Chapter 85

In the front garden of the detached palace, a young beast girl with cat ears had arrived.

She looked to be just shy of ten years old.

In Japan, she would be the age when children carry a backpack to school.

Her black hair was tied into two pigtails above her ears.

Her cheeks looked soft, and her large eyes had vertical pupils and were golden in color.

It was a face that was familiar yet new.

The young beast girl's eyes were fixed on the wolves.

"These wolves... um..."

The girl looked around nervously.

Besides the wolves, only I, Lucian, and Edgar were present.

Edgar was acting shy, looking visibly nervous.

Lucian was smiling politely, but he was a tall adult male.

It might have been difficult for the small girl to approach him.

"... Miss, nice to meet you. Are these wolves kept by the royal family?"

The girl, after a process of elimination, seemed to have chosen me.

She asked politely, her voice high and childlike.

She seemed to be a well-mannered child for her age.

"Yes, they are. Aren't they cute?"

"Yes!! They're cute, I mean, very impressive!!"

The girl was about to nod in agreement but corrected herself halfway through.

Wolves are also a symbol of the royal family's prestige.

She must have wondered if it was appropriate to say they were cute.

Even at her young age, she thought carefully and quickly corrected herself.

"Hehe, it's okay, you don't have to be so formal. Why don't you pet the wolf?"

"!! Is it okay for me to do that?"

The girl was hesitant, but her golden eyes sparkled.

Her black tail wagged excitedly.

The royal wolves are a source of admiration for the residents of this country.

I could understand why she was drawn to their dignified yet fluffy appearance.

"The wolves here are friendly and won't bite, so it's safe."

Jenna had been petted by Lady Natalie the day before.

Jovial Jenna welcomed everyone. She was a very friendly wolf.

"Try reaching your hand under their head and petting them like this."

"Woof!!"

That's right! Jenna loves being petted!!

Jenna barked, as if to say she loves being petted.

Seeing Jenna's friendly demeanor, the girl's hesitation seemed to fade.

"Then, I'll try..."

The girl approached Jenna and reached out her hand.

Her hand touched the soft fur, and her golden eyes widened.

"Muffy..."

Her cheeks relaxed, and she smiled.

My expression softened as well.

The sight of the cat-eared girl playing innocently with the wolf was overwhelmingly cute.

I wished I had a camera at that moment, so I activated my mental memory and firmly etched the scene into my mind.

The girl turned to me with a bashful smile.

"They're amazing!! This one feels so good to pet, doesn't it?"

"Thank you. It's worth the effort to brush them."

I smiled at the girl, putting away my suspicious expression.

Jenna and the other wolves were regularly groomed by me and Edgar.

The introduction of a slicker brush made the process smoother.

The wolves' coats became even more lustrous, and it was a secret source of pride for me.

"Do you take care of them? Are you a wolf keeper...—kyah?!"

"Kuh?!"

"Whoa!!"

Jenna, wanting more pets, nudged her head towards the girl.

I quickly reached out to catch the girl, who stumbled in surprise.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry for startling you."

"Thank you. ...Um, Miss, what's your name?"

"Me? I am—"

"Miss Letitia!!"

A voice called out to me.

It was a maid who worked at the detached palace.

The girl in my arms stiffened at the maid's voice.

"... Miss Letitia...?"

The girl's eyes widened—

"I'm so sorry!! I apologize!!"

A high-pitched scream echoed.

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"I didn't realize you were the Queen, Miss Letitia. I'm very sorry..."

"Rerena, you don't need to apologize. With my casual attire, it's understandable that you didn't recognize me as the Queen."

I was dressed so casually that I might not have even looked like a noble lady...

I felt more like I should be the one apologizing.

The cat-eared girl, Rerena, seemed to have mistaken me for a wolf keeper or something.

Sitting across from me on the iron chairs in the front garden of the detached palace, she was apologizing profusely.

To ease her nervousness and trembling, I spoke to her slowly.

"Rerena, you didn't do anything impolite. You were very gentle when petting the wolf."

"But, but I leaned on Miss Letitia..."

"That's fine. It's no big deal."

"But..."

"If it really bothers you, how about you support me if I stumble next time?"

"... Yes!! I understand..."

Rerena's voice trailed off.

She clamped her mouth shut and compared her body to mine.

She seemed to be seriously considering how she could support me with her small frame.

She appeared to be a serious and conscientious person.

"Hehe. Your willingness is enough. We'll be living together in this detached palace for a while. I hope we can get along."

"Thank you very much!!"

Rerena bowed deeply, and her pigtails bounced.

"I—Crona caused you trouble, but thank you for helping me."

"Don't worry about it. I'm doing it because I want to."

Thinking about Crona, the maid who used to work at this detached palace, my chest still ached.

Crona had betrayed me, but it was to protect her young sister, Rerena.

Rerena, who had lost her parents, had no one to rely on except Crona.

So, to atone for her sins, I decided to help Rerena in Crona's place.

"... Miss Letitia, was it really okay for me to stay at this detached palace?"

"There are still several unused rooms in the palace. I have the King's permission, so it's fine."

"But, it might be a bother..."

"I can't just leave you. If something happened to Rerena, Crona would be sad."

"Crona..."

Rerena bit her small lips tightly.

Crona, as part of her atonement, had confessed to some of Dears' misdeeds.

Dears, Lady Natalie's aunt, had committed multiple crimes, including ordering the theft of a chiffon cake recipe.

Due to Crona's confession, Dears received severe punishment and was imprisoned for decades.

However, some of Dears' relatives escaped punishment and harbored resentment.

They were people who despised beast people.

There was a risk that their resentment would be directed at Rerena, Crona's sister... There had already been a few suspicious incidents.

So, I worked with the King to protect Rerena.

While it was difficult to mobilize dozens of soldiers just for Rerena, bringing her to this detached palace, which had security, seemed like a good solution.

The King agreed to this proposal.

Rerena had arrived at the detached palace today with accompanying soldiers.

While the soldiers were waiting for me, the mistress of the palace, she had been exploring the grounds alone.

That's when she met me and was petting the wolf when a maid, who had come to fetch me, called out.

"If you stay at this detached palace, Dears' relatives won't be able to harm you easily.

The King and his team are currently investigating if they have any other crimes. Although it might be a bit confining, would you consider staying here for a while?"

"It's not a bother at all!! I'm the one who should be grateful!!"

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