Feeling strange, I absentmindedly walked around the garden.

When I was lost in thought, I coincidentally encountered a gardener who was tending to the garden. As soon as the gardener saw me, he hurriedly approached and bowed deeply.

“You’ve made the garden beautiful while I was away.”

“…! Th-thank you, Your Majesty!”

“Seems like the plants are more lively than when we left.”

“Yes, yes! After Your Majesty left, there was a rain, and since then, it’s been growing well!”

“Well, that’s good.”

I nodded as I looked around the flourishing garden. Anyway, the fact that everything was thriving was a positive sign.

“This is all thanks to Your Majesty’s care! I’m sure of it!”

“It’s not me but your hard work. Keep taking good care of it in the future.”

Leaving the gardener behind, I strolled around the palace again. When I walked along the path, I stopped at a familiar place.

‘…This is.’

Inside the wooden house made by the head chef, two cats were peacefully sleeping.

“You’re still doing well, huh?”
One of the two cats that were sleeping opened its eyes at my approach. Although it hasn’t been long since I left, the small kittens have grown surprisingly quickly.

“Are they growing up so fast because they’re divine beings…?”

I’ve never raised a cat, so I wouldn’t know.

The cat that yawned lazily walked over to me and rubbed its face against my ankle. A warm feeling made me smile involuntarily.

“What’s up? Do you remember me?”

Charmed by the cat’s coquettish behavior, I sat down as if enchanted and extended my hand. Without being wary of people, the cat stepped onto my outstretched palm and rubbed its forehead against it.

“Perhaps you’re the reason the flowers bloomed?”

In response to my question, the cat closed its eyes as if smiling and let out a small ‘meow.’

“I should have brought Mew. Then I could have known what this cat is saying.”

I chuckled softly while stroking the cat’s head.

“What’s your name?”

“Meow.”

Asking questions to a cat that couldn’t communicate, if someone passing by saw, rumors might spread that the empress was acting strangely.

However, looking into the eyes that met mine with each of my questions, I felt like I was truly having a conversation, so I kept talking.

“You’ve grown so much, and that makes me happy. Keep eating a lot and growing well.”

As if comforting the sadness from the long journey, the cat stayed by my side for a while. When the warm feeling was transmitted to me, suddenly, the cat stood up, pricked up its ears.

“Why are you like that?”

I also opened my eyes that had followed the cat. Then, I was surprised to meet the gaze of the bewildered chef, not knowing whether to approach or retreat.

“Y-Your Majesty, greetings.”

“Oh, it’s you…”

He was the one who took care of these cats, harvested them, and even made a house for them as per my request. In the chef’s hands were the bowls of the two cats.

One of the cats with pricked ears ran towards the chef. The cat that had been lying lazily in the wooden house also stretched and walked out, familiarly padding towards me.

It seemed the chef had been taking good care of their meals.

“You seem to be resting comfortably, so I tried not to disturb…!”

“Meow!”

“I’m sorry! I, I!”

“Meow!!”

“I’m sorry to the point of death…!”

“Meow!!!!”

“Please spare my life…”

“Enough. Stop and feed the cats. They’ll soon climb up your legs to steal the bowls.”

“Yes, yes!”

When the chef hastily put down the bowls, the cats yawned and started eating. I stood up, brushing off my crouched posture, and spoke to the chef.

“You’ve taken good care of my request.”

“Huh? M-me? Dare I presume to fulfill Your Majesty’s request?”

“It was a request to take good care of the cats. Seeing that the cats recognize you as the one who feeds them, it seems you’ve properly fulfilled my request.”

The praised chef blushed deeply, lowering his head with an awkward smile.

“I-I just, I just gave them food.”
“Providing a comfortable place and feeding them should be enough.”

“W-Well, I thought Your Majesty might have forgotten about the cats…”

“Me? I’m the one who asked you to take care of the cats. Why would I forget?”

The chef mumbled nervously, fidgeting with his scar-covered fingers.

“Both the cats and I are so insignificant in front of Your Majesty…”

Hearing the chef’s words, I glanced at the cat that was eating voraciously.

“Insignificant, you say. These cats are divine beings…”

The chef might not know that. I lightly chuckled and nodded my head.

“Where else would the preciousness of life be? Have you given names to the cats?”

“N-No.”

“Then, what do you usually call them?”

“J-Just cats… I-I hope I’m not being disrespectful, but…”

“Hmm?”

“Since they were the ones Your Majesty asked me to take care of, I thought it would be better if Your Majesty gave them names.”

As the chef finished speaking, the two cats, who were devouring their meal, abruptly turned their heads. They swayed their tails with an expectant gaze, as if they understood something.

“Me?”

“Yes. U-Unless it’s impolite! I-If you find it unpleasant…”

“No, it’s not that. I just haven’t thought about it.”

I reassured the chef, who seemed like he might collapse on the ground at any moment, and stared at the two cats.

“Since they are divine beings, they might continue staying in the palace… It would be good to have names for them.”

I had never named an animal before. Even the name Mew, the hamster I used to raise, wasn’t given by me but by my mother when we raised it together.

…Huh?

“Come to think of it, the hamster I used to raise with my mother and Mew now seem similar… Huh? Did I have a similar thought before?”

What’s this eerie feeling?

As I continued to tilt my head, perhaps thinking that the chef was in deep contemplation, he added another comment.

“Some people name their pets after the names of loved ones or people they miss.”

“…Loved ones or miss?”

I made eye contact with the cats. The two cats sat there, staring straight at me. It seemed like they were expecting me to name them.

“I don’t have such a person…”

“Then, as you wish.”

“Yeah. I’ll just name them comfortably.”

In a soft whisper as if no one could hear, I spoke.

“This one is Bani, and that one is Fel.”

I muttered the names quietly, pointing at the cats. Even though I was just calling the cats by their names, it felt strangely awkward.

“Meow.”

The cat that had been sleeping inside the wooden house until now cried out weakly, as if expressing disappointment. After finishing the meal, it passed by me and returned to the wooden house.

“Meow…”

“Huh?”

The cat that had been affectionate by my side also cried pitifully and, lowering its tail, walked back into the wooden house.

“What’s going on? Why are they like that?”
“Do you not like the names I just gave you?!”

As I glared at the cat that went into the wooden house, the chef next to me slyly stepped back and chuckled.

“W-Well, I think it’s best to call them cats as well.”

“What?”

“I think the names of the cats should be names that only Your Majesty can call them.”

“What’s wrong?”

In response to my question, the chef wiped off the sweat with a handkerchief and mumbled while avoiding eye contact.

“T-That’s… I, I dare not call Your Majesty’s name, so…”

Only then did I realize that I had inadvertently named the cats after Rivanpelle.

“Oh, dear.”

I hadn’t even thought about it! Ignoring the flustered chef, I shamelessly continued.

“Oh, no, that’s not it.”

“What?”

“I just said whatever came to my mind. I definitely didn’t name them after Rivanpelle.”

“…Ah. Yes.”

The chef muttered quietly, “So Your Majesty had that in mind,” but I pretended not to hear and brushed it off.

“So, don’t worry! From today, these cats are Bani and Fel!”

Inside the wooden house, the two cats pressed against each other let out a small ‘meow’ as if protesting.