IBVC 05

Chapter 05

The Monclaire Ducal House possessed overflowing wealth and a level of honor so high that everyone admired them.

Other nobles could use one to three types of elemental magic out of the five major attributes—water, fire, earth, air, and wood.

But most members of House Monclaire could handle all five.

So for the daughter of the Monclaire Dukedom to fail to awaken her magic was considered a very serious matter.

“This is my room.”

Perhaps talking to a cat wasn’t such a bad idea, because Eloise introduced me to her chambers.

Wow. Even more amazing than Marcel’s bedroom. Luxurious bed and furniture, glittering ornaments.

I didn’t know the exact value of these things, but even at a glance, they all looked very expensive.

Eloise set down the wooden box right beside the bed.

“For the time being, this will be your spot, Lizette.”

I poked one paw out of the box, then quickly pulled it back in.

What if I went out on my own and got scolded by the villainess?

“Meow?”

I tilted my head up and stared at Eloise.

She seemed calm now, but I worried about what sort of mischief she might suddenly pull.

In the novel, Eloise once humiliated the heroine terribly, accusing her of roaming around the imperial palace carelessly.

Maybe sensing my hesitation about leaving, her flat voice came from above.

“I’ll tell you in advance, you can wander the mansion as you please.”

“Mrrrow?”

Really? I blinked wide-eyed at her at this unexpected permission.

In the imperial palace, the places I could go were extremely limited—Marcel’s drawing room, his bedroom, the training grounds, Etienne’s room. And even then, I had to be cautious.

If I accidentally broke something valuable, the maids would get scolded in my place, so I’d always had to tread carefully.

“Come out.”

As soon as Eloise finished speaking, I crept out of the box and carefully sniffed around the room.

…Damn it, my feline instincts came out before my human reasoning.

Still, the woody scent wafting from the furniture was similar to the fragrance of the forest—it was pleasant.

“Mrrrow.”

“You seem happy. That’s good.”

The furrow between Eloise’s brows smoothed out.

Without her sharp expression, her face looked easier to approach.

I padded to her feet and gazed up at her.

“It’ll only be for a while… but rest comfortably here.”

“Meow~”

Her voice was still flat, but her tone carried a hint of kindness.

I brushed my fur against the hem of her voluminous dress.

Strands of white fur clung here and there to the deep-blue fabric, but she didn’t seem to mind much.

Her cool hand hovered just above my head, gently stroking without fully pressing down.

“Cats are supposed to be wary creatures. Strange.”

“Meow~”

Ah. No. Focus. She’s the villainess!

Someday she might slap me like she did the heroine, or even sell me off.

In the original story, the villainess handed the heroine over to the beastkin crown prince, claiming the heroine threatened her position.

Pulling myself together, I backed away and kept my guard up. Eloise’s brow furrowed again.

Knock knock.

“My lady, I’ve brought tea.”

“Come in.”

At her permission, the maid I’d seen earlier entered, setting a tea set on the table.

“Dr. Etmon said the flowers in scented candles aren’t good for cats, so I prepared chamomile tea instead.”

“Good.”

“Shall I serve dinner in your room again tonight?”

“Yes. Ah, and bring something for Lizette as well.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Once the maid left, Eloise sat on the sofa and poured herself tea.

I curled back inside the wooden box, tail wrapped around me, and watched her.

She drank her tea as though unbothered, then glanced at me briefly.

“Mrrrow.”

“Lizette, you’re hard to figure out. Just like Seal.”

Seal? Wait—was that Marcel’s pet name? Don’t tell me they secretly call each other by nicknames.

So they were childhood playmates—that must explain it.

Now that he’s her fiancé’s younger brother, she’s deliberately keeping a distance?

Seeing a side of her never shown in the original made me feel the reality of transmigrating all over again.

Back at the palace, I’d simply enjoyed my carefree feline life without thought. I was already starting to miss it.

After finishing her tea, Eloise kept a proper distance from me, reading or writing letters.

Meanwhile, I prowled around the room little by little, inside my head plotting an escape plan.

Since her chambers were on the second floor, jumping out the window should be doable, right?

Knock knock.

The quiet room echoed with knocks, and a delicious smell seeped in through the crack of the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and the maid and two or three other servants wheeled in a trolley.

They laid out a full spread on the table—soups and appetizers, main dishes of fish and meat, and even sweet-smelling desserts. Finally, two small dishes were placed on the floor.

“This one is for the cat.”

“Chicken?”

“Yes. Dr. Etmon recommended it.”

“I see.”

“Please enjoy your meal, my lady.”

When the servants left, Eloise crouched by the sofa and tapped one of the dishes on the floor.

“Come here, Lizette. Time to eat.”

I sat in front of the box, eyeing her. But when my stomach growled, I cautiously padded toward the dish.

Still, I was the crown prince’s gift. Surely she wouldn’t poison my food?

From what little I’d seen, Eloise seemed indifferent but not inherently malicious.

“Mrrrow.”

One dish contained shredded chicken breast, as said, and the other was a bowl of water.

As I sniffed the plates, Eloise returned to the sofa and sipped her drink.

I, parched from nerves, lapped at the water first. The sound of my slurping seemed to draw her gaze down on me.

When I looked up, Eloise was calmly eating with a spoon. Maybe I’d imagined it.

“Sniff sniff.”

I lowered my head again to smell the chicken.

The shredded breast smelled hearty and plain.

I picked up a piece with my tongue.

“Pffft.”

But I spat it out immediately. Tasteless.

My picky palate must have already grown accustomed to palace cuisine. How could I find this bland?

This was Marcel’s fault. Or was it the villainess’s fault for feeding me such dull food?

“Lizette, would you like to try this instead?”

While I poked at the poor chicken with a claw, Eloise dropped a piece of steak onto my dish.

The medium-well beef gleamed with rich juices.

Sniff sniff. It smelled as good as the beef I’d eaten in the palace.

“Chomp chomp.”

I popped it into my mouth and chewed.

The burst of savory juice spread across my tongue. Delicious! This was it!

I smacked my lips in regret when the morsel slid down my throat too quickly.

“Meow. Meow.”

I thumped my tail against the floor, grumbling to myself.

It wasn’t that I’d suddenly grown spoiled just because the villainess was treating me kindly.

I’d simply grown used to near-royal treatment—and now I felt a pang of unfairness.

Stupid Marcel. I hoped Etienne smacked him during training.

“Here, Lizette.”

After slicing more, Eloise placed the entire plate of steak before me.

The pieces were all cut into perfect bite-size chunks. Wait—she’d been slicing them for me all along?

“Looks like Seal spoiled you before sending you here.”

I couldn’t agree more. Not my fault!

I gobbled the tender beef eagerly.

By the time the dish was half-empty, I heard clinking silverware above.

Was she watching me eat?

When I’d finally finished a large portion and sprawled on the floor, belly round, a pale hand reached toward me.

“Lizette, want some dessert?”

In her palm was a single strawberry. Against her white skin, it looked even redder.

Heaving my heavy body, I bit the tip of the berry and waddled back to the box.

Maybe because she’d designated it as my spot, I felt safest there.

Crunching the strawberry, sweet and sour juices spread across my mouth.

“Meow…”

They’d never let me eat these in the palace.

And Marcel had never once served my meals himself.

My resolve to run away wavered—just a little.