I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 297

Chapter 149.1

‘What on earth is Herman up to?’

Herman joining forces with Iris was a significant departure from the original storyline. He was originally the Satan who stayed by Rowaine’s side, provoking her and leading her down the path of destruction.

‘In the novel, his role was to cause the villain’s downfall.’

So, why did he side with Iris?

Even though I hoped Agaliaept would reveal more information about Herman, it seemed like there was no more information in my head that the demon could give me.

‘Herman wasn’t discussed in much detail in the novel.’

Still, that didn’t mean he was an empty being with nothing to uncover.

‘There must be a story of his own that wasn’t highlighted in the novel.’

While living in this world, I’ve met many people who weren’t in the novel. Coco and Sasha were prime examples, along with many of the shapeshifters at the shelter. Each of them had their own stories, ones that weren’t in the novel.

Herman might be the same.

‘I’ll think about it a little bit more later.’

For now, I stopped thinking about him and quickly got into the carriage that was waiting for us. I had more urgent matters to handle than Herman.

“Coco, did you meet Renée?”

“Ung.”

“How was it? How did she seem?”

Coco naturally climbed onto my lap and settled in.

“She didn’t look very well. She seemed really discouraged.”

“Sit up properly.”

Dimitri grabbed Coco by the scruff of the neck and pulled him down onto the seat.

“Tch.”

Coco wrinkled his nose, making a displeased face, but soon gave up and started telling me about Renée’s story.

“It’s been about two weeks since she started staying at the imperial palace, but she’s been confined the whole time.”

“Nothing else happened?”

“She said nothing dangerous. She hasn’t even seen the Emperor, and it seems like she doesn’t meet with anyone.”

That was a relief. At least, it meant the Emperor wasn’t using any violence on Renée other than keeping her confined.

At that moment, Coco shared something unexpected.

“Ah, she said she’d like to get revenge if she could.”

“Revenge?”

“Ung. On someone named Nigel.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

I thought I must have misheard. However, Coco’s next words made me feel like I’d been struck on the back of my head.

“After parting ways with Rowaine, she tried to cross the border and settle down in a foreign country, though it wasn’t easy. Nigel worked as a mercenary, but he lamented how he went from an honorable knight to a mercenary overnight, and he started drinking every day, which made life increasingly difficult.”

“….”

Even without hearing the rest, I could clearly imagine the situation. My stomach churned.

“Then, as her relationship with him grew worse, one day, Nigel suddenly left without a word and didn’t return for several days.”

“Ha…”

“When he returned a few days later, he was with the Emperor’s knights. It is said that Nigel had offered her to the Emperor as a mistress.”

“What…?”

I take back what I said about clearly imagining the situation. It was far worse than I had imagined.

“…Nigel offered Renée to the Emperor?”

I was so stunned that I stared blankly at Dimitri.

I couldn’t believe it. No, I didn’t want to believe it. However, Dimitri’s expression was strange.

“Dimitri, did you… already know?”

At my question, Dimitri let out a small sigh and then confessed.

“Actually, on the day I was late to the party, I was looking for Nigel.”

“….!”

“I sent someone to look into it, and they said he was wandering around the capital.”

“You’ve met him?”

“Yes.”

“How was it?”

I really wanted to know what had happened to the man who’d been so affectionate toward Renée after offering his wife to the Emperor. I hoped there had been some kind of circumstance or that he’d fallen into some trap. I didn’t want to believe his betrayal. Still, what I learned about Nigel’s current situation from Dimitri was completely unexpected.

“He looked quite well.”

“….”

“It seems he obtained the title of count on the condition that he offer Renée to the Emperor.”

“Oh, my God.”

I was at a loss for words. I stared at Dimitri with a dumbfounded expression, blinking my eyes.

“Ha. Unbelievable… I can’t believe this.”

I didn’t trust Nigel. It was just that since Renée liked him, I thought it would be fine and sent him along with her… Even so, I shuddered at the betrayal.

After all that talk about how he couldn’t live without her.

“…I knew it would turn out like this.”

I let out a cynical laugh.

I saw my father reflected in Nigel. My father, who had once declared his love and courted my mother so passionately, though that fervent love quickly faded, and the woman he once loved became a target of violence.