Ariante’s eyes, round and twinkling, asked, “Is this a strawberry?”

“Yes, is it your first time seeing it?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen it hanging from a tree.”

Ariante seemed fascinated, peering between the bushes. She touched the round strawberries with her fingertips and even gingerly felt them as if to pick them.

“Can I eat this?”

“Yes, you can. Would you like me to pick one for you?”

“I want to do it! I will do it!”

Ariante, reaching out, plucked a large strawberry. Though the flesh was mashed between her fingers and her fingertips turned red, she didn’t care.

Ariante, who had put the strawberry she picked into her mouth, tightly closed her eyes.

“It’s sour!”

“Isn’t it? Now, Princess, we have something to do from now on.”

Ariante’s expression finally lit up with anticipation. Mayana spoke.

“Let’s pick strawberries together from now on. If we pick a lot and make jam, it’ll be delicious, won’t it?”

Ariante’s eyes twinkled with curiosity and joy. As Mayana handed her a small basket, Ariante quickly started picking strawberries, rummaging through the bushes.

“Princess, don’t go too far!”

Mayana, raising her voice, continued to pick strawberries carefully, her gaze fixed on Ariante, who peeked out here and there among the bushes.

Every now and then, Ariante’s laughter rang out, and a contented smile spread across Mayana’s face.

Whether it’s children or puppies, it’s necessary to take them outside anyway. Mayana thought.

‘If I let her play until she gets tired, she will eat well and be less fussy about sleeping. She’ll eat well because she’s hungry.’

“Mayana! Look at this!”

Ariante called out, waving her hand.

“What is it, Princess?”

“It’s huge! I’ve picked a huge strawberry!”

Mayana saw a large strawberry carefully held between Ariante’s small fingers. She looked at Ariante, her mouth and fingertips a mess with red strawberry juice, and smiled contentedly.

“You eat that big one, Princess.”

“I will!”

Ariante answered, quickly popping the strawberry into her mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut and puckered her lips, then revealed her teeth, all stained red, laughing, and again darted into the bushes.

‘I did well to check beforehand. Thankfully, there are no thorns like brambles. Maybe I’ll come to pick tree fruit in the fall…’

Then it happened.

Distracted by the thought of playing with Ariante, Mayana was absentmindedly picking strawberries when she suddenly turned her head. Something was off. Something was…

‘This is…’

A sudden sinking feeling in her chest struck her. A familiar and abrupt sense of unease confounded Mayana. This feeling, a sure sign that something was wrong…

‘It’s the same feeling when a 5monthold puppy is quiet!’

Frantically, Mayana looked around, parting the bushes. Fortunately, Ariante’s crouching figure was visible through the lower bushes. What on earth was she doing on the ground? Was she looking at ants or something…

“Princess! What are you doing there?”

Ariante then pointed to the ground with a bright face.

“Look at this! There are strawberries on the ground too! The color is beautifully red!”

Mayana’s eyes slid downward. That’s when it happened.

Without a moment for her to stop it, Ariante followed the twisted vine to pluck an open strawberry and popped it into her mouth. Stunned, Mayana rushed over to pull Ariante away.

“Aah, Princess! No, that’s not a strawberry, it’s a snakeberry!”

Frantically running over, Mayana thrust her palm under Ariante’s mouth.

“Princess, spit it out!”

Ariante looked back and forth between Mayana’s face and the palm suddenly shoved under her mouth, her eyes wide, not understanding the situation. Mayana habitually reached to press Ariante’s cheek but quickly fumbled in her pocket instead.

“Here, Princess! It’s chocolate! Swap it with this! Hurry, spit it out!”
Ariante, who had been blinking her round eyes, stuck out her tiny tongue. The moment a squashed snakestrawberry rolled out of her mouth, Mayana quickly put a piece of chocolate into Ariante’s mouth and sighed in relief.

Ariante, however, looked at Mayana, bewildered and munching on the chocolate, as if she couldn’t understand what was going on.

“I’m not a baby.”

“Oh, thank goodness… right?”

“I said I’m not a baby. You just treated me like you do with babies.”

Mayana made a sound of realization. Was it because of the ‘spit’…

It seemed best to keep the fact that she had treated Ariante like a 3monthold puppy a secret.

“Th… that’s right. You’re not a baby, princess… but I was in a hurry. You shouldn’t eat this.”

“Why? Is it poisonous?”

“No, it’s not poisonous… probably. But it will make your stomach hurt.”

Sighing in relief, Mayana brushed off her clothes and got up. She had been in such a hurry that her skirt and sleeves were stained with strawberry juice. Ariante’s face was spattered with red liquid…

‘It’s better to go inside without being caught by Head Butler Joslyn. He would probably kick me out if he saw me like this.’

Mayana thought.

Ariante, who had gotten up to follow her, asked,