Chapter 3
Several hours had passed since Al left the room.
Sole sat on her bed, fidgeting restlessly.
She couldn’t calm down.
Today would be her first time outside.
And not just outside—
The garden!
Even if it was “just a garden,” this was the garden of a ducal estate.
It had to be huge.
It had to be beautiful.
And there had to be fluffy animals.
“…Wait. Could there be cats!?”
The moment she muttered that—
Click.
The door opened.
“Sole.”
“Yu-brother!”
Behind Yuris stood several maids.
For some reason, all of them were wearing extremely gentle smiles.
A bad feeling crept over her.
“…What’s with those expressions?”
“We’re getting you ready to go outside!”
“Ready?”
“Yep!”
The instant he said that, the maids sprang into action.
“Your outfit is prepared.”
“Let’s get the parasol ready.”
“We’ve brought an extra shawl in case the temperature changes.”
“We’ll prepare some drinks as well.”
“Wait, wait, wait.”
What was all this?
An expedition?
And before she knew it, she noticed knights stationed outside the window.
Huh?
This was the garden, right?
Not a battlefield?
“…Yu-brother.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t you think there are too many guards?”
“This is actually the smaller group.”
“That’s a lie!!”
While she protested, preparations continued at full speed.
In the end, Sole was dressed in a soft, pale silver dress.
And it was ridiculously cute.
“…Is this really garden attire?”
“Sole looks adorable~!!”
“You dodged the question!”
Yuris nodded with complete satisfaction.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“!”
Those words made Sole’s heart leap.
Finally.
Finally, she was going outside.
A world she had only been able to see through a window for eleven years.
Feeling nervous, Sole slowly stood up.
…It’s okay.
Today, she could stand properly.
She wasn’t collapsing.
“Sole?”
“…I’m going.”
One step.
Then another.
Slowly, she made her way toward the door.
A distance she hadn’t been able to cross in the past.
But now…
Yuris was beside her.
The maids were there too.
Everyone was watching over her with worried expressions.
For some reason, that made her feel a little embarrassed.
And then—
The door opened.
A gentle breeze brushed against her cheeks.
“…Ah.”
Light.
The fragrance of flowers.
The rustling of trees.
The songs of birds.
Everything was a first for her.
Sole’s eyes widened.
“…Amazing.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
And at that moment—
Something moved deep within the garden.
Silvery-white fur.
Large ears.
A fluffy tail.
“…Fluffy.”
It was a small magical beast.
Sole’s eyes lit up instantly.
“Ah…!”
She took an unsteady step forward.
The moment she did—
The knights shouted:
“Milady!!”
Yuris cried out:
“Sole!?”
The maids screamed:
“It’s dangerous!!”
Everyone tried to stop her.
But—
The magical beast didn’t run away.
It simply stared at Sole.
And then…
It trotted toward her.
“…Huh?”
Normally, magical beasts were extremely wary of people.
Yet this one naturally walked up to her feet and rubbed against her legs.
“W-Wow…”
Sole reached out cautiously and touched it.
Soft.
Warm.
Fluffy.
“…”
She was overwhelmed.
Her very first fluffy experience.
A dream she had carried since her previous life.
And it happened in that moment.
Above the garden, pale lights began to dance through the air.
Flowers throughout the grounds started blooming all at once.
The wind became infused with magic.
The knights stirred uneasily.
“…The magical power…”
“The garden barrier is reacting…?”
Even Yuris’ eyes widened in shock.
Only Sole herself remained completely unaware.
Because her emotions had been stirred so strongly that the vast magical power hidden within her was beginning to leak out.
