I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 175

Chapter 88.1

As I climbed onto the stack of hay beside the stable and sat down, Elaine hesitated for a moment but eventually sat down beside me and sipped the wine.

“You don’t have to force yourself to drink. It’s just the two of us here, and I don’t really care about formalities.”

Upon hearing that, Elaine held the glass tightly with both hands and pretended to be flustered.

“No! I, uh, I want to give it a try, too.”

I tempted her with such words.

“It’s a shame. If the Princess liked alcohol, we could have opened a few more bottles of expensive wine. Dimitri really enjoys wine, so I got a few bottles as a gift myself.”

“….!”

Elaine’s eyes flickered. It seemed like she was debating whether or not to keep pretending.

I whispered seductively to her.

“Does the Princess also know the noble etiquette that it isn’t a lady’s virtue to get her partner drunk by drinking better than him?”

It was mentioned in the extra edition of 〈 the Life of a Lady. 〉

“That kind of standard-setting seems despicable and cowardly to me. Aren’t they either reluctant to waste good alcohol on women or too afraid to lose to a woman based on their weak pride?”

“Duchess!”

As if I was being too mischievous, Elaine lightly tapped me and burst into laughter.

I continued to cynically argue.

“If that’s not the case, then why would they restrict ladies from drinking as much as they want? If noble young ladies are supposed to abide by such etiquette, there would surely be a long line of hired guards protecting their virtue!”

“That’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me. Ah, don’t take this the wrong way.”

“Am I wrong?”

Elaine teasingly pressed her lips together and flashed a seductive smile, skillfully grabbing my bottle and generously pouring its contents into my glass.

“Please keep it a secret, Duchess. I believe you understand that the position of a princess is a suffocatingly adorned, melancholic place that requires adhering to archaic etiquette.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t carry what happens in the haystack out of the haystack.”

…It was a rule I just made up to appear cool.

We laughed heartily as we finished off a whole bottle of wine. With each sip, our connection grew stronger, and by the time I savored the last drop, we had comfortably transitioned to using each other’s names.

“I never imagined Rowaine would be this kind of person.”

“Oh, are you going to keep bringing up my embarrassing past?”

“I’m not talking about the past! Just yesterday, when I first met you, you seemed so defiant and defensive.”

“Do I appear that way? It must be because I showed you to your room as soon as we met with my arms crossed.”

“But still, there was that atmosphere about you, Rowaine. If I told you that you looked too much like Duke Blois, would you believe me?”

“You’re saying I resemble Dimitri? He’s completely… like a cat!”

“What does that mean?”

“It means being domineering, cautious, and defensive of strangers.”

“That’s the impression of Rowaine that I had.”

“It can’t be.”

“But it’s true!”

We exchanged typical conversations that women our age had when they first became friends. Of course, my actual age was nine years older than Elaine’s, but that really didn’t matter.

At that moment, Agwen came looking for me at the stable.

“Madam, the Duke is looking for you.”

“Dimitri? What’s the matter?”

“He wanted to borrow the Madam’s office, but he said the door is locked.”

It seemed like he needed a place to escape and hide in my office again.

“Agwen, here’s the key to the office. Will you take it and tell the butler to bring me another bottle of good wine?”

“Yes, Madam.”

Once Agwen departed, Elaine shed her reserved demeanor and adopted a smirking expression, raising her chin proudly.

It seemed like that expression was not a facade but her genuine one. I found myself taken aback by the transformation. The lovely and shy girl had vanished, replaced by a commanding presence that exuded an irresistible charisma, nearly causing the word ‘Eonni (언니)‘ to slip out of my mouth involuntarily.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s empty words, but you have a very good relationship with Duke Blois, Rowaine.”

“I told you. He changed me with his devoted love.”

She silently stared at me with an indifferent gaze before opening her mouth.

“Didn’t Rowaine want to be my father’s mistress?”

It seemed like she still couldn’t completely believe me. Elaine quickly reversed her facade and chuckled innocently as if nothing happened.

“I think adult love is too complicated for me.”

I wanted to somehow get her on my side. Knowing what she was working towards, her remarkable intelligence and abilities, I had no intention of making her an adversary.

She would become the emperor.

I wholeheartedly believed that, which was why I made the choice to reveal my true self to her. After all, establishing a solid foundation required a strategic investment in securing a good person by your side.

“Follow me, Elaine.”

Please consider sending some love either through the translator’s Ko-fi or by leaving a rating/review for this series on novel updates~!

For update pings, novel discussions and/or to send mistake reports, join our discord server~