I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince

Chapter 261

The reunion between Cat and Cashimilly wasn’t as dramatic as I had imagined.

It turned out that Cat had already suspected her grandmother was a werewolf to some extent.

After all, if you enter your grandmother's room and find no one but a wolf, that’s the most logical conclusion to reach. Especially when her grandmother had disappeared, leaving behind only her clothes—it was practically a hint for Cat to suspect something.

When I asked why she hadn’t said anything and had explained things to Ethan and me as if she hadn’t thought of it, her response was simple:

“...If Grandma didn’t tell me, I figured she had a reason. So, I just pretended like I hadn’t thought about her being a werewolf... I-I’m sorry for tricking you, big sister... and handsome big brother...”

“...”

I couldn’t exactly blame a child for trying to avoid confronting the truth if she thought her grandmother was hiding something on purpose. So, I let it slide.

In the end, everything worked out, and if you think about it, the misunderstanding had started because of my mistake, which had forced Cashimilly to transform into a wolf in the first place.

Both Cashimilly and Cat had been trying to be considerate of each other. I had briefly imagined a rebellious granddaughter and a troubled werewolf grandmother, but thankfully, it didn’t come to that.

And so, after their reunion, the next day, Ethan and I found ourselves heading back to Cashimilly’s mountain shop, The Wolf’s Scent, early in the morning.

It wasn’t exactly a date. Cashimilly had mentioned yesterday that she wanted to give us a token of appreciation, and I also learned that her shop sold something I needed.

-Creek.

“Welcome~ Miss Lilith, Mister Ethan.”

“...Hello, Miss Cashimilly.”

“You look better than you did yesterday.”

Indeed, as Ethan observed, she seemed in better spirits today. Most likely, it was because she no longer had to hide anything from Cat.

While she hadn’t completely returned to her human form—there were still traces of her werewolf self, like the ears on her head and the tail behind her—the gray fur on her face and hands had mostly faded.

“You’re not fully back to your human form yet?”

“I returned to my human form this morning, but now that I don’t need to hide it from Cat, I reverted a little. Most of my customers prefer me this way, anyway.”

“...I see.”

I decided to let that comment go without further thought. It wasn’t something I wanted to delve into.

“Oh! It’s big sister and the handsome big brother!”

“...Cat?”

“...”

Suddenly, Cat, who had been sitting at a table, spotted us and ran straight into Ethan’s arms without hesitation. Watching her shamelessly cling to him, I felt a bit odd. She’s only nine, and already so... forward?

“So, you brought Cat to the shop with you?” Ethan asked.

“...W-we’re not lovers or anything like that...”

“But you call each other by pet names. Doesn’t that make you lovers? Or are you engaged?”

“N-no, we’re definitely not engaged...”

“I never said your ‘handsome young man’ was your lover, but you brought him up immediately, didn’t you? Seems like you have feelings for him.”

“...”

“Take it. It’ll help bring you two closer together.”

“...Thank you.”

To be fair, our relationship didn’t need much “improving.” If anything, I worried that getting any closer might be a bit too much. I wasn’t sure I could handle anything beyond what we already had.

Still, I accepted the gift. Whether or not I’d actually drink the tea with Ethan was another matter entirely.

“What’s so special about this tea?”

“Well... it helps lovers be a little more honest with each other.”

“...”

“And just so you know, it doesn’t work well with people you don’t have feelings for, so I wouldn’t recommend using it for... unfaithful purposes.”

“...I’m not unfaithful!”

“I didn’t think you were, Miss Lilith.”

“...”

I glanced over at Ethan to see if he had overheard the conversation. Sure enough, he was looking at me, his face slightly flushed as our eyes met.

I hadn’t meant to imply that I was completely devoted to Ethan or anything. He was just the exception to the rule—I wasn’t interested in dating anyone else, so I reacted strongly to the idea of cheating.

Not that explaining all that to Ethan would have made any difference. It was probably better to let him misunderstand for now.

...Anyway, I should wrap things up quickly and leave. We didn’t come here to accept gifts and chat. I had a specific purpose.

“...By any chance, do you sell bug repellent perfume?”

“Of course! It’s a perfume shop, after all. How many would you like, Miss Lilith?”

“Two... no, three bottles, if you have them.”

With the bug repellent perfume, the final item we needed for our journey to the Witch’s Forest, I quickly made my way out of the shop.

‘Make sure to drink the tea alone with your lover.’

...Holding the gift from Cashimilly, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of her meaningful words.