I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 187

Chapter 94.1

The next day, Count Schdental’s scheme was unraveled by an unexpected person, Coco. While I was sitting in the office and working, Coco, who had grown a lot before I knew it, suddenly appeared in a humanized form.

‘I’ve always seen him in the cat form, so it’s been a while since I’ve seen him like this. He’s grown a lot in the meantime.’

Coco, who was thin and small compared to his age, was struggling to overcome a picky eating habit. Thankfully, through a lot of effort, he had gained some weight and grown taller. Dressed in cute gray suspender shorts, he laid his belly on the sofa in my study and gazed up at me with his hand resting under his chin.

“Angel.”

“Hmm?”

“The humans are saying strange things.”

Sitting at the desk and going through documents, I put down the pen I was holding and asked Coco.

“What do you mean, strange words?”

“That the cat shapeshifters and the mouse shapeshifters are colluding.”

“What…?”

Wasn’t it common knowledge that cats were natural enemies of mice? It was the same even among the shapeshifters. It was because cat shapeshifters coveted the weapon of the mouse shapeshifters, dream demons.

Coco rolled his eyes, grumbling that he had heard the absurdity of it all.

“What do they think of us? Besides, mouse shapeshifters have no concept of loyalty or justice! They willingly devour their own siblings when they’re hungry. They’re truly nasty creatures. I wouldn’t even consider associating with mouse shapeshifters, and I’m sure others feel the same. Also, I’m not saying this just because I’m a cat shapeshifter, Angel.”

Letting out a deep sigh, he stretched out on the sofa armrest.

I accepted it nonchalantly.

“Don’t worry too much, Coco. People probably don’t understand cats well, so they’re just saying whatever.”

“No, it’s not that. Among the employees, there’s no one who isn’t discussing that story these days. It’s because the retainers brought along by other nobles keep spreading the rumors.”

“…Spreading rumors?”

“Yeah. Since cats can control demons of intermediate level and higher, they say that if they command a demon, they can also control the dream demons.”

Upon hearing those words, I suddenly recalled a question Lady Latina, the daughter of Count Schdental, had asked me at the tea party the other day.

“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?”

I had found it strange why she asked such a sudden question. Furthermore, she hadn’t even listened to my response.

Feeling perplexed, I turned to Coco.

“Could you tell me more details? What else did those people say?”

“It’s always kind of similar. Among those who’ve bought cat shapeshifters, there are stories about some who were targeted by the dream demons. There’s one house that abused a cat shapeshifter, and then that night, a dream demon drained their energy but they miraculously survived.”

“Are they portraying cat shapeshifters and mouse shapeshifters as if they’re in a cooperative relationship?”

“Well, isn’t it fortunate if it’s just a cooperative relationship? They say cat shapeshifters are bad. Cats have a vengeful nature, so if they hold a grudge, they use mouse shapeshifters as a means of revenge.”

“What?”

“The employees brought by Madam Elbas get irritated just by seeing me. Even the ones who were originally there now avoid me, while some even tell me not to send any mouse shapeshifters to their houses.”

It wasn’t something to casually dismiss.

Except for the Blois Territory, regions all over the country were in chaos because of the mouse shapeshifters. If such rumors spread at this point, the perception of cat shifters would deteriorate significantly.

“Thank you for letting me know, Coco.”

“Where are you going, Angel?”

“I need to talk to Dimitri.”

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

Upon hearing my story, Dimitri immediately began investigating who was spreading such rumors.

Despite several days of investigation, he couldn’t pinpoint the original source as the rumor seemed to have spread discreetly. However, considering that it first emerged among the nobles and then shifted to their employees and the fact that the rumor was still limited to the territories in the northern region, including Blois…

“It’s hard to erase suspicions about Count Schdental and Madam Elbas being behind this.”

Dimitri nodded in response to my words.

“I agree. It’s a pity that there’s only circumstantial evidence.”

“Still, we can be prepared.”

“It seems like they’re intentionally trying to give cat shapeshifters a bad image to create resentment towards Rowiane’s shapeshifters’ shelter.”

I pounded my fist into the cushions that adorned the couch in irritation.

“Just leave me alone, these troublesome people!”

“I know that sentiment well.”

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