I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 11
Chapter 6.1
I sat facing the Duke. It was only the two of us in his office.
Count Larscel’s aide was restless and tried to join the conversation, but the Duke’s imposing countenance stopped him from doing so.
The Duke was sitting in a relaxed posture, and despite his languid expression, he looked rather arrogant, just like a cat.
Without holding back, I immediately brought up the subject.
“Yesterday, while I was treating the Duke, I noticed that it wasn’t a common disease. You seem to have a powerful curse in your body.”
Obviously, I found out about this fact through the novel, but since I couldn’t say that, I started spinning a story.
He raised one corner of his mouth and smiled. It was a sharp smile.
“No wonder you’ve been so brazen. You think you’ve caught my weakness?”
“Rather than saying such a scary thing, let’s just say we both got lucky. I finally found a way to stay here, and Your Grace will be able to get help from me.”
I shrugged, emphasizing contingency.< “What do you want?”
“I will replace my sister as your bride. That’s all.”
He stroked his chin and smiled slyly.
“It’s a pretty romantic proposal. It looks like you’ve fallen for me, enough to sneak into my bedroom and pounce on me.”
“If Your Grace doesn’t accept me, I will soon be sold to the Emperor as his mistress. All I want is for you to put a stop to that.”
I tried to negotiate while pretending that I wasn’t too invested.
The Duke smirked without giving in.
“I almost couldn’t believe my ears. Are you really rejecting the Emperor to choose me?”
“I know that His Imperial Majesty has been pressuring you to marry. The purpose is to make you his son-in-law just to put a leash on you. Isn’t that why you’re in a hurry to find a bride?”
In the dawn of aristocratic society, shapeshifters were merely a class of slaves.
Duke Dimitri Blois was born after the previous Duke raped his enslaved mother. Had the previous Duke and his children not all been killed on the battlefield, Dimitri would have been kicked out of Blois, even if he did make it back unscathed.
‘That’s why there are rumors that he may have killed all of his brothers on the battlefield…’
He was the only one to return from the terrible battlefield where all the Young Lords of Blois were killed.
There were no women who wanted to marry him because of the heinous rumors that he was someone who would not hesitate to kill his brothers for his own benefit and because he was a shapeshifter.
To him, Count Larscel simply sold Renée for money.
For the Count, who believed that wealth was power, having a son-in-law like him wasn’t such a big deal. Moreover, even if it wasn’t Dimitri, he was already regarded as a mercenary among nobles, so there was no honor left to lose.
“You are very interested in me. That passionate heart is admirable.”
Even when I said that I knew about his situation clearly, he had a relaxed face.
At first glance, it might seem that we both were only speaking for our own sakes, but it did not mean that we did not listen to each other.
We were engaged in a tense battle of nerves, trying to determine the intentions of our opponent.
And I was trying hard not to get swept up by his mischievous look.
Being emotional would only make me careless.
“If you scratch my back, then I’ll scratch yours. I have a few conditions, but I assure you that they won’t be disadvantageous to you, Your Grace. First, this marital relationship will only be for appearances. As long as my honor is not tarnished, I will abide by the Duke’s authority. Second, please divorce me in three years.”
He raised an eyebrow, surprised by my conditions.
Still, he didn’t ask why and only responded in a playful way.
“There are many things you want from this marriage. I didn’t expect you to have such a detailed plan for your marriage with me. The more I get to know you, the more formidable you become.”
I was committed to staying calm, but his non-serious attitude, which continued to rile me up, gradually bothered me.
I copied his clever smile the same way and added one more condition I just thought of.
“…Finally, the third. It would be nice to be equals. If you’re not opposed to it, it’s not bad to treat each other well.”
He smirked at my sudden use of informal language.
[ T/N: there’s no equivalent in English, but she’s been using formal language until now.]
“How bold of you.”
“Being bold implies that the superior is judging the inferior. If you accept this contractual marriage, I want us to be equals.”
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