I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 316

Chapter 158.2

“What brings you here? You’re not usually one to attend these kinds of gatherings.”

His tone was laced with sarcasm, mocking Dimitri’s usual aversion to social events and imperial functions. Meanwhile, Dimitri, exuding his usual air of arrogance, gazed down at the emperor as he sat.

“I’ve heard that the hunting dog who attacked my wife will be competing in the tournament.”

“I see the Duchess of Blois wasted no time in telling you.”

William replied with a scoff.

“That’s right. I was curious to hear your opinion on this. Don’t you think it would be quite the spectacle to see that dog shapeshifter ripped apart in front of a crowd?”

The emperor conveniently omitted the fact that Rowaine had objected.

Dimitri agreed.

“It would certainly be worth watching. That said…”

With a confident smirk, he deliberately prodded at the emperor’s ego.

“I have a white wolf shapeshifter slave. If Your Majesty is interested, why not have him compete against your hunting dog?”

“A white wolf?”

The emperor’s eyebrows arched in surprise.

White wolf shapeshifters, who dwelled in deep, untouched forests beyond human reach, were regarded as mythical creatures—much like fairies or elves—in the human world.

William recalled an incident over a decade ago when a noble claimed to have discovered and captured a group of white wolf shapeshifters. The noble had boasted that he would tame them and offer them as a gift to the emperor. But soon after, he met a gruesome end.

His head, along with those of his knights, was discovered hanging from the castle gates and walls.

The emperor ordered an investigation to find the perpetrator, but with every witness dead, the culprit was never identified. It was suspected that the remaining white wolf shapeshifter who had escaped capture had taken revenge. William had never stopped lamenting the fact that he had failed to capture the white wolf shapeshifter at the time.

So, while the thought of pitting his prized hunting dog against a mere slave was irritating, the prospect intrigued him.

Noticing the emperor’s growing interest, Dimitri pressed further.

“Wouldn’t you like to know which is stronger—the white wolf shapeshifter, the pinnacle of the canine shapeshifters, or Your Majesty’s highly trained imperial hunting dog?”

“Hmm.”

“Let’s make a wager. If my slave loses, he will be yours, Your Majesty.”

The emperor’s eyes gleamed with intrigue.

If he could get his hands on even one white wolf shapeshifter, he could breed it with his canine shapeshifters to develop a superior strain of hunting dogs.

“And if my hunting dog loses? What do you want in return, Duke?”

“I want the chance to personally kill the hunting dog that attacked my wife.”

“That’s an easy enough request.”

“Then how about we hold the match in two days? I’m too eager to see the outcome to wait any longer.”

“In two days? Isn’t that a bit soon?”

At that moment, sensing an opportunity, Renée chimed in with a playful tone.

“Your Majesty! I can hardly wait, either. This is going to be so thrilling! A white wolf shapeshifter? How exciting! I can’t wait to see one!”

The emperor wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave a nod.

“Very well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. We’ll hold the tournament in two days.”

Dimitri’s attempt to dictate the tournament was irritating, but if it meant indulging Renée, it was a minor inconvenience.

“Make sure the white wolf shapeshifter is brought to the palace as soon as he’s ready.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

“How did it go?”

Waiting inside the carriage, I immediately questioned Dimitri as soon as he stepped in.

He smiled with quiet confidence.

“The tournament is set for two days from now.”

“That’s a relief. I wasn’t expecting things to move this quickly, but it’s a good thing we got Esca’s approval beforehand.”

The moment we began planning the tournament, the first thing we did was send a message to Esca.

To prepare for the possibility that Cadis might not win the tournament and to help him control the canine shapeshifters in the chaos following the emperor’s downfall, we needed Esca. With his exceptional ability to command shapeshifters and his formidable combat skills, he was the perfect candidate for the role.

‘I thought he might refuse to participate in the tournament because of the wounds left by the nobles who had sacrificed his people for their dogfighting games.’

Fortunately, just like when he had agreed to Dimitri’s request to come to Blois and look after Coco and Sasha, Esca once again chose to lend his support.

「 I consider it an honor to join the fight to change this cruel world for shapeshifters, ensuring that the tragedy I endured never happens again. 」

Esca’s letter concluded with the following words.

「 Besides, I owe Dimitri a great debt for avenging my people. 」