This Villain Is Mine Now - Chapter 28

“But you said it yourself. The butler and maids don’t care about you; they only look at your brother. I can’t just forgive them for hurting you.”

“Hurt me? That’s only because my brother just came back and needs a lot of help…”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes! I…!” Knox sputtered, his frustration boiling over as he jumped off the bed to stand in front of the butler.

“Don’t talk to the butler like that!”

Knox was the only one taking the situation seriously. The staff bit the insides of their cheeks, desperately trying to hold back their laughter. Elaina’s performance as the villain was impeccable. The staff bowed their heads, apologizing profusely to Knox. Each time, Knox, pale-faced, would defend them and scold Elaina.

It was only when the last maid, who struggled to hide her expressions, bit her lip and turned red that Knox realized Elaina was staging this. His ears turned crimson with embarrassment.

Before he could voice his anger, Elaina dismissed the staff. She stepped outside with them, turning back to look at Knox.

“I’m not trying to mock you, Knox. Don’t get mad. These things get resolved quicker when talked about openly.”

Before closing the door, Elaina gently pushed Lyle into the room. “Now it’s just the two of you, so talk it out,” she said, leaving the startled Lyle behind and shutting the door.

Elaina turned away, feeling satisfied, but she was taken aback by the admiring gazes of the staff.

“Huh? Why are you all looking at me like that?”

“Oh, nothing at all,” they replied, struggling to hold back their admiration. They looked as if they were about to call her ‘Madam’ on the spot, but they bit their lips to avoid speaking out of turn.

‘Unbelievable,’ the butler thought.

Since Lyle’s return, Knox had been increasingly rebellious. The butler had been at a loss on how to handle the boy, especially under Lyle’s strict orders to leave him be. He knew this wasn’t a good approach but had felt helpless. Yet, in just a few months, Elaina’s intervention had completely changed the dynamics.

Perhaps she really was what the Grant household needed.

“Did you know? About the master being outside?” one of the maids asked.

“I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling he might be,” Elaina replied.

When they had talked about Knox earlier, Lyle had worn the softest expression she’d ever seen him have.

‘These brothers are both so stubborn.’

Lyle must have been worried about how Knox felt after what had happened in the foyer. Despite the age gap of fifteen years, he was clearly concerned about their relationship.

‘He probably heard everything.’

With his sharp hearing developed for survival, Lyle likely heard all of Knox’s tearful words. The troubled look on his face when she pushed him into the room confirmed her suspicion.

“Let’s head downstairs. Hopefully, they’ll have a proper conversation and reconcile. I brought some delicious tea leaves,” Elaina said.

“Oh, that sounds wonderful!”

“I’ll brew the tea,” another maid offered.

“I still have some of the cookies the Archduke brought last time,” Elaina mentioned, to the enthusiastic nods of the maids who were now completely enamored with her. The butler, still worried, kept glancing back, but he couldn’t ignore the future archduchess’s wishes.

***

“Knox.”

Knox flinched, unable to meet Lyle’s gaze, turning his head away instead. His brother’s voice didn’t sound angry, but that didn’t make Knox feel any less guilty. He knew how badly he’d behaved. Shouting and calling their guest a pumpkin, demanding she leave—it was disgraceful and improper, tarnishing the Grant family name.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

They both spoke at the same time, surprising Knox, who looked up at his brother.

“I should have talked to you about taking Mother’s ring. I didn’t think it through,” Lyle said.

“I… well…”

“I should have told you about Lady Winchester beforehand too.”

Knox’s statement about not wanting a new family meant he had always desired to keep his existing one. Suddenly, Elaina’s words from the confectionery came back to Lyle.

“But you were fifteen when you went to war. Until then, you grew up surrounded by your family’s love.”

Lyle realized he had been so overwhelmed by his hardships that he failed to see that Knox had only received five years of their mother’s love, and none from their father or grandfather. The loneliness Knox felt was much deeper than Lyle had expected.

“Regardless of who I marry, you and I are family, and that will never change.”

Lyle’s large hand rested on Knox’s head, the weight of it felt strangely comforting, causing tears to well up in Knox’s eyes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize sooner.”

“Sniff…”

“From now on, I’ll be able to spend more time with you. If there’s something you want to do… or even if there isn’t, if you think of anything.”

“Weapon shop.”

“What?”

“I want to go to the weapon shop,” Knox said, his voice still wet with tears as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “Mother said the Grant family is famous for its exceptional swordsmanship. She said that when Father and you came back, I’d be able to learn too.”

Every time he heard stories about his brother, he had thought about asking him to teach him swordsmanship. Other kids practiced with their fathers in the morning, but Knox had no one. Unlike the other boys who boasted about their growing muscles, Knox’s body remained soft.

Whenever he envied them, he would think to himself, I have family too. I have a brother.

“Alright. Anything else?”

“I want to go to the botanical garden. It’s for an academy assignment. We have to visit with family.”

“Okay. I’ll clear my schedule for tomorrow.”

“Really?”

Lyle nodded. “Then tomorrow, we’ll go to the weapon shop and then the botanical garden.”

“I’ve already eaten all the cookies.”

“We’ll stop by the confectionery shop on the way back. Anything else?”

“…No.”

Knox felt strange hearing his brother act like he would grant any request he made. He tried to push away the hand on his head, but Lyle’s large hand remained firm.

“Knox,” Lyle said quietly. “I might be older, but being a brother to someone is new to me too. There will probably be more times when I don’t do it well.”

Their relationship, which should have been natural from birth, was being rebuilt after a ten-year gap. Today wouldn’t instantly perfect their bond.

“When that happens, tell me directly. Tell me if you’re hurt or if you need help.”

“…Okay.”

“And as for Lady Winchester, as you might have already heard, she will probably leave here in a year.”

At the mention of this, Knox nodded slightly. ‘Strange woman,’ he thought, but he didn’t dislike her.

The people Knox had met until now either disliked him or pitied him. Elaina was the first person who was different.

‘One year?’ He didn’t understand why it was a year, but neither his brother nor Elaina seemed inclined to explain further.

“About tomorrow,” Knox glanced up at his brother. “Is she coming too?”

“Lady Winchester? No, why?”

“I just thought… it might be nice if she came along.”

Knox still felt awkward about doing things alone with his brother. Having that strange woman around made things a bit more bearable. She was quick to pick up on what he wanted to say.

“Do you want her to come with us?”

“Not really, but… she might be bored otherwise.”

Lyle’s eyebrow arched slightly at Knox’s hesitant reply.

“I’ll ask her. If she doesn’t have any plans, I’ll invite her along.”

“…Okay.”

“Lady Winchester brought some sugar cookies for you. If you’re feeling a bit better…”

“Let’s go! All that talking made me hungry.”

With a burst of enthusiasm, Knox opened the door and led the way, almost running toward the dining room. Watching him, a faint smile appeared on Lyle’s lips.