I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 320

Chapter 160.2

Sasha rolled his eyes at the command to obey the knight commander.

“Yeeah…”

Dimitri furrowed his brow.

“I don’t like that answer.”

“Yes, I understand…!”

“Remember, you’re not fighting to defeat the enemy, but to protect Rowaine.”

“….!”

Sasha, who had been looking a bit unfocused, suddenly snapped to attention, her eyes widening as if something had just clicked. Her voice became firm, filled with determination.

“I’ll do my best!”

It felt like a drill sergeant training a new recruit.

‘As expected, a kitten needs to be disciplined by an adult cat.’

No matter how many times a guardian tried to teach them, they wouldn’t listen and would just run wild. But the moment an adult cat stepped in, the kitten suddenly knew how to behave.

‘What is this? Why do I feel so proud, yet strangely left out at the same time?’

Grinning, I reached out and pinched Sasha’s cheeks.

“….? Oww, Rowaine.”

“I’m counting on you, Sasha.”

“Let go of me! Geez.”

Sasha huffed, shaking her head furiously to break free from my grip before dashing off.

‘If I find her adorable even when she’s annoyed, I might have a serious problem.’

Just then, the butler stepped through the door that Sasha had left wide open.

“The carriage is ready, Master.”

The plan was to use the teleportation circle to travel to Blois territory and ride Samael directly on the way back.

Dimitri put on his coat and smiled at me as he said goodbye.

“I’ll be back soon, Rowaine.”

He bent down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. The warmth of that gentle farewell made my face flush slightly. When I looked up, he was beaming at me with a radiant smile.

‘Having a handsome and kind lover is such an incredible feeling.’

Falling in love was definitely the right choice.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

With Dimitri gone, the mansion remained calm, showing no signs of looming trouble.

The garden’s roses, flourishing under the summer sun, were stunning, while Coco lounged in the warmth, peacefully napping. Despite still struggling with reading, Sasha had grabbed a military strategy book and was sitting next to me, furrowing her brows as she tried to make sense of it.

Dimitri’s unease must have been contagious because I felt on edge after he left. However, as the peaceful minutes stretched on, I gradually relaxed.

‘See? I knew there was nothing to worry about.’

Thinking rationally, Herman wouldn’t be reckless enough to declare war on Blois by himself without any preparation.

It was only yesterday that I had clashed with him. What could he have prepared in such a short time?

Even if he had joined forces with Empress Iris, she was still an outsider, and there was only so much influence she could amass. That’s why she didn’t let Elaine and her son compete fairly. Instead, she resorted to underhanded tactics—spreading rumors and manipulating public opinion to take Elaine down.

Someone like her wouldn’t be much help if Herman wanted a war against Blois.

‘If he can’t sway the emperor, Herman has no way of attacking us directly.’

But what could he possibly use to sway the emperor?

His past grudges and hidden schemes weren’t reasons for the emperor to support him. If anything, they would only make the emperor more suspicious.

Analyzing the situation logically helped me calm down.

Dimitri would be back soon, and everything would go according to plan without any issues. That’s what I told myself.

But I had been so wrong.

I had underestimated just how devious Herman could be, how masterfully he could twist the emperor’s fears and anger to his advantage.

“Whoa! What’s going on? What’s happening?!”

Coco, who had been peacefully napping, suddenly sprang up like a startled flea as a deafening explosion rang out from somewhere nearby.

Booom!

I reacted slower than Coco, my head snapping up only after the sound had already echoed through the mansion.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll go check!”

Sasha bolted out before I even had a chance to stop her. She had been instructed to head to her designated post and follow the knight commander’s orders in case of an emergency.

“Madam Rowaine!”

As soon as Sasha dashed out, Avila rushed into my room, looking flustered.

“I’m alright, Avila. It’s Count Heres. Look over there.”

I stayed hidden behind the curtain, glancing outside. To my disbelief, Herman was standing alone at the front gate, completely unfazed, making no attempt to conceal himself.

‘Is he about to pull some kind of suicidal attack?’

It was a situation I couldn’t understand at all.

‘If that’s the case, it’s even more puzzling. If he wants revenge, shouldn’t he be after Elaine? Why would he come here?’

Not that I wanted him to go after Elaine, but still—wasn’t it strange for him to attack so openly like this?

Within moments, the knights had completely surrounded Herman.

Just then, Herman raised his head, his gaze locking directly onto where I stood.

“….!”

Despite being hidden behind the curtain, his gaze landed directly on my position.

‘What….?’

He was smiling.