by Yu Sakurai
Years of eating the rich food of high society should have left me accustomed to it by now, but this was even worse than usual. It wasn’t even a question of quality—I was basically eating a plate of spices, at that point.
“How do you find it, Your Majesty? The spices are imported through the harbor in my territory, and the food is the prize work of my incredibly skilled chef. Is it acceptable?
“…Thank you for using so many of your exquisite spices on my behalf. That’s very generous of you.”
I gave her the most dignified smile I could muster and answered in a way that wouldn’t hurt Lady Natalie’s feelings. In truth, I wanted nothing more than to leave the table entirely, but it was important that I mind my manners.
The man standing by the window broke out in a proud smile when he heard my praise. He was wearing a white chef’s uniform, so I assumed he was the villa’s head chef. He stood tall and proud, basking in the glow of his accomplishment.
I got the feeling the two of us wouldn’t get along very well.
In addition to the rich food, he seemed rather emboldened by the praise for his cooking. Neither of those things made me particularly want to become acquainted with him any further.
After lunch was served, Lady Natalie and I continued on with a smattering of conversation as we ate.
From what I’d heard, the girl was one year younger than me, making her sixteen years old. She conducted herself in a very proper manner, but something about her seemed quiet and almost cold.
Aside from the occasional smile she would give me so as not to come off as impolite, Lady Natalie was practically expressionless.
Was it possible she was just nervous about meeting me for the first time?
I couldn’t rule it out, even though from what I could see, her hands moved smoothly as she used her silverware.
With a rumored nickname like “the Doll Princess,” I suspected this was just her normal demeanor.
Quietly, I kept an eye on Lady Natalie and the people who surrounded us while finishing my lunch. As if to live up to the abundance of spices, the meat dish was also heavy with oil, and I imagined my stomach would be quite displeased by it.
Once lunch was over, Lady Natalie and I both drank down our tall glasses of lemon water. The look on her face was as unreadable as ever, but somehow, I got the sense that the drink had refreshed her greatly.
…Could it be that Lady Natalie doesn’t like rich foods either?
As I was filled with a new sense of sympathy, Lady Natalie turned her head, her eyes now fixed on me.
“Your Majesty, thank you so very much for allowing us to entertain you today. Were you satisfied with your meal?”
“Indeed. It was a lovely course.”
“I’m so glad to hear it. In that case…”
In that case?
Lady Natalie fell silent, unable to impose her request. With her mouth closed, the girl’s face looked just like that of a perfectly crafted toy doll.
The woman who had been posted behind Lady Natalie suddenly stepped forward.
She looked to be in her midthirties, to my eyes. Her hair was fastened into a neat bun atop her head. The woman’s dress was also detailed and expensive-looking, though not as much as what Lady Natalie was wearing.
“Pardon my intrusion, Your Majesty. My name is Diaz. Would you be so kind as to allow me to speak for Lady Natalie?”
“…As long as she’s all right with that…”
Diaz Diegleys.
Diaz was the youngest sister of Lady Natalie’s father, and she had married into the Diegleys family—a branch of Lady Natalie’s. She appeared to serve as some kind of chaperone or helper for Lady Natalie, who was still very young.
It had only been ten days since my arrival in this kingdom.
When I wasn’t playing with my wolves, I was learning the names and basic information about these noble families. Memorizing that much would have been impossible in my past life. But here, I was used to it, so it didn’t bother me.
Memorization was something my oldest brother always insisted on as part of my education. He was known as an exemplary noble son, but only I knew that, when it came to education, he was a monster. With his handsome face, he’d mercilessly criticize my work. Sometimes I still saw that smile in my dreams…
The reason I got through my grueling royal education in the first place was largely in part because of my brother’s training. He did dote on me as his little sister, but only because of how ruthless his teachings were. Still, the love and education he gave me were a help to me today, so I was very thankful to have received them.
While mentally showing him my appreciation, I watched Lady Natalie to see her response.
She nodded, and Diaz took command of the situation.
“By accepting our invitation and joining us here today, may we take that as a commitment to our faction?”
She held nothing back in her question.
“My role as queen is to be a placeholder. I have no intention of offering support to any of the four candidates for queen.”
“Then why did you agree to meet us here?”
“I wanted you to know that we will not be enemies. I won’t be backing any of the candidates, nor will I oppose them.”
This was my plan of action here in Wolfvarte.
I would have my title for two years, and I would keep my nose out of things like politics and the selection of my successor.
Just as King Glenreed wished, I was going to buy time for him while living a quiet, peaceful life in the villa.
“The four candidates for queen, you say…” Diaz’s lips curled into a smirk. “Sure, that may be the official number, but it’s a bit different in reality. There’s a hierarchy you have to take into account. You understand why it would be bad if, for example, the next queen was from a powerless place like the southern territory.”
“…Is that so? I’m sorry to say that no, I don’t understand.”
Unwilling to say anything disrespectful of the southern candidate, I could only offer a stiff smile.
“I suppose it’s only natural you don’t understand, being a foreigner in our land.”
This time, there was no way to interpret her words as anything other than condescending. At first, I thought she was trying to get a rise out of me. But now, I could tell she simply looked down on me. Maybe she was just a rude person.
“The southern candidate can’t be considered, and the north and east are beastfolk…‘mutts,’ that is. I think you understand what I’m getting at. There’s only one candidate fit to take the throne and become queen.”
“…Yes, I do understand now.”
“Mutts,” she’d called them. And I hadn’t forgotten about being served the excessively spicy meal only moments ago.
This was all the work of Diaz, and most likely, the woman who’d allowed her to speak—Lady Natalie as well. They were now openly insulting beastfolk and shamelessly trying to win my approval.
“Yes, I do understand now. You’ve made it very clear I should stay far away from you and your camp.”
Even as I rejected her offer, Lady Natalie’s doll-like face showed no ripples of emotion.
Diaz raised her eyebrows and leaned forward to speak for Lady Natalie. “Your Majesty, could you repeat that? I’m afraid you might be confused.”
“I’m not confused at all. I want you both to know that I have no intention of forming any kind of alliance with you.”
“…And are you sure of that decision?” She glared at me. I could feel her disapproval loud and clear. “If you don’t pick Lady Natalie, the only other candidates are two mutts and a human from a region with no power. Any way you look at it, those aren’t acceptable options.”
“As I’ve already said, I won’t be taking sides, and I won’t be making enemies. Even if I were to favor a candidate, the last person I’d select is someone who refers to beastfolk as ‘mutts.’”
“Why do you take offense over an accurate description? Don’
t tell me, Your Majesty, that you’re so pure of heart that you see beasts and men as equals, do you?”
Her voice dripped with sarcasm. She was challenging me.
Beastfolk.
Partially because of my past-life memories, I felt no contempt for beastfolk, and I wasn’t about to mock them like this.
In fact, I would go so far as to say I wanted to befriend them and learn more about their kind. I knew that few people on this continent shared those views, but that wasn’t the problem before me at the moment.
“Beastfolk make up nearly half of this kingdom’s population. I may only have my position for political purposes, but as the queen, do you really think I’d approve of you insulting half the kingdom?”
“…You sure like to sound noble, don’t you?”
“What kind of person interprets basic decency as some sort of scheme? I understand you two are no friend to beastfolk. But being so unable to control your own feelings, to the point that you display your disdain in my presence, makes you much lower than beastfolk in my eyes.”
“…What did you just say?”
A challenge begets a challenge.
If the situation were different, I could have chosen to let this be water under the bridge, but Diaz was being so blatant in her disrespect for me. I couldn’t let her land every punch, so I had to counterattack.
“I simply have to respond to that. You really mean to imply we’re inferior to those mutts?”
“Yes, I do, if your conduct today is to be believed.”
“So you, a human, want to go hold hands with a bunch of mutts?”
“Be it human or beastfolk, we should only judge someone based on their heart and actions, wouldn’t you say?”
“What about us do you find so insulting, exactly?”
“Well, it’s your words and attitudes, as well as the lunch I just ate.”
The middle-aged chef standing against the wall spoke up when he heard the word lunch.
“…Your Majesty, please allow me to speak.”
“All right, please do.”
“I simply have to inquire. I, the head chef of this villa, poured my heart, soul, and all the spices I had to produce such a culinary accomplishment. If this still wasn’t enough to satisfy you, perhaps you suffer from some sort of disorder of the taste buds?”
…You think my palate’s the problem?
He presented it as a humble objection, but there was no denying that last sentence only served to mock me.
I made a mental note of this man’s desire to get the last word in.
“It’s not just me. I thought a chef such as yourself would understand. I know the course you served today was supposed to be a meal of the highest class, but how can you excuse using that many spices in your dishes?”
“What about my spices? The way I cook is in line with the current trends from Lady Natalie’s hometown. Perhaps it’s a culture you’re too unfamiliar with; to reject my cooking for such a reason is simply immature.”
Who’s the one acting immature here?
The chef liked his retorts. Again, he wanted the last word.
His argument succeeded in slightly irritating me.
“I’m not rejecting your cooking. I ate every bite and kept a smile on my face the whole time.”
“Then why did you wait until now to make your complaints?”
“Because I understood what it would mean to accept your cooking. The amount of spice you use isn’t some ancient tradition. Why, it’s just something that’s come around in the last ten years, is it not?”
“Yes, and as a chef, it’s only natural to keep up with the trends.”
“Even when that ‘trend’ is being used as harassment?”
Harassment.
Today’s meal had been seasoned half to death as an indirect means of provocation.
Overseasoned meals were common among the upper classes of this entire continent, but today’s lunch took it even further.
It all started as a means of harassing beastfolk.
When it came to the five senses, most beastfolk were much more sensitive than humans. Naturally, this also included their sense of smell.
With their sharp noses, they were also extra perceptive of food seasonings. Because of this, beastfolk had a long history of abstaining from rich foods.
It was a simple cultural difference…and yet, some were eager to mock this practice.
The main perpetrators were the humans of the western region of Wolfvarte.
Despite a nearly equal ratio of humans to beastfolk across the kingdom, in the western region alone, humans made up almost 90 percent of the population.
Though they now existed as one kingdom, these regions used to be five separate countries of their own. Each of the four regions had different population makeups, and their people behaved in different ways.
The residents of the west held deeply rooted beliefs of superiority over beastfolk, due to the skewed proportion of their population.
Compared with other countries throughout our continent, Wolfvarte had a large number of beastfolk. But their more common presence also meant they faced more direct forms of prejudice and animosity. Humans and beastfolk had a very complicated relationship.
For example, Diaz’s western territory, which was mostly populated by humans, was often in disagreement with the regions home to many beastfolk. The western style of cooking was one of the obvious results of that dynamic.
On our continent, spices were a symbol of one’s wealth, and in the western region, beastfolk were made fun of for not liking spices.
They intentionally served beastfolk overseasoned food, and when the beastfolk rejected that style of cooking, humans berated them for their underdeveloped palates.
This childish form of harassment had only intensified over time…and now their region’s cooking was served completely doused in spices.
…What exactly do they think food is for?
I was questioning their sanity, honestly, but unfortunately, this was the reality of the western region of Wolfvarte.
The custom was unbelievable to me, a former twenty-first-century Japanese citizen. But even without my experience on Earth, I still wasn’t ever going to take to this style of cooking.
“I don’t mean to reject the entire food culture that was born from your homeland. But as a guest in your home, being served a meal this absurdly rich isn’t something I could just ignore.”
I turned my gaze from the head chef to Lady Natalie. Even for something as ordinary as food, there were political implications when it came to serving a guest in a formal setting.
“Let me ask you something, Lady Natalie. Can you truly say you enjoyed your meal this afternoon? You thought it was a delicious lunch to treat me to?”
“I…”
Her face finally revealed a real expression. Her mouth hung open in hesitation, until she was interrupted by Diaz.
“Your Majesty, you’re not making any sense at all. Only the lowest of commoners would judge a meal’s value on their own flavor preferences. A woman of status should only be valuing the origin and history of her meals.”
The woman’s rapid dialogue made Lady Natalie freeze up and return to her doll-like state.
Diaz wasn’t incorrect. Members of high society saw cooking as an expression of status. But the accuracy of her words made today’s meal all the more unacceptable to me.
These two had served something much more extreme than a normal high-class meal. This was a western-region style of cooking meant as a form of harassment against beastfolk. In other words, it was a silent declaration of their prejudiced views.
“It’s more than just the flavor. It’s the origin and history of the meal you chose to serve me that I cannot accept.”
I wanted to let out a sigh of exasperation, but I kept it in and stood up from my place at the table. Lucian pulled my chair back with perfect timing, which I found reassuring and which let me turn to face Lady Natalie.
“If you two contin
ue to mock beastfolk like you’ve done today, then I will have no friendship to offer you. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way now.”
“…Farewell. I’ll await the next day we meet,” Lady Natalie offered quietly.
It was then that Diaz’s deep voice reached my ears.
“…You’re going to regret your decision eventually, I do believe. When Lady Natalie becomes the next queen, she won’t let you cozy up to her after today. That might spell trouble for the relationship between your kingdom and ours.”
“But Lady Natalie hasn’t been selected as the next queen, has she?”
“So what? Those other mutt candidates won’t get along with a human such as yourself, Your Majesty. One day, you’ll see what a grave mistake you’ve made by turning us down.”
Diaz smirked triumphantly.
I get it now. That’s why she’s been acting so arrogant toward me.
She believed that as a human, I would inherently be at odds with the beastfolk candidates. If that were the case, I’d be in a position with much less power and have no choice but to form an alliance with Lady Natalie.
That was the feeling I was starting to get, and her words finally confirmed my suspicions.
“I don’t believe such a day will ever come. After all, His Majesty should be the one to choose his next wife.”
King Glenreed, whom I hadn’t seen in over ten days.
I believed that the king was aware of just how prejudiced Lady Natalie and Diaz were. If he was forced to choose Lady Natalie as my successor, knowing her character… His Majesty and the kingdom itself would very likely be dealt a blow to their reputation and relationships.
Perhaps I should meet with His Majesty and ask him who he plans to select after me.
With that last thought, I turned to excuse myself from the room.
In that moment, I heard a quiet voice muttering something from behind me.
“…If she’s foolish enough to reject my lady’s help, it makes sense why the queen would hire a man like Gilbert.”
That voice belonged to the bigmouthed head chef.
Why was he bringing up Gilbert at a time like that? I couldn’t just ignore the comment.
“…What’s that supposed to mean? If you have something you want to say, please say it to my face.”