This Villain Is Mine Now - Chapter 27

Knox’s eyes darted as he tried to change his words. “I didn’t mean ugly! I meant you look like a pumpkin…”

“I do? How so? In what way? My hair is pink—does that mean you’ve seen a pink pumpkin? Or is it my eye color? Pumpkins are more orange, and my eyes, look closely, aren’t they more yellow?” Elaina countered, leaning in closer to emphasize her point.

“Why should I look closely at your eyes!” Knox snapped.

“I’m just saying, if you call me a pumpkin because you think I look like one, I’d like to know how. Why are you getting so angry?” Elaina asked with a smile. “If it bothers you, tell me where you’ve seen a pink pumpkin, and I’ll check it out myself.”

“That’s not… I mean, pumpkin…” Knox stuttered, his frustration growing as Elaina kept poking holes in his logic.

Elaina crouched in front of the bed, resting her face on the edge to look up at Knox. He flinched and looked away.

“I know you said it because you don’t like me.”

His lip jutted out, a classic pout of a child trying to hold back tears.

“But we’re going to be family soon. I’m marrying the Archduke.”

“Family? Who wants to be family with you? I don’t want anything to do with you, pumpkin!”

“Knox, have I done something to upset you?”

Knox’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“If it’s something I can fix, I’ll do it. We’re going to be living in the same house, and I want to get along with you,” Elaina said gently.

For Knox’s sake, it was better if they got along. He had been alone in the empty mansion since he was five. Though he acted tough, he was a lonely child.

In “Moonshadow”, Knox never contacts Lyle or Diane, feeling abandoned by his family. Too harsh for a ten-year-old to endure.

“If you don’t tell me, I won’t leave. If you want me to stay here with you tonight, that’s fine too,” she said, pretending to be threatening.

Knox, despite his bravado, looked scared. He’s still an innocent child. “What? Are you crazy? This is my room!”

“Exactly. So, talk to me. By now, you must realize I’m not leaving,” Elaina said firmly.

Seeing that she was serious, Knox scowled. “You’re really strange.”

“Insults won’t hurt me. I want to know why you dislike me.”

“It’s obvious,” Knox said, pointing to her hand. “That’s my mom’s ring. He took it without permission.”

“Ah,” Elaina looked at the ring on her finger. “So, that’s it.”

Elaina’s calm reaction made Knox continue, despite himself. “I never wanted a new family. That person… I mean…”

“Brother,” Elaina corrected gently.

“What?” Knox said, taken aback.

“You should call him Brother, regardless.”

Knox fell silent for a long moment, and Elaina waited patiently. Finally, he spoke. “…I never thought he’d come back. The butler said I had a brother, but I never saw my father either. He died in the war. So, I thought my brother would too…”

Knox’s voice trembled. His hopes had always led to greater disappointments. After waiting for his father and brother to return, only to hear about his father’s death, he stopped hoping.

Then his brother had returned, and he realized how much he had been hoping all along. The resentment built up, and his small fists clenched in frustration.

“But then he came back, acting like he owned this house! Everyone only cares about him. They all just focus on him.”

Knox had isolated himself in his room to avoid everything he disliked. Usually, the butler would stay by his door, worried about him, but with one command from his brother to leave him alone, Knox had been left to his own devices. The frustration and hurt he didn’t even know he had kept bubbling to the surface.

Elaina simply nodded and offered comforting words, saying, “I see,” as she listened to his outburst.

“It must have been really tough, thinking the butler didn’t care about you,” she said gently.

“Are you stupid? I don’t care about that. I’m not a little kid anymore. It’s fine. Nobody cares about me anyway,” Knox retorted, his voice trembling.

He turned his head sharply, tears welling up in his eyes. He didn’t want to let this woman see him cry. He crawled under his blanket, creating a small, round island on the bed.

A muffled voice came from under the covers. “You can leave now. I answered you, didn’t I?”

“Okay, I’ll go,” Elaina said softly.

Marriage and all that stuff—it was too complicated for Knox to understand. All he knew was that his place in the family felt even smaller.

Since he was little, the butler had always told him about his amazing brother. A brilliant, capable person who could do anything. Whenever he was bullied at the academy, he thought about his brother, convincing himself that his own struggles were nothing compared to what his brother endured on the battlefield. He believed he had to maintain the dignity of the Grant family.

But the brother who returned was nothing like what Knox had imagined. He was fierce and indifferent, showing no interest in Knox.

‘A great brother? He couldn’t even stand up to a Marquis who insulted him as a beggar. What kind of great brother is that?’

And then, he took away the maids and the butler, who were like family to Knox.

And yet…

‘Why did he buy cookies for me?’

Why did he suddenly try to act like a good brother?

Was it all to create a new family, leaving me behind?

To be part of a different family?

Knox’s eyes grew hot with tears. He cried silently, his small island of blankets shaking with his sobs.

“Hey, Knox. The Archduke—Lyle—is your family. That won’t ever change,” Elaina said, sitting on the edge of the bed and patting the blanket.

“I’m sorry. You just want to be family with your brother, but I’m intruding,” she said softly.

The child made no response.

“I’ll just borrow your mother’s ring for a year. After that, I’ll put it back where it belongs. Can you tolerate it until then?” Elaina asked.

“…What do you mean?” came the muffled voice from under the blanket.

“Just for one year, be my family. I can’t tell you the details because it’s an adult matter.”

Elaina hugged the blanket tightly. Knox squirmed inside but she didn’t let go.

“It’s not just a simple request. In return, I’ll be on your side.”

At the words “on your side,” Knox’s struggling momentarily ceased.

“Let’s cooperate. What do you think?”

“…What kind of cooperation?” he asked.

“If you get along with me for a year, I’ll help you with the problems you can’t tell anyone else about.”

Elaina stood up and opened the door. Knox, startled, peeked out from the blanket.

In front of the suddenly opened door stood the maids, the butler, and Lyle. The staff looked anxious, and while Lyle’s expression was stern, he didn’t seem as angry as he had been in the foyer.

“Alright, everyone come in, one by one. Butler, you first.”

“Yes? Oh, alright,” the butler stammered.

Elaina made the butler stand in front of Knox and relayed what Knox had told her.

“Why have you shown less care for Knox since the Archduke returned? Didn’t you know he’d be hurt by it, Butler?”

“What are you doing!” Knox shouted.

“Hold on, Knox. We need to hear from the butler too,” Elaina insisted.

The butler, looking regretful, faced Knox. His face showed deep remorse and sympathy. Knox turned his head sharply away.

“I’m sorry, young master Knox. I failed to consider your feelings.”

“Butler, do you think an apology is enough? Failing to understand the master’s heart is a serious offense,” Elaina said, giving a meaningful look to the butler.

The experienced butler caught her cue and slumped his shoulders more.

“I have no excuse,” he said.

“Alright. Then, it would be best if you left this house immediately,” Elaina declared.

“Are you crazy?!” Knox shot up and yelled at Elaina. She had promised to be on his side, and now she was talking about throwing the butler out?

Elaina nodded calmly. “Knox, this is not something to be overlooked. I will find a more competent butler.”

“No! I don’t want that! I like the butler! No one can touch him! What are you doing!”

Not understanding the adults’ machinations and feeling utterly betrayed by Elaina’s words, Knox began to shout hysterically.