I Reincarnated As A Villainess, But Why Did I Become A Cat Butler Instead? - Chapter 43

Chapter 22.1

I had to let the Duke know that Coco was in my room now. Thankfully, the servants and knights who recognized me paved the way for me to reach the Duke without difficulty.

“Why are you looking for your slaves from me?”

The Duke of Blois uttered coldly as he looked down at the men from the front door.

I approached him and tapped him slowly.

“Duke.”

Hearing my call, he turned to me and narrowed his eyes.

“Actually…”

As I was about to tell him where Coco was, he sighed and whispered to me.

“I know.”

He knew?

Eventually, he added a brief explanation to my puzzled eyes.

“The smell of him is terrible.”

…He had a really good sense of smell.

Nonetheless, I feel sorry for him because I think this incident occurred because I brought Coco back from the beginning. At the same time, I was worried.

‘It seems they must have done something bad to Coco. The Duke doesn’t like Coco, so what if he says they’re right and hands over Coco?’

Worried, I glanced around at the men who confronted the Duke of Blois. There were what looked to be a dozen men or so. All but two of them were wearing expensive-looking clothes, while the rest were carrying weapons and traps. There were what looked to be a dozen men or so.

‘Is it like a search party?’

They were catching a cat, though they were carrying around scary weapons like that… I couldn’t believe it.

“The traces of the slave we were looking for are lost here, Sir. If you allow me to search, I will find that rat-like b*stard right away.”

I was terrified that the Duke of Blois would give up Coco at any moment.

At the thought, I was looking at his mouth anxiously, and he snorted.

“You’re going to bring those dirty feet into my mansion for just one slave? You have a big dream.”

“Then, please find it yourself!”

“Why should I do that? They aren’t even my slave.”

“That, that…!”

The men looked at the Duke as if asking what to do before exchanging glances with each other. Moments later, the two people in expensive clothes whispered to each other, and one of them smiled a little bit in an instant. He quickly lowered his head to hide his smile, although I could clearly see the obvious sneer.

The other one took a step forward and said.

“Even though you’re both Shapeshifters, the Duke isn’t planning to protect the Shapeshifter slave, are you?”

Saying so, he emphasized the words both ‘shapeshifters’ and ‘shapeshifter slave.’ Obviously, it was a sarcastic tone of sarcasm because the Duke didn’t give up Coco because he felt sympathy with the Shapeshifter slave.

‘Is he provoking him?’

It was amazing.

Still, he was the Duke of Blois, so the slave traders could only provoke him at best.

‘It seems that buying and selling shapeshifters and abusing them have become so commonplace that there is nothing in sight.’

I once read a column about buying and selling human dignity. There, it was said that anyone who once traded someone’s dignity for money would never forget that exhilarating experience. That was why, whenever an opportunity arose, they repeated the experience to the opponent he considered weak.

Moreover, what of those slave traders who made their business of buying and selling shapeshifters with free will? Their brain would have been filled with the thought that shapeshifters were someone who could be crushed easily. Because of that, the slave traders provoked the Duke of Blois without hesitation. He seemed to be talking without even realizing that he was looking down on the Duke.

“We are invested by the Count of Bilbao!”

The Duke tilted his head.

“So, what do you want me to do?”

“If you don’t want to make things big, please give me the shapeshifter slave.”

At his words, the Duke grinned and asked back.

“What if he wasn’t in my mansion? What do you plan to do?”

“No way…!”

“If you are so sure, why not risk your lives as collateral?”

He looked very angry.

‘It’s stupid. You’re hurting a cat’s pride.’

After all, cats were proud creatures.

In the meanwhile, the traders, who hesitated at the Duke’s words, did not respond and hesitated.

‘Please just leave like this…’

I longed inwardly.

But then, the maid, Sophia, was seen quietly bringing someone and shoving their back.

‘…Tilda?’

The back that Sophia was pushing was Tilda, the maid who was belittling over my clothes when I went to Mrs. Elbas’s mansion. She came forward with a smirk and turned towards the Duke of Blois.

“Duke, there are people who have seen the shapeshifter hide in the Madam’s bedroom.”

Then, I could feel her staring at me.

‘….!’

…Was she really saying that here?

It was clear that she wanted the Duke’s wrath directed at me. On the other hand, the faces of the slave traders who heard the maid’s words were brightened instantly.

“The Duchess is very interested in Shapeshifter slave…”

They seemed to be familiar with Rowaine’s notoriety. The next moment, the slave trader rubbed his hands together and opened his mouth.

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