Don’t Be Obsessed With Your Cat Butler - Chapter 97

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Sia lifted her head, which she had been bowing in fluster. Knowing that he was the Crown Prince who had visited before, she wanted to avoid him if at all possible. Nox had told her to be careful before, and she didn’t particularly want to deal with the imperial family.

Nobles were already difficult enough. How much more difficult and uncomfortable would royalty be?

But it wasn’t something she could simply hide from, so she had to introduce herself. Having never properly learned court etiquette, Sia answered as politely as she could with what she knew.

“My name is Sia, Your Highness. I am not a noble, so I don’t have a family name.”

“…Then may I ask why a commoner who isn’t a noble is being called ‘Madam’?”

He had observed the entire situation before stepping down from the carriage. The head butler and the maid had clearly addressed her as ‘Madam’. Sia wasn’t the only one caught off guard by his question. Cedric and Marie also struggled to hide their discomfited expressions.

Watching the reactions of the three of them, Louis thought to himself that it was fortunate Nox wasn’t here. If Nox had been present, he would surely have found some way to hide this woman yet again.

At the time, Louise had assumed it was simply because she was another black-haired woman that Nox didn’t want to be seen by others, but once the thought occurred that she might be human, his perspective widened.

“…Lady Sia may be a commoner, but she is the Master’s mate. As the wedding ceremony’s preparations have already started, we were helping her adjust in advance by addressing her as ‘Madam’.”

Cedric finally provided an answer. Of course, he knew Louis had asked Sia, not himself, but he responded brazenly all the same.

“Oh, so if they’re preparing for a wedding ceremony, that means the Duke is serious.”

Hearing the exchange between the two, Sia felt her face grow hot. She hadn’t known they were preparing for a wedding ceremony. She knew that he loved her, but having something proceed formally like this was another matter entirely.

Her heart was pounding so hard that she wanted to hurry back to her room. She wanted to hide her face, which kept growing red instead of cooling in the cold air. But the Crown Prince once again directed his question straight at Sia.

“You don’t seem to be of the cat tribe. Where is your homeland?”

“……”

If I say the Republic of Korea, will he even understand?

Sia couldn’t understand why the Crown Prince kept addressing her directly. Hadn’t Cedric already explained enough. And even if he was a member of the imperial family, was it really acceptable to barge into someone else’s home at daybreak like this?

As an irreverent thought crossed her mind, her lips pushed forward slightly without her realizing it. Seeing her expression, Louis let out a quiet scoff inwardly. This was the first time he had seen someone who couldn’t hide their expression even with the Crown Prince himself standing before them.

“Why can you not answer? If you are a suspicious individual, I cannot simply let it go. Duke Blois is my precious vassal, after all.”

“Liar…”

“…What?”

“…Pardon?”

Sia hurriedly tucked her head, pretending ignorance in an attempt to reel back the words that had slipped out without thinking. You heard wrong. You heard it wrong…

“Pfft…”

Letting out a short laugh, Louis stepped closer to Sia. Cedric and Marie, who had been blocking her from his view, had no choice but to step aside.

Now facing Sia directly again, his gaze unconsciously followed her black eyes as they darted away. It was the instinct of the cat tribe. As Louis stared down at Sia, who strangely kept provoking his instincts, he crossed his arms over his chest and spoke.

“If you cannot immediately reveal your origin and tribe, then I will have no choice but to take you in under imperial authority. An unidentified woman cannot be kept at the Duke’s side.”

He deliberately spoke more forcefully. He wondered how she would try to evade this time. However, his words affected Dylan, Cedric, and Marie more than Sia.

“Your Highness, why all of a sudden…”

“Your Highness! You cannot do this!”

Dylan was frustrated because he couldn’t understand why Louis was suddenly acting so aggressively, and Cedric was worried that Sia would be taken away in the Master’s absence. Lastly, Marie moved to stand directly behind Sia, as if she had made up her mind, prepared to flee with her if necessary.

On the other hand, Sia felt a flicker of anger. She had seen how the Crown Prince had treated Nox the last time. That was probably only the tip of the iceberg. If the Crown Prince behaved like that, it was obvious how the nobles beneath him would act.

Compared to everything she herself had experienced, Nox must have been subjected to rejection not only within the estate but also outside of it, to a degree that couldn’t even be compared.