This Villain Is Mine Now - Chapter 39

“Isn’t this a bit much?” Leo whispered to Elaina, who was walking beside him with her arms crossed. Elaina glanced up at him, as if asking what he meant.

“I mean, why are you here with me instead of your fiancé?”

“Oh, well, it’s a bit awkward, you know?”

“What exactly do you find awkward?”

“If someone who was once part of a marriage discussion attends the wedding, people might gossip and take the focus away from Diane.”

Leo looked at Elaina, bewildered. “And it’s fine for me? I also once proposed to Lady Redwood.”

“That’s different. There were about twenty others as well, right? How can you live if you worry about every little thing?” Elaina chided him for being overly cautious, causing Leo to shake his head in resignation.

The two of them headed toward the grand cathedral in the capital. Inside the vast sanctuary, fresh flowers adorned the space, making it seem as if a large scoop of spring had been sprinkled in this place, despite the lingering chill of winter outside.

Elaina watched the wedding of Diane and Nathan with a joyful expression. Just as she had promised, Diane was having the most splendid wedding in the capital.

“What should I do?”

“What do you mean?”

“I feel like I’m about to cry.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. If you start crying, I’ll leave you here.” Leo, though horrified at the thought of her crying, handed her a handkerchief.

“Why have you taken such an interest in Lady Redwood?” he asked, puzzled by Elaina’s sudden concern for Diane since her debutante, which had been less than six months ago. Elaina’s sudden attachment was hard for Leo, who had grown up with her, to understand.

He added, “It’s even more intense today, you know?”

“I can’t help it. It’s a wedding, after all.”

No one else knew what kind of life Diane had lived in Moonshadow. Today’s wedding was the happiness that Diane, the character in the book, had longed for, even if the real Diane was unaware of it.

“Leo, remember when I told you I kept having the same dream?”

“Oh, that. Didn’t the doctor say it was just a neurotic symptom? Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. It seems the doctor was right. I didn’t have that dream today.”

Moonshadow.

At first, when she had the dream, it was confusing, and when she realized it wasn’t just a dream, she worried about Diane’s fate. Each time she read that book in her dreams, her heart ached. But after Diane’s marriage was decided, the dreams no longer tormented her. The more the gap between the dream and reality grew, the more at peace she felt.

The dream was just a dream, after all, and the real Diane wasn’t unhappy. Maybe that’s why, as the doctor suggested, the dreams became more and more faint. Last night, for the first time in a while, she slept soundly without dreaming.

She probably wouldn’t read that book again. Diane’s future with Nathan would be filled with happiness and love, not sorrow and loneliness.

‘Perhaps that dream was Diane’s way of reaching out for help.’

That thought suddenly crossed her mind.

Maybe Diane’s feelings had reached her, asking anyone—someone—to help her.

Feeling uncharacteristically sentimental, Elaina let out a soft laugh.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it?”

What mattered was that the Diane before her was smiling radiantly, blissfully happy.

Under the officiant’s blessing, Nathan and Diane shared a sweet kiss. Elaina clapped with enthusiasm, more than anyone else, for their bright future together.

“Diane, congratulations! I’m so happy for you.”

“Elaina! Thank you so much for coming.” Diane, on the verge of tears, pulled Elaina into a tight embrace.

“Diane?”

“Elaina, you’re like a gift sent to me by God. I promise, whenever you need me, I’ll be there by your side. I promise to be someone you can rely on, just as you’ve been for me.”

“Don’t cry. Today, more than anyone else, you need to be the most beautiful. This is your day, Diane.”

Elaina gently patted Diane on the back. Despite her tear-filled eyes, Diane managed to hold back her tears and smiled brightly.

“I won’t cry.”

“Since you’ve had your wedding first, you’ll have to tell me all about it later. Of course, mine will be much simpler, just a small family affair, unlike yours.”

“I will,” Diane nodded enthusiastically. With the wedding over, there were still the reception and numerous other events lined up. Knowing she couldn’t keep Diane any longer, Elaina waved her hand in farewell.

“Go on now. Let’s meet often before you leave for Hennet.”

“Yes, let’s. I’ll send you a letter right away. Thank you so much for being here.”

Diane gave a nod to Leo, who was standing nearby, before hurrying back to the people waiting for her. She needed to change out of her wedding dress and into her reception gown, her steps quick with anticipation. Elaina watched her for a long moment, taking in the scene.

“Let’s head back, Elaina.” Leo gently tugged at Elaina’s arm. If she were to shed even a single tear in this crowded cathedral, it would become the talk of the town for weeks. Wanting to avoid the inevitable gossip, Leo thought it best to leave before any such trouble arose.

Elaina had insisted on attending the wedding and demanded Leo escort her, so he had gone to the Winchester estate early in the morning to bring her along. Since they had traveled in the Bonaparte family carriage, it was only right that he take her back the same way.

A short while later, Leo helped Elaina into the carriage and then climbed in himself. He gave the driver a clear order, “Take us to the Winchester estate.”

However, Elaina quickly corrected him, “No, not the Winchester estate. Take us to the Archduke Grant’s residence.”

“What?”

“We’re supposed to meet today. It’s been a while since we last saw each other.”

Though he frowned, Leo eventually nodded, signaling the driver to follow her request. The driver promptly closed the door and set the carriage in motion.

“Elaina, to be honest, I still can’t accept it.”

“What can’t you accept?”

“Your decision. What on earth were you thinking when you decided to marry Archduke Grant?” Leo’s tone grew serious, his expression darkening as he spoke. He couldn’t fathom what had led her to make such a choice.

Elaina furrowed her brow, tired of hearing the same lecture repeated over and over. “Enough. My parents have already given their consent. Why are you so against it?”

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s not like there aren’t other men out there…” He trailed off, unable to bring himself to say the words ‘the son of a traitor.’ But his face betrayed his true thoughts, and it wasn’t hard for Elaina to figure out what he wanted to say.

“That’s just prejudice,” she pointed out, addressing Leo’s attitude. “You and Sarah both, I don’t understand why you dislike him so much. When you actually meet him, he’s not that strange. He’s more reasonable than you think.”

“Enough. I’d rather stay ignorant, so don’t bother trying to explain,” Leo snapped back, irritation creeping into his voice. He didn’t see why he should listen to her when she never took his advice.

“Stubborn as always.”

“Look who’s talking.” Leo shrugged. “Who would have guessed that a Duke’s daughter would have such poor judgment? If you insist on throwing yourself into hardship despite my warnings, there’s nothing left for me to do but let you be.”

“That sounds like you’re certain I’ll be unhappy.”

“Certain? No. I’m convinced.” Leo’s gaze was serious as he looked at Elaina.

“Can a fish survive out of water? Or can a lion live by grazing on grass instead of hunting? That’s exactly what you’re talking about. It’s like a fish trying to live on land or a lion deciding to eat grass from now on.”

People are social creatures. Just as commoners and nobles live different lives, nobles, too, must associate with those of their own rank. This wasn’t about superiority; it was about understanding. Just as a fish that lives in water cannot breathe in the air, it would be incredibly difficult for two people who were born and raised in entirely different worlds to live under the same roof.

“Don’t come crying to me later, saying you should have listened.”

“You’re too prejudiced. How many times have I told you that you need to fix that?” Elaina shook her head, clearly exasperated.

Leo was a dear friend to her, but his overly aristocratic mindset was a problem. Just as she had mentioned earlier, Leo, who only associated with people of similar status, seemed to have already branded Lyle as someone unworthy even before meeting him.

“It would be nice if you two got along. You’re going to run into each other often enough in the future, after all.”

“Me? Get along with him? For what reason?” Leo’s voice dripped with disbelief.

Elaina continued, her expression softening into that of a guardian trying to pacify a stubborn child. “Lyle is planning to form a knight order. Naturally, as the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to cross paths with him.”

“A knight order?” Leo scoffed, clicking his tongue.

A knight order, of all things. How absurd. A family on the brink of collapse, attempting to create a knight order?

The conversation between them ended there. But as the carriage continued on its way, Leo’s mood only worsened.

A knight order.

The more he thought about it, the more it disgusted him. The idea that such a noble institution as a knight order could belong to the son of a traitor, a butcher on the battlefield, was nothing short of an insult.

By the time the carriage arrived at the Archduke’s residence, Leo’s temper was at its worst. The carriage came to a halt, and Elaina frowned as she watched Leo step down behind her.

“What’s this about?”

“Since I’m already here, shouldn’t I introduce myself to my friend’s future husband?”

Elaina looked at him with a puzzled expression, unable to understand Leo’s sudden change in attitude after he had just declared he had no intention of associating with Lyle.