting time when someone approaches. He might be shy or just very cautious.

"Gū-sama, see you later. I'm going home today."

"Gūū."

"……Gū-sama?"

As I said my goodbyes and started walking towards the detached palace, Gū-sama didn't leave my side and followed me.

"Gū-sama, what's wrong? Do you want to go inside the detached palace?"

"Wau!"

He barked as if to say, "That's right."

"……Could it be that you want to sneak into the kitchen and steal some sandwiches or something?——Ouch!!"

Gū-sama headbutted me.

His anger was like saying, "Who would do such a sneaky thing?!"

"Sorry, sorry. I get it. Inside the detached palace, don't leave my side and behave, okay?"

"Gā!"

Though it's questionable how much he understands, he responded as if to say, "Understood."

……Could Gū-sama, the wolf, understand human language?

Feeling curious, I hurried towards the detached palace. At the front door, Lord Keith and a man dressed like a cook were standing.

"Lord Keith, good day."

"Miss Letitia——Huh?"

Lord Keith's tail puffed up.

It seemed he was on guard.

"Lord Keith, what's wrong?"

"What's with that wolf?!"

"That's the wolf kept by the Wolf Guard."

"I know that much!! But that wolf is not normal!! It's as if it's facing off against my father or the king!!"

"It's fine, you don't need to be so afraid. Gū-sama, as you can see, has sharp eyes but doesn't attack people, right?"

I called out to Gū-sama, seeking his agreement.

It seems that even to others, he is a peculiar wolf.

Gū-sama observed Lord Keith with a look that seemed to say, "This lynx is surprisingly sharp."

"……I see. There are more important matters at hand than a wolf like that."

"Gūū……"

I calmed the disgruntled Gū-sama, who seemed to be saying, "What kind of wolf is that?!" and led Lord Keith to the reception room. As soon as he sat on the guest sofa, Lord Keith began to speak.

"Miss Letitia, I have come to make a request. Could you lend me the cook from this detached palace for a few days? Of course, I will pay the appropriate compensation."

"……Could you explain the situation?"

"……Of course, that's only natural……"

Lord Keith bit her lip, looking hesitant.

Silence fell.

I thought about it and decided to take a guess.

"……Is it Manila Day?"

"!! You know about it even though you're from a different country!!"

"As a queen, even if it's just a formality, I have studied."

It seems I was right.

Manila Day is a special day in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Volvart, Lord Keith's homeland.

The eastern region is mountainous, and the soil is not fertile enough to grow abundant crops. However, the region was enriched by salt, known as "white gold," mined from salt mines.

Among these, the Manila salt mine was particularly historic and large. The day the Manila salt mine was discovered is celebrated as a holiday in the eastern region, and it is customary to entertain important people with dishes rich in salt on that day. Lord Keith, being from the eastern region, surely wants to follow this tradition at the detached palace.

This year's Manila Day is ten days from today, approaching quickly.

"Your detached palace should have skilled cooks. What happened to them?"

"……They fled."

"Fled?"

"……It's Sienna's fault……!!"

Lord Keith clenched her teeth, as if suppressing a shout.

"I planned to invite my father to my detached palace for Manila Day and entertain him. As his daughter, I wanted to avoid disgracing myself and to demonstrate the authority of a queen candidate by preparing a grand meal."

"Was this plan thwarted by Lady Sienna?"

"……There's no doubt about it. Otherwise, it would be strange for all the cooks to submit their resignations just before Manila Day. Moreover, the cooks who left my service have moved to places influenced by Sienna."

"……I understand the situation. But why did you come to me?"

"Miss Letitia, you presented excellent dishes at the king's birthday celebration, which is proof of having excellent cooks. Besides, one of the few cooks who stayed with me, the one who accompanied me today, is a friend of Gilbert, the head cook in your kitchen, and he highly praised him."

The cook standing behind Lord Keith bowed.

It's nice to hear that Gilbert is highly regarded, but——