I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 296

Chapter 148.2

Wasn’t it the same when Sasha said she would make a contract with the demon? I worried like a parent who had sent their child to the edge of a dangerous place, only to realize later that I was wrong.

Let’s trust him. Coco confidently volunteered for this himself.

It might be me who lacked independence.

‘Let’s not act like overprotective parents.’

As I made this resolution and tried to suppress the urge to run out and find Coco immediately, nervously biting my nails, someone quietly approached and brushed past my left shoulder to stand on my right.

“Were you waiting for me?”

It was such a familiar touch that I wasn’t surprised and looked up at Dimitri.

“Dimitri…!”

Seeing my tearful expression, he stared at me intently and tilted his head.

“I guess you’re very happy to have run into me in this vast place.”

Then, he whispered softly in my ear.

“Shall I give you a gift, Rowaine?”

“A gift?”

At that moment, a black mist billowed before my eyes, and in the midst of it—

“Nya—nyaw.”

—Coco was crying pitifully.

“Coco!”

“As I was coming over, I saw something familiar hanging on a tree branch.”

Dimitri casually handed Coco over to me as if it were no big deal. I knew he hadn’t stumbled upon Coco and me by accident but that he had heard my plans this morning and had come all the way here on purpose as soon as the meeting was over.

‘He must’ve been worried.’

I smiled at Dimitri, who wore an indifferent expression.

“Thank you.”

What was this sweet sense of stability?

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

We quickly headed to the carriage through a deserted path guided by Dimitri. Coco, who had been captured by his demon and was now nestled in my arms, sniffed and tilted his head.

“Hmm?”

“What’s wrong?”

“The scent that was coming from Rowaine has disappeared. Did you use magic perfume?”

I tilted my head.

“No, I didn’t.”

“You definitely smelled good until we parted earlier!”

Dimitri, who had overheard our conversation, also nodded.

“Now that I think about it, Rowaine’s distinctive scent has disappeared.”

“Really? That’s strange.”

Since my sense of smell wasn’t as developed as a shapeshifter’s, I hadn’t noticed the scent from the beginning and didn’t feel any particular change. Just as I thought it wasn’t important and was about to brush it off, I suddenly recalled the time when I was covered in the perfume Iris was wearing when I was with her.

“Come to think of it, when I met the Empress, she was wearing perfume. The wind blew, and it ended up getting on me.”

Dimitri, seeming to have an idea, responded.

“There are many shapeshifters in the imperial palace. If she didn’t use magical perfume to mask the scent, the Emperor would know exactly who she’d met. She might have used the magic perfume to get rid of the scent because she didn’t want that.”

“Is it a way to protect privacy?”

It could be as simple as that, but something about it felt suspicious.

“If that’s the case, why did she use magic perfume specifically when I visited?”

There weren’t even any dog shapeshifters in that location.

“Could it be… that she was concerned about Dimitri?”

I looked up at Dimitri, who was walking beside me. In the first place, the effects of magical perfume weren’t limited to dog shapeshifters alone. Since Iris knew that I spent time with Dimitri, who was a shapeshifter, she might have been conscious of that.

Dimitri opened his mouth.

“It’s possible that she met someone who shouldn’t have been discovered by Rowaine or me.”

I was uneasy about the fact that Iris seemed to know the Emperor’s circumstances so well. It was clear that someone close to the Emperor was at her side, and that person was someone who shouldn’t be discovered by me…

“….!”

At that moment, I was startled to see Agaliaept appear in front of me, now in a giant form, causing me to stop in my tracks. It revealed a silent, delighted smile with its numerous sharp teeth.

Simultaneously, various clues began to fit together in my mind like pieces of a puzzle. Someone who hovered around the Emperor without a specific role. In particular, someone who handled the Emperor’s personal affairs… And among them, someone who had no direct contact with Iris and therefore no official reason to leave a scent on her.

At the same time, someone connected to Rowaine…

In the novel, Iris noticed Rowaine’s feelings from the beginning and approached her. Iris was someone who knew her goals, and she knew where her gaze was directed.

“I think I know who it is…”

The realization struck me.

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

Immediately after Rowaine left, Iris smiled slightly as she watched the man slowly emerge from the hidden space behind the mirror.

“Things are going to get interesting in the future, don’t you think?”

Herman smiled, his jewel-like violet eyes gleaming, then lowered his head and kissed Iris deeply on the lips.

“If it makes you happy.”

Iris embraced his neck as if it was a familiar occurrence.

The sound of their laughter echoed quietly through the Empress’s office.