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Chapter 9
In the original story, before the Crown Prince fell in love with the heroine, he harbored an inferiority complex toward Marcel.
It started with Marcel being able to achieve mana resonance with Etienne—and extended to practically everything else.
Maybe that’s why his relationship with Eloise is so strained.
“Meow.”
My cry echoed through the still greenhouse.
The hand that had paused while petting me resumed its gentle strokes.
“I’m sure His Highness only wishes to find this little one an owner who can truly care for her.”
“If Marcel isn’t an idiot, he wouldn’t entrust a cat to someone who slaps innocent people just to vent her anger.”
Well, she is supposed to be the villainess.
So she really had slapped someone for no reason.
As if they were talking about someone else entirely, Eloise calmly ran her fingers through my fur.
“If this little one has somehow disturbed Your Highness during your busy schedule, then I sincerely apologize.”
“Did you really think I’d come all the way here over a mere cat? And you’re telling me to leave before we’ve even gotten to the real reason for my visit.”
It took me a moment to realize what he meant.
If they were only going to talk about me, then he might as well leave.
Ugh… aristocratic conversation is so complicated.
Thank goodness I hadn’t been reincarnated as a noble lady.
“I only feared I might be taking up Your Highness’s valuable time.”
“…Ha.”
The Crown Prince sighed deeply, looking thoroughly fed up.
“I’m sick of hearing you speak that way.”
Annoyingly, even with an irritated expression, he still looked dazzling.
I guess male leads really are built differently.
Still, I preferred handsome men like Marcel, who reminded me of warm sunshine, over an iceberg like the Crown Prince.
Marcel… my first butler.
Are you doing well?
You abandoned me in this awkward place. I hope you’re enjoying your steaks.
“…”
“…”
Despite the lush greenery, the greenhouse felt freezing cold.
Not surprising when both the handsome man and beautiful woman were openly directing hostility toward each other.
You said we’d tour the greenhouse.
At this rate, I’ll freeze to death before we even start.
Save the poor cat!
“M-Meow…”
“…Marianne is merely my lover. Our engagement remains unchanged. I came to tell you that.”
Hearing my pitiful meow, the Crown Prince finally got to the point, his tone slightly softer.
In the novel, he’d hidden the fact that he was secretly practicing mana resonance with the heroine because he feared it would become a weakness.
“How thoughtful of Your Highness to even consider someone who’s quietly resting at home.”
“Lady Montclair.”
“My father will honor his promise to His Majesty, so please don’t worry. I’m perfectly fine as well.”
Eloise answered calmly while lightly stroking my back.
Her hand really was gentler than Marcel’s.
Feeling comfortable, I began purring.
“…For someone who’s ‘perfectly fine,’ wasn’t your outburst rather excessive?”
“If you’re referring to Lady Crimson, there happened to be a bug on her cheek, so I merely tried to brush it away.”
Liar.
I hadn’t witnessed the incident, but anyone could tell that was a lie.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s the truth. Which is why I also sent her a gift as an apology.”
“Indeed. You gave Lady Crimson a villa, and suddenly she was all smiles despite her swollen cheek.”
Wow.
That’s one impressive villainess.
She slapped someone once… then apologized by giving them a villa?
“I am a Montclair, after all.”
The pride in her voice when she said “Montclair” was unmistakable.
“Even so… I don’t think a cat like that suits a noble lady of House Montclair.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“I mean that a noble lady shouldn’t keep a cat whose bloodline is unknown.”
Wow.
Isn’t that basically spitting in your own face?
The Crown Prince himself was only half of royal blood, born between the Emperor and a commoner.
I understood that he had an inferiority complex toward Marcel, the legitimate prince born to the Empress.
But did he really have to compare himself like that?
Sure enough, a faint crease appeared between Eloise’s brows.
“Then is that why Your Highness keeps that woman at your side?”
Unlike her usual indirect manner of speaking, her words were surprisingly blunt.
Considering the heroine was also a commoner, it was an effective counterattack.
“She’s more useful than a noble lady who is too highborn to even awaken her own abilities.”
That bastard…
He’s tearing open someone else’s wounds.
Before my brain could stop me, my body reacted first.
I shoved the teacup toward the Crown Prince with all the strength in my tiny paw.
Crash!
The porcelain cup toppled off the table and shattered loudly against the floor.
“Rizet!”
Eloise’s startled voice rang through the greenhouse.
Dark amber tea splashed across the Crown Prince’s pristine white uniform.
The gentlemanly bastard.
That was the nickname readers had given him.
A refined, courteous Crown Prince…
…who constantly accumulated bad karma with the things he said to the heroine.
Every word out of his mouth dug him deeper.
Readers had spent the entire novel waiting for him to suffer because of it.
Realizing he’d spoken to Eloise this way too…
I could finally understand, at least a little, why she’d become twisted.
“Your Highness, are you all right?”
Eloise picked me up from the table and held me protectively in her arms.
Her voice had already returned to its usual calmness.
As though the shrill cry of “Rizet!” just moments earlier had never happened.
“I’m fine.”
“I sincerely apologize.”
The Crown Prince casually brushed the tea from his trousers.
Hmph.
It wasn’t even hot.
I’d acted purely on impulse after hearing his cruel remarks.
Honestly, I’d wanted to scratch his face.
Fortunately, the human part of my mind still possessed enough reason to stop me.
Throwing the teacup had been the compromise.
Thankfully, only the Crown Prince and Eloise were present.
The incident didn’t become a major commotion.
“Don’t concern yourself.”
Having apparently finished what he’d come to say, the Crown Prince stood.
When Eloise moved to escort him out, he waved a dismissive hand.
“There’s no need to see me out. It would only draw more attention.”
Eloise simply gave a shallow curtsy.
His green eyes lingered on her for a brief moment before he disappeared.
Only the lingering scent of tea remained in the greenhouse.
“…I suppose our greenhouse tour is over because of the broken teacup, Rizet.”
“Mrow.”
Well…
You reap what you sow.
It was a shame I couldn’t admire the magnificent greenhouse—almost as splendid as Marcel’s garden.
But I’d been the one who broke the cup.
I couldn’t exactly blame anyone else.
Returning to the table, Eloise quietly sat down and stroked my fur.
Although her fingertips trembled slightly, her voice remained steady.
“What upset you so much?”
I don’t know.
I honestly didn’t know why I’d gotten so angry.
It was simply…
The way he’d spoken about whether his fiancée was “useful.”
Maybe hearing someone treat another person like a tool had triggered something inside me.
My previous family…
Several of my former part-time employers…
They’d all looked at me the same way.
At least I’d learned one thing from those experiences.
If you endure everything in silence, people only take advantage of you.
I rubbed my head against her cool hand.
“Meow.”
That bastard Crown Prince.
He’s probably still piling up karma with the heroine even now.
When his downfall comes, I hope it’s even more miserable than in the original story.
I hope he rolls around in regret.
“M-Meow…!”
Wait!
What if, despite saying he didn’t mind, he decided to hold House Montclair responsible afterward?
In the original novel, whenever the villainess caused trouble for the heroine, he’d always confronted the Duke of Montclair.
Back then, it had been satisfying to watch.
Now that I was involved…
It was terrifying instead.
This won’t bring House Montclair’s downfall any sooner because of me… right?
“Rizet?”
“Meeow…”
As I worried by myself, slender fingers cool as ice gently scratched the top of my head.
Come on.
He wouldn’t seriously make an issue out of a cat spilling tea on him.
He was still the novel’s male lead.
Surely he wasn’t that petty.
Click. Click.
The crisp sound of approaching heels echoed through the greenhouse.
The hand petting me abruptly stopped.
Feeling an ominous presence, I looked up.
Standing there was the Duchess of Montclair.
She looked like an older version of Eloise—perhaps twenty years older.
“So. You’ve gone as far as driving the Crown Prince away. Well done.”
“Meow!”
Driving him away?!
He said everything he wanted to say and left on his own!
I protested loudly with repeated meows.
The Duchess’s sea-green eyes turned colder still.
Her gaze was even icier than her daughter’s.
My body instinctively trembled.
Eloise pulled me closer into her arms.
“Thank you for the compliment, Mother.”
Without another word, the Duchess turned sharply and walked out of the greenhouse.
Only two brief exchanges.
Yet it felt as though the temperature inside had dropped several degrees.
Compared to her, even the conversation with the Crown Prince had seemed almost… human.
As though she were used to such treatment, Eloise simply sat there, quietly gazing at the flowers growing inside the greenhouse.
“Shall we go back now, Rizet?”
For some reason, her voice sounded slightly choked with emotion when she said my name.
I nodded.
Slowly, she rose to her feet.
Our brief visit to the greenhouse left me with only one lasting memory—
the taste of tea gone cold.
