Chapter 97

While exchanging light conversation with His Majesty, I sampled the array of sweets laid out before me.

Pink, off-white, purple, mint green, lemon yellow.

Colorful and round, each macaron had a different flavor.

Softly baked to a golden brown, the madeleines.

Small fruit tarts, cookies swirled with tea, and a variety of lightly crunchy nuts.

The sweets, mostly sweet, were prepared to be eaten by hand.

A wide variety was provided because His Majesty’s preferences were not yet well known.

Fortunately, His Majesty was tasting the sweets one after another.

His Majesty’s long fingers picked up one from the white plate.

He pinched a macaron and brought it to his lips.

His lips parted, and I watched as the macaron disappeared.

"…Hmm. This white macaron is good too. It’s sweet, but not overly so…"

"The buttercream has a touch of salt for accent. A small amount of salt enhances the sweetness. Did you like it?"

"Yes."

His Majesty’s words were brief.

But perhaps his seemingly indifferent reaction was because he was focused on savoring the macaron.

His slightly narrowed blue eyes, a small change, made me gaze at him.

…It’s delightful.

That His Majesty is enjoying the sweets.

That he is relaxing, even if just a little.

Being able to see such a His Majesty up close made my heart flutter slightly.

"……"

Feeling a bit flustered, I reached for a madeleine.

The rich aroma of butter spread in my mouth.

The texture was soft yet light, and it crumbled sweetly and softly.

Yes, it’s delicious.

I can’t help but praise myself.

The sweetness of butter and flour is like a magic that brings happiness.

I couldn’t help but reach for another one.

If I take a sip of tea in between, I could eat as many as I want—

"Letitia"

"Ahem!!"

I choked. I started coughing.

A piece of madeleine stuck in my throat.

Caught up in eating, I was startled by His Majesty’s voice.

"I apologize for startling you."

"No, I’m sorry. What did you say, Your Majesty?"

"There are rose petals in your teacup."

"Oh, thank you."

A single petal was causing ripples in the tea.

Though it might be a bit impolite, I decided to pick it out—

"Huh?"

My hand, reaching for the petal, was firmly held by His Majesty.

"…Your Majesty?"

What’s going on?

The firm, smooth skin of his fingers.

His long, slightly bony fingers.

His Majesty was holding my hand, not letting go.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

That day, when Letitia appeared in the rose garden,

Glenreid was captivated by her.

"Your Majesty, good day. I am honored to be invited to the rose garden today."

Her golden hair fluttered as she bowed.

The rose ornament in her hair was a pale pink.

The color of her dress was sweet and elegant, enveloping her slender figure.

After finishing her bow, Letitia raised her face and looked at Glenreid.

Her purple eyes were bright, sparkling like amethyst.

Her white skin and slightly rosy lips.

The rose ornament in her hair made her look even more beautiful—

"…Your Majesty?"

"…Ah, thank you for coming. Let’s welcome you."

Even as he returned the greeting, Glenreid couldn’t take his eyes off Letitia.

He narrowed his eyes, as if trying to capture her image.

He had agonized over which color of rose to give her, sneaking away in the form of a silver wolf during his official duties to choose the color—

(Thanks to that, as expected, or rather, more than expected…)

Glenreid’s lips moved on their own.

"…Na…"

"? What is it?"

"The hair ornament and dress suit you very well—"

"Meow!!"

I was startled.

Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw the gardener cat, known to Glenreid.

(This cat is quite mysterious…)

Glenreid felt a bit deflated as Letitia and the gardener cat engaged in what seemed to be a conversation.

He had met the gardener cat multiple times when he visited Letitia’s palace in the form of a wolf.

However, this was the first time they met in human form—

(…This cat has noticed my true identity…)

The gardener cat approached Glenreid and meowed.

Though he couldn’t understand what the cat was trying to say by looking up at him,

there was no doubt that there was a certain familiarity and ease.

"Do you want to enter the rose garden?"

"Meow meow!!"

The cat’s face and scent clearly said, "That’s right."

Even though he couldn’t understand the cat’s words, Glenreid had a special nose.

He could communicate to some extent with those who couldn’t speak.

(I can’t just turn it away…)

If the gardener cat had noticed Glenreid’s true identity,

he might accidentally reveal Glenreid’s secret to Letitia if he upset it.

Even if he could easily eliminate a single gardener cat if he wanted to,

this cat was beloved by Letitia.

Glenreid also liked the light weight of the cat on his back when he was in wolf form.

(Cats are sometimes stronger than kings…)

He nodded slightly and gave the gardener cat permission.

Letitia was surprised, and then—

(She smiled…)

A soft, gentle smile, rare in front of Glenreid in human form.

(Why is she giving me such a smile now?)

Though he didn’t understand,

Glenreid turned away, hiding his expression and emotions, and headed towards the rose garden.