I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 173

Chapter 87.1

Elaine replied, smiling shyly.

“I was talking about how much I enjoyed the trip because, as you all know, it’s the first time I’ve been out of the imperial castle.”

The cheerful Dieppe laughed, revealing his many teeth. I was so curious that I quickly counted his teeth, and surprisingly, the number itself didn’t seem much different from others.
[ T/N: Last chapter, I mentioned that the meaning of ‘many teeth’ metaphorically describes someone who is quick-witted, clever, or sharp-minded though I think he actually has a lot of teeth literally LOL ]

While I was doing so, he spoke.

“Considering the timing, I’m concerned that Your Highness the Princess might encounter some unfortunate events.”

“Unfortunate events?”

“Have you not heard the rumors about rats infiltrating the area and draining people’s vitality as they roam around?”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that.”

“It would be wise for Your Highness to be cautious as well.”

“Is that so?”

If it had ended there, it would have been a heartwarming conversation with Dieppe showing concern for Elaine. However, he didn’t stop and glanced at me briefly before continuing.

“Even Madam Elbas, who is my aunt, was also affected by the recent rat incidents.”

At that moment, Latina, the daughter of Count Schdental, intervened.

“Oh my, is Madam Elbas alright?”

Even though I didn’t want to invite her to this gathering, as the daughter of a senior council member and even the same age as Elaine, I couldn’t possibly exclude her.

‘I expected that Dieppe and her would’ve concocted a plan to embarrass me, but as expected…’

When he brought up Blois’ vulnerability to rat incidents, it was obvious that remarks questioning how that could be possible when Dimitri, a cat shapeshifter, was present would arise. Soon, the topic would shift to discussions about the shapeshifter Duke, and Dieppe and Latina would join forces to subtly insult Dimitri as people would discreetly exchange glances about it.

‘Such shallow people.’

“Madam Elbas quickly recovered and is in excellent health, Young Lady Latina.”

I smiled, hiding my true feelings.

“That’s really good to hear. By the way, I’ve always been curious, do rat shapeshifters…”

I anticipated that she would ask, ‘Aren’t rat therianthropes afraid of cat shapeshifters?’ and I had prepared my response in advance.

But unexpectedly, Latina brought up a different topic.

“…Why do you cooperate with the demons? I thought demons were the ones who stole human vitality, so what do rat shapeshifters gain by being with them?”

Someone answered that question.

“According to what I’ve heard, when the demons put people to sleep, rat shapeshifters can easily steal belongings and food.”

“That’s really horrible!”

With a frown on her face, Latina turned to me and asked another question.

“From what I know, demons have a hierarchy, right? Isn’t the demon of Duke Blois’s rank not much higher than those demons, Duchess?”

‘…What kind of plan is this?’

Even though I was suspicious, unable to discern her intentions, I had no choice but to give a straightforward answer for now.

“Yes, the hierarchy of demons corresponds to their abilities.”

“Then, can’t Duke’s demon, being of a higher rank, easily drive away those lower-ranking demons? Just like how the nobles of the Empire prioritize the orders of the Emperor.”

“Well, demons are independent beings, so their hierarchy isn’t governed by the same rules as humans…”

At that moment, the conversation was interrupted as Latina accidentally dropped the teacup she was holding.

The glass shattered, and the person sitting next to her let out a scream and ran away.

While Latina apologized, a maid rushed over to clean up the broken cup, momentarily disrupting the atmosphere. Once the atmosphere settled again, the topic of conversation shifted to something much lighter and mundane, so I couldn’t conclude my previous thoughts.

‘What is this…?’

There was no sign of the shallow and deceitful conversation I had anticipated. But still, I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

‘…It feels like she purposely interrupted me.’

Latina’s action of dropping the cup seemed unnatural, and it only deepened my suspicion.

In the end, the gathering seemed to conclude with a mix of trivial gossip among the nobles and a somewhat pleasant atmosphere. The lavishly prepared refreshments disappeared without a trace, receiving favorable reactions, and there was no unpleasant incident to speak of.

I slowly gave the signal to gradually dismiss the guests.

“I can’t believe it’s already this late.”

Upon hearing my words, one by one, they nodded and rose from their seats.

“It’d be best for us to return before it gets too late.”

“I had a truly enjoyable time today.”

“Will you invite us again?”

As everyone exchanged various formal farewells and exited the greenhouse, Dieppe stayed until the end before approaching me with a request.

“Thank you once again for inviting me to Blois, Duchess. Blois’ residence is a truly special place to me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I have many fond memories from my childhood when I used to come and play here. So, speaking of that, would it be alright for me to stay at Blois for a few days?”

There were still people remaining who were listening to our conversation, so making such a personal request publicly was undoubtedly a maneuver to make it difficult for me to refuse.

Still, I smiled slightly and declined.

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