I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 117

Chapter 59.1

“Who told you what?”

As he asked that, his pupils widened and shrank like he didn’t like what I found out.

“That’s not important. Tell me in detail what happened on the day of the last council of elders.”

“It was just like usual.”

“There are many other ways to find out if you won’t tell me.”

After all, there were still many people in Blois who didn’t trust or like me. If I asked them, they would surely provide detailed explanations of the damage I had supposedly caused to Blois. Honestly, I could have just asked Baron Placen without putting myself through the emotional strain, and that would have been enough.

Even though I was aware of this, I came to Dimitri because it seemed like he had a reason for keeping it a secret from me.

“Tell me what’s going on. If it has anything to do with me, shouldn’t I know?”

“The elders just hate me, so they’re just trying to pick on me in some way.”

Dimitri crossed his arms and took a defensive stance as he went on.

“It happens all the time, and it’s something that can be resolved on my own, so you don’t have to worry too much about it, wife.”

“However…!”

I was choked up.

In the first place, I could guess that Madam Elbas had purposely come to my office at a time when Dimitri was absent to upset me. I knew rationally that if her ulterior motive were to piss me off, it would be my loss if I played in the palm of her hand.

To win over Madam Elbas, I needed to act calmly and pretend nothing was wrong.

I know, I know…

“And now, that dirty thing met a vulgar woman like you.”

She couldn’t stand it because I was angry that I’d given her an excuse to talk like that.

‘How dare she…’

I grinded my teeth.

‘How dare she say that cats are dirty?’

My stomach was burning.

“I heard that they treated me as a thief at the council of elders. That’s an insult to me, and I don’t want to let it settle on Dimitri’s shoulder. So tell me, what’s going on?”

Having said that, he didn’t insist anymore and confided in me obediently.

“It’s because of Coco’s issue. Do you remember the slave traders who followed him?”

“…Are they saying I stole Coco?”

Regardless, Coco was a slave with an owner.”

“Still, he was seriously injured and was dying on the road. He would have died on the spot if I hadn’t found him. Besides, the scars were caused by severe abuse.”

At my words, Dimitri opened his mouth as if he was very curious to hear those words come out of my mouth.

“The owner who bought the slaves has the right to abuse them, and if Coco had died while running away, it would have been their personal loss. But the moment you intervened, Rowaine, you violated private property rights. As you know, that’s how it is with slaves.”

I was at a loss for words.

‘Right… This is was such a world.’

The shock of being in a different world suddenly sank into my skin and seeped through my body. I thought of Coco, with his fluffy, sheep-like hair, smiling with his wide sky-blue eyes and exposed teeth. At the same time, words like abuse, death, ownership, slavery, and private property began to overlap with his face.

I understood what slavery was in theory, but knowing it in your head and feeling it so deeply, so viscerally, were two entirely different things.

It took me a long time to think before I could acknowledge Coco’s position in the world and my fault.

“Okay, if I were to comply with the system, it’s my fault for recklessly saving Coco and bringing him here.”

Dimitri, who waited until I accepted the fact, continued his explanation.

“The slave traders who had ownership of Coco were being invested in by a man called the Count of Bilbao.”

Come to think of it, it occurred to me that the day the slave traders invaded Blois, they threatened Dimitri, saying that they were getting investment from someone.

“Because of me, he suffered great damage. The Count of Bilbao requested that this matter be dealt with at the council of elders, and the elders concluded that I must pay him damages.”

I understood what the situation was now.

First, I apologized to Dimitri.

“I’m sorry, Dimitri. I had no idea things would turn out like this.”

At my words, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Even if you knew, wouldn’t the result be the same?”

He was right. I couldn’t have let Coco die, or I couldn’t have saved him and handed him back to the slave traders. I just apologized again because I had nothing to say.

“I’m sorry.”

Staring at me, Dimitri turned to the other side and uttered softly.

“Don’t apologize.”

“Why?”

“Because I think Rowaine was right.”

His gaze, which had been lowered for a moment, turned back to me. Brilliant emerald eyes stared straight at me as he gave a little more strength to his voice.

“Good job.”

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