I'm glad you appreciate Mr. Gilbert, but there's a risk in accepting Kate's request.
I have come before without putting my shoulders on any of the four queen candidates.
I like Natalie and want to get along.
But at the same time, the tea party with her also dealt with the theft of the chiffon cake.
In addition, there was a side to it that it was okay to keep distance because Natalie was out of the next queen's battle in the middle of the year.
In that regard, Kate spoke quite differently.
There is no personal interaction, and at the moment she is the closest candidate to the next queen.
It was difficult for Kate to lend a cook like that, and hence my power, easily.
"... Master Kate, I'm sorry the cook ran away, but there's something going on here."
"... I know. I'm asking you for nothing....."
Kate-sama murmured with impatient eyes.
He understands the difficulty of asking me for help.
Moreover, given her personality and feelings for humans, she should have been quite resistant to lowering her head to me.
Nevertheless, Kate came to me with a thin thread.
Anyway, the enthusiasm to need a cook is probably...
"If you don't treat your father satisfactorily on Manila Day, you'll be removed from the queen list, right?
"... yeah, that's right. In my place, Siena will be the queen candidate."
Kate-sama's fist was firmly gripped on her lap.
"I am aware that I am not a nobleman or royalty who tends to be emotional. I'm trying to fix it, but it's hard, and Siena and the others won't miss it. I am often sued for not being a queen candidate, and your father seems to be shaking his mind, so if you can only serve poor meals on Manila Day, it will be deemed that you were not satisfied with even the separation you were given, and I will certainly be lowered to the queen candidate's seat."
"... that's right."
Based on Kate's confession, I quickly thought.
There have been several times in this country when a woman sent as a queen candidate changed in the middle of the trip.
Of course, this is not a welcome move, but it could be enough.
In the case of Siena, her age and blood were perfect as a candidate for Her Majesty's queen.
That is why the internal dispute with Kate was intensifying.
If Kate's father recommends Siena, Kate will be taken back to the territory for reasons she thinks she is ill.
Though there may be some confusion and weakening due to the replacement of Siena, given the power relationships and various factors of the Queen's parents, Siena was also likely to become the next queen.
"... I can't welcome Siena to be the next queen, but is there any other way than to rely on me? Money may be expensive, but what about hiring a casual cook from somewhere?
"I tried, but I couldn't. There were few acquaintances in this kingdom, and a handful of handlers, Siena, were around first. Even if I asked someone else to help me, I didn't want to get involved in a dispute with Siena, so I couldn't accept it....."
... hmm, it wasn't that easy after all.
It didn't seem like there was enough time to regroup the cooks from scratch, and I had to rely on them.
Last time I was invited to Kate's apartments, it must have been because Siena had taken in the main part of the kitchen that I was serving too salty and spicy food.
"Like him behind, how many cooks are left behind in Kate's separation?
"There are seven of them. However, the cook who entrusted me with the new meat dish in my eyes has escaped, and it is desperate to make the same amount of cooking from now on. Also, there will be about 10 people on the day, including your father, so the kitchen and the meal will be critical, and it will be difficult to make up for by the number of dishes....."
I see.
Escape to the main cook and the quality is lost. That's why you can't even use your hands to attack in quantity.
On Manila Day, it is customary at home to make more luxurious salt dishes than usual.
However, as a Duke, it seemed to demand added value such as new dishes made with salt and an overwhelming number of plates.
……………
Kate stares at us with her own eyes.
It's easy to say no, but what do we do now?
The chiffon cake theft was uncovered at the birthday festival in a way that left little choice.
Not this time, so to speak, I am an outsider and I have several options.
I had a plan that I could manage, but that's why I got lost.
In order to remain neutral, I refuse Kate's request.
It's the easiest option, but it's not good for Siena to be the queen candidate.
I personally like it or not, but more than that, the forces behind Siena are at stake.
Against the backdrop of intensified sister strife between Kate and Siena, Kate has a friendly side towards humans, and Siena has a strong side towards humans.
... Dear Kate, my attitude towards me as a human being was hard, but this is still a friendly one to look at as a whole beast.
At first glance, Siena was soft around me, but the earth came out everywhere, and many of her supporters looked down on humans.
Such a candidate, and hence the next queen, should be stopped given her relationship with my country.
There is of course a possibility that His Majesty will not accept that the Queen's candidature will be changed from Kate to Siena.
However, rather than rejecting the change to the dark clouds and buying hostility from the Duke, it seems more likely to accept the change and make a loan to the Sienas.
In that case, Your Majesty will have an advantage over Siena and may be able to grasp the strings of her and her parents, but it is also dangerous to rely on them alone.
... hmm, that's why I put too much on Kate's shoulder.
As I thought about it, I saw Kate-sama's eyes, and there was something blurring her head.
"Dear Kate, can I ask you something?
"... what is it?
"In the first place, why does Kate herself want to be the queen candidate so much?