by Yu Sakurai
“Ruff!!”
“Welcome, Tera. We’ve been waiting for you.”
The pup wagged her tail vigorously as she approached the yard with Edgar and the others.
“Arf Arf!! Bark bark bark!!”
Tera bounced her way around me.
She was a completely different wolf now, only six days after first using the stuffed animal.
Her legs were thick and her body was plump. The change in demeanor made her almost unrecognizable, now that she was growing.
Tera sprang at me like a rubber ball, landing straight in my arms.
“Hey, that tickles!”
Her little red tongue licked at my cheeks.
Now that Tera was eating, she’d become much friendlier with me too.
It probably had something to do with my lingering scent on the wolf plushie I stitched together for her. Perhaps she liked how it mixed with that of her mother.
Lord Aroo’s blue-green eyes watched me return Tera’s affection with a good petting.
“What’s wrong? Do you want me to pet you too, Lord Aroo?”
“Uruuh!!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just glad to see Tera doing better, that’s all,” his annoyed grunt seemed to say.
He turned away from me with a pout, though I could still see his tail swinging from side to side.
He seemed just as happy to see Tera full of energy.
“You’re so nice, Lord Aroo. So nice, in fact, that I’d like to give you something.”
Lucian handed me a plushie that I set down in front of the wolf.
“I modeled this one after you.”
The base model was exactly the same as the one I used for Tera’s mother.
But for this one, I built it with silver fabric that looked just like Lord Aroo’s coat, and I even painted some wood to make a pair of blue-green eyes for the face. I was having so much fun making plushies, I just couldn’t resist.
“Aroo…?”
“Why are you giving this to me?” he asked with a cock of his head as he poked the doll with his nose.
“You don’t sleep near the rest of the pack, do you? I bet you get cold in the winter. If you have someone put a small hot-water bottle inside this doll, it’ll be nice and warm to sleep with.”
“Grrruh!!”
“I don’t need a hot-water bottle!” he declared, pushing the doll over with his snout.
Hmm. I guess he doesn’t like it.
I was a bit sad, but I decided to take the plushie for myself.
“Very well, then I’ll keep this in my bed with a hot-water bottle during the winter.”
I gently pet the doll’s head with my hand, taking a moment to admire my nice handiwork. The doll had the same proud look to it that Lord Aroo did.
Just when I decided I’d keep it on a shelf in my room until winter arrived…
“Woof!!”
“I changed my mind. Gimme that thing.”
Lord Aroo snatched the plushie back.
“Does that mean you like it, Lord Aroo?”
Naturally, my question didn’t receive any answer.
With the Lord Aroo plushie in his mouth, Lord Aroo dashed off into the forest, out of sight.
“I wonder what changed his mind…?”
As I cocked my head in confusion, Tera came up to me to play some more, as if to fill the space that Lord Aroo left.
I spent some time entertaining the inexhaustible Tera, until it was nearing time for the wolves to leave.
“Your Majesty! The strawberry ice cream is almost ready!”
“Thank you. I’ll be there soon.”
Hearing Gilbert call to me from the villa, I took Tera off my lap and stood up.
The pup started to sulk, knowing it was time to say goodbye, so I bent down to pet her head.
“I’ll see you again tomorrow, okay? But now it’s time for both of us to go home.”
“Arf…”
She stared up at me with her sad puppy-dog eyes. I wanted nothing more than to give in, but I couldn’t let her grow up spoiled.
Reluctantly, I turned to head toward the dining room. Strawberry ice cream, made by Gilbert and the other chefs, was waiting for me.
Once I was inside, I found Berry waiting for my arrival, holding her little spoon in hand. She had sensed the strawberries in the air.
“You’re such a glutton, aren’t you, Berry?”
In that way, she was a lot like me, her master (or whatever our relationship was).
I wondered which of us would win in a battle of strawberry enthusiasm.
What would you do if you were reborn?
By eating strawberry ice cream, I’d already found my answer to that question.
I gained a villa where I could cook, received help from Gilbert and the other chefs, and was led to strawberries by Berry herself.
My life as the figurehead queen, surrounded by uncountable blessings and the company of my many furry friends, would continue on unchanged.
◆ ◆ ◆
“THAT damn woman. I just never know what she’s going to do next…”
Glenreed was leaning back in the velvety chair of his office.
On top of his large oak desk, looking completely out of place among all the refined furnishings that filled his room, sat a cute little wolf plushie.
“I ended up bringing it back home with me…”
The plushie stood out like a sore thumb in this room. It just looked unnatural, sitting there in front of Glenreed’s cold yet beautiful face.
…And he never even meant to accept the thing in the first place.
He was going to return it to Laetitia, its creator, and that would be the end of it.
But no, I had to take it with me. She said she was going to keep this thing in her bed…
Sure, it was only modeled after Glenreed’s silver wolf form, but then he heard Laetitia say she wanted to sleep with it. Naturally, he had to prevent that at all costs, so he ended up rushing home with the plushie in his mouth.
“……”
When he thought back to how happy Laetitia looked as she carried that plushie, Glenreed couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. She probably wouldn’t find out either way, but for some reason, the idea of tossing it out bothered him.
“Fine, then…”
He picked the wolf plushie up and set it in a corner of his bookshelf.
The stuffed silver wolf found its new home between political documents and records of war.
If Melvin ever saw this toy, he’d probably never let me hear the end of it…
But again, he pictured Laetitia’s happy face as she held the plushie out to him.
This is the only solution, Glenreed convinced himself once more, then turned to begin the paperwork on his desk.
Afterword
HELLO again, or if we haven’t met before, it’s very nice to meet you.
I’m Yu Sakurai, the author of this book.
I want to thank you for reading Since I Was Abandoned After Reincarnating, I Will Cook with My Fluffy Friends: The Figurehead Queen Is Strongest at Her Own Pace.
This is the novelization of the work I first published through Shōsetsuka ni Narō.
For this adaptation, I polished up the original story to flow more smoothly, added multiple new scenes, and wrote two new bonus chapters as well, all to make it easier to read in book form.
These new side stories include a prequel about Glasses Creep (a.k.a. Ilius) and Laetitia, and another chapter where Laetitia plays with Lord Aroo and a wolf pup. It also contains Berry and Lord Aroo’s first meeting, which I hope you will find amusing.
There are many things I’d like to mention in regards to the story, but above all else, one of the biggest attractions of this version is the beautiful artwork drawn by the wonderful Kasumi Nagi.
From Laetitia’s gorgeous, flowing gown to Berry’s big smile on the cover. Glenreed also looks very handsome in color, not to mention that detailed, gallant, and dreamy outfit…
Each and every illustration surpassed my wildest expectations as the author. Even the black-and-white pictures of the various animals made them look so perfectly fluffy, I wanted to pet them myself. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Kasumi Nagi for her work.
This series was blessed with such beautiful artwork, and even more incredibly, the story is also set to receive a manga version in Japan.
The manga will be illustrated by the artist Monitsunanoni and published through Futabasha’s website Monster. Monitsunanoni’s art makes all the characters look so alive and expressive, and their unique designs are adorable as well. There are also illustrations of Ilius, Sumia, and even Jiro the Shiba Inu, none of whom appear in the novel’s art.
Also, I will be releasing another novel set in the same world as this story, to be published by Ichijinsha’s Iris Neo label.
The title is My Little Sister Stole My Fiancé, and Then the Beast Prince Proposed to Me, and it’s set to be published on February 4, 2020. It’s a story of two characters—a hero who can transform into a lion and a pessimistic countess—so I’d love it if you give that tale a read as well.
Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the people who helped me reach this point: All the readers who supported me on Shōsetsuka ni Narō. My editor, proofreader, and everyone from the printing company who gave me lots of advice about my work. Kasumi Nagi and Monitsunanoni, who provided me with illustrations.
Truly, I can’t thank you all enough. I’ll keep working to live up to your expectations as an author, so I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
Yu Sakurai
Author Bio:
Born in Aichi Prefecture. Lover of furry critters. I love all animals but adore dogs, cats, and penguins in particular. My current dream is to win the lottery and build a penguin aquarium in my house with an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
December 2019