I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 148

Chapter 74.2

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When we returned to the mansion, I could see a number of carriages parked one after another in a large garden.

Viscount Villefranc, who was waiting for us at the entrance, came running with his blue hair flying and reported to Dimitri.

“Everyone is waiting in the grand hall. They’re all here except Count Fale, who was said to have passed out drunk at the party, and Viscount Lugo, who was on the brink of death with the flu.”

“Count Fale has been out of his mind since he brought in a mistress. If he’s going to keep doing this, just let it be the reason for the dismissal of the elder.”

Dimitri said dryly as he dismounted and handed the reins to the servant.

“The elderly Viscount Lugo must be in trouble this time. His children are all getting old, but he refuses to give up his position because he is full of greed. If he dies like this, there will be a great fight between his brothers over the title.”

Everything Dimitri said was about things I didn’t know.

While they were talking, I guessed from Hyle’s outfit that he hadn’t seen blood yet.

‘I guess the elders weren’t having heavy buttocks.’*
[ T/N: ‘Have heavy buttocks’ is an idiom which means ‘To tend to stay in one place for a long time without thinking about leaving the place at all.’ ]

Should I say it was a relief that Dimitri’s order to kill them on the spot if they didn’t show up could be dismissed as a bloody joke?

Dimitri, who spoke briefly with Viscount Villefranc, glanced back at me as I got off the horse.

“Rowaine, would you like to come with me to meet with the elders?”

“Me too?”

“Didn’t Rowaine directly tell me not to leave you out at a critical moment? You can go along if you like, but there are things you need to be aware of…”

He stared straight at me with heavy emotions in his eyes.

There was hesitation in his beautiful emerald glass eyes.

“At this moment, if Rowaine took the lead instead of hiding behind me and revealed that you contributed greatly to this incident, you would have many enemies.”

I could read the concern for me in his voice. He seemed to want me to hide behind him.

‘…What should I do?’

A conflict arose in my heart.

My goal was to live peacefully and safely with my cats.

I had a vague plan to break Dimitri’s curse and, in the meantime, establish my own foundation so that when our contract marriage ended, I could retire to the countryside and run a tea shop. However, creating resentment in this way seemed to push me further and further away from the future I had envisioned.

‘…Count Bilbao will have to pay a heavy price for this, and he’ll likely think he’s lost everything because of me.’

He may already be gnashing his teeth, dreaming of revenge.

Living in a country with good security, where weapons were prohibited, everyone took care not to become a target. However, in a place where security wasn’t so reliable and people carried blades at their waists, I wondered if, when I finally moved out from under Dimitri’s protection and lived alone, I’d be able to sleep soundly at night.

‘At the point of worrying like this, the smart thing to do would be to step back.’

Make no enemies, keep to yourself, and stay out of sight… it was a recipe for longevity.

I knew. I was sure I knew…

“I’m responsible for bringing Coco in the first place.”

Contrary to my vigilant and hesitant head, my mouth spoke of its own accord. It was a strange feeling to hear my own voice, cheerfully confident.

‘…I wonder if I’ll be okay?’

Dimitri, sensing my feelings, made a last-ditch effort to dissuade me.

“Rowaine, I’m not going to hold you responsible for that…”

“No, Dimitri had to pay a big reparation to Count Bilbao for that, and that’s how things had grown as big as they are.”

I interrupted him and went through each point.

“I’m responsible, too, and it pricks my moral conscience that I’m the cause and I’m using Dimitri as the shield.”

At my words, Dimitri made a face as if he were seeing a disciple preaching the divine doctrine of God to the devil.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s the first time I’ve actually seen someone choose things based on something like morality and conscience…”

“Of course, I’m also worried about myself. How can I live with such a good heart in a world tainted by evil?”

“Did you even know what you were talking about?”

Dimitri gazed at me with a face that didn’t intend to hide the slightest hint of wonder.

I let out a small sigh and mumbled.

“Your head may know, but if your heart doesn’t follow, you can’t do anything about it.”

Sometimes, it was better to live with a loss than a guilty conscience. If I ran away now, I’d leave Dimitri behind, and that would weigh on me far more than making enemies or dealing with stress.

‘I can discard my conscience when it comes to people I don’t know well, but I’ve grown attached to Dimitri…’

It would be simple if you didn’t care about someone, no matter how close you were, but the human heart isn’t as easy to switch off as a light.

‘He has a weary personality… neither too kind nor too harsh.’

…At times like this, what could I actually do?

With a somewhat tearful expression, I followed him to the grand hall.

Affection always complicates things.

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