I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 292

Chapter 146.2

“Coco, you really can hide well without being detected, right?”

“Don’t worry! I can do it well!”

Coco was skilled in stealth. Sometimes, even Dimitri was surprised by his sudden appearance. It wasn’t that Dimitri was incompetent, but Coco was exceptionally talented at stealth.

“There are many dog shapeshifters in the palace. You have to be very careful.”

“Ung!”

“And if by any chance you get discovered, never let it be known that you’re a shapeshifter.”

“Ung!”

“Wherever you are, I’ll definitely find you, so if you get caught by anyone, behave quietly so you don’t get hurt.”

“Ung! Got it!”

Coco was a cat shapeshifter born in a slave market that received nobles as guests. In other words, compared to other cat shapeshifters, he had a glamorous appearance favored by nobles, so if he were discovered, there was a high chance someone might think he was a lost cat with an owner. Nobles often took their pets everywhere, proudly showing off how cute their pets were, so if something happened, I could claim that I brought my pet out to show off and accidentally lost him.

Even though I had already planned everything out, Coco kept reassuring me with determination.

“I can move around without even the dog shapeshifters noticing! I can use the wind to help!”

Saying so, he confidently clenched his round front paws into fists.

Eventually, I tied a ribbon around Coco’s neck. It was a ribbon with a note hidden in it that was to be delivered to Renée. As the carriage that had entered the palace stopped after traveling for a while, I hugged Coco and naturally moved to a somewhat secluded area of the Empress’s garden, where I set him down.

“See you safely again.”

“Ung!”

Coco skillfully disappeared into the bushes.

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

After sending Coco off, I naturally entered the Empress’s Palace. The nobles who were chatting in the hallway whispered as they saw me.

“That woman is coming to the palace again.”

“Since she became a great noble through marriage, she should naturally pay her respects to Her Majesty the Empress now that she’s in the capital.”

“Her Majesty the Empress must find this quite uncomfortable.”

People chatted among themselves while looking at me, but when I turned to look at them, they quickly shut their mouths and turned away as if they had never said anything.

I pondered what kind of expression to put on in this situation and decided to pass by with the face of a villainess who was so brazen and confident that nothing could faze them, no matter how many wrongs they’d committed. Since I wasn’t the one being criticized, showing a dejected face would hurt my pride, and there was no reason to put on a pleasant expression when being unjustly criticized.

‘I want to go home quickly.’

Even if I weren’t Rowaine, moving around among people who point fingers at me was quite mentally draining.

The maids who were chatting in the reception room outside Iris’s office also stiffened their expressions when they saw me. Since Iris kept her cooperative relationship with Rowaine a secret, even from her close maids, who were all from noble families, it was inevitable that they wouldn’t be pleased to see me, the former mistress.

One of them stood up and said bluntly with a face full of displeasure.

“It seems you didn’t make any specific appointments, so please wait here. I’ll inform Her Majesty the Empress of your visit. Even if Her Majesty declines to see you, please don’t take it personally. She’s a very busy person.”

She seemed to hope that Iris would turn me away and embarrass me, but it was Iris who called for me. In the meanwhile, the maids didn’t offer me a seat on the sofa and made me stand at the door to wait. Still, it didn’t matter since I would be going in soon anyway.

The maid who went to inform Iris of my visit soon came out with a sulky expression, pouting as she spoke.

“Her Majesty the Empress is asking you to come in.”

As I entered the Empress’s office, she greeted me in front of a full-length mirror near the window.

“Ah, welcome, Duchess of Blois.”

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

She was holding a perfume bottle as if she was about to apply some. Seeing that, the maid quickly approached the Empress.

“I’ll do it for you, Your Majesty.”

“No, it’s fine. Step outside.”

“Oh, let me do it for you.”

It seemed the maid was making excuses to stay behind, worried that I might do something bad to the Empress, but she gently declined and applied the perfume herself.

“I can do it myself. Step outside.”

“Yes…”

The maid reluctantly went out.

“Just a moment, Duchess.”

“Take your time.”

The Empress meticulously sprayed perfume all over her body. At that moment, a breeze blew in through the open window, sending droplets of perfume flying towards me. Although I didn’t like perfume, I broke the silence with a half-hearted compliment.

“It smells good.”

“Right? It’s my favorite perfume. It lifts my mood whenever I get the chance.”

…Could it be my imagination?

I couldn’t help but wonder why the smile she made while talking about the perfume felt so contrived.