This Villain Is Mine Now - Chapter 44

After arriving at the villa, the two went into their respective rooms, fully immersing themselves in work. It wasn’t the kind of reaction one would expect on the first day of their wedding.

As night fell, the door to Elaina’s room suddenly swung open. Startled, Elaina turned her head. Sarah, with a pout, stomped her way towards Elaina.

“Miss—no, madam, what are you doing right now?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s already late into the night. Are you going to spend the entire day staring at those papers?”

“If it’s about dinner, I’m fine. I’m not very hungry.”

Sarah sighed in exasperation. “It’s not just about dinner!”

Shaking her head as if she couldn’t be more frustrated, she hurried to the wardrobe, pulling out a piece of clothing she had hung up earlier.

“Hurry and change. Now!”

The outfit Sarah held up was a delicate negligee, made of soft satin in a peach hue. Elaina’s lips parted slightly at the sight of it.

“What… what is that?”

There was no such item in the luggage she had packed herself. Seeing Elaina’s bewildered expression, Sarah beamed with pride.

“Of course, it’s the nightwear I packed for you, madam. Now, go ahead and put it on.”

“Wait, Sarah…”

Elaina tried to protest, but Sarah was quicker. With practiced efficiency, Sarah helped Elaina change while chattering away.

“Now, I may not approve of His Grace, the Archduke, as your partner, but you are married now, after all. Isn’t it a bit odd that neither of you are acknowledging that tonight is your wedding night?”

“W-Wedding night? Sarah! Don’t say such nonsense!”

Elaina flailed her arms in embarrassment. The mere thought of it…

“Yes, yes, I know. You only did this for the sake of helping Lady Redwood, but a wedding is still a wedding. Even if the staff of the archduchy are the only ones around, if you two act indifferent from the very first night, rumors will spread like wildfire.”

Apart from the Duke and Duchess, Sarah was the only one aware of the deal between Elaina and Lyle.

“Do you know how many people are already talking downstairs?”

Right now, it was a mere concern for Elaina’s marriage. But the moment they gave room for speculation, the rumors would spiral out of control, spreading everywhere like wildfire.

“As an adult, you need to take responsibility for your actions. You didn’t go through an entire wedding just for a game of make-believe, did you?”

Though Elaina knew the marriage was a temporary arrangement, Sarah couldn’t bear to see her mistress’s pristine reputation tarnished in the meantime.

“Now, go to His Grace’s room. I’ll bring dinner to you both shortly.”

Before Elaina could even respond, Sarah swiftly ushered her towards Lyle’s room, knocked on the door, and then dashed down to the first floor in a flash. Her movements were so quick it felt like watching beans being stir-fried in a lightning storm.

While Elaina stood there awkwardly, the door opened. Lyle, towering with a presence so strong that it felt like a wall had materialized before her, looked down at her. Elaina, who had been staring at the floor, slowly lifted her gaze to meet his, and—

“Ahhh!”

She let out a sharp cry, locking eyes with Lyle, who was shirtless.

“Why… why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”

“That’s what I should be asking. Why are you standing in front of my room dressed like that?” Lyle responded, slipping into the frilled shirt he had been holding.

His hair was still damp, the moisture from his recent bath clinging to it. His well-defined muscles created a perfect outline under the shirt’s fabric.

“Well, you see…”

Oh, Sarah, this is just too much.

Elaina mentally cursed Sarah as she attempted to sound nonchalant. “I thought we should at least have dinner together. It is our wedding night, after all.”

Ah.” Lyle responded slowly, as if only just realizing. “You’re right. I’ve been rather inattentive.”

“No, I wasn’t really thinking about it either. It’s just, Sarah mentioned it. The servants don’t know our situation, so she suggested we be cautious in how we act.”

Lyle nodded thoughtfully at her explanation. “You’re right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

As he invited her in, saying it was cold outside, Elaina stepped into the room. It was a villa her family had often visited, so the space wasn’t unfamiliar to her. However, seeing Lyle inhabiting a place she knew so well made the reality of their marriage feel all the more tangible. Feeling self-conscious, Elaina twisted a strand of her hair.

As Lyle tidied up the papers stacked on his desk, mentioning that dinner would be brought up soon, Elaina found herself watching him. Their eyes met, and Lyle, noticing her gaze, asked, “Is there something you want to say?”

Elaina quickly shook her head. “No, not really. There’s nothing.”

Was it because of what Sarah had said? Or perhaps it was seeing Lyle in such casual clothing for the first time. His wet hair fell loosely over his forehead, and through the ties of his frilled shirt, his chest muscles peeked out.

Though Elaina had believed she understood the weight of marriage, she couldn’t help but be acutely aware that starting today, she and this man would truly be bound as one family.

“Why don’t you sit down? You must be tired standing there,” Lyle suggested, a playful glint in his eye as he watched her hesitation.

“Should I have pulled out the chair like a gentleman?”

“Oh, come on, it’s not like that,” Elaina muttered, quickly sitting down. She couldn’t bring herself to admit that facing him head-on made her feel self-conscious.

“Did you finish your work?” she asked, avoiding his gaze.

Lyle answered plainly, “Yes, I’ve pretty much wrapped it up. Once I return to the capital and submit the approval documents to the House of Lords, that should be it for now.”

The tension from earlier faded, and their conversation flowed smoothly.

“When do you plan on heading to the Mabel Mountain Region?” Elaina asked.

“As soon as the knights are assembled. Stabilizing the area for the residents is a priority, so the sooner, the better,” Lyle replied, slinging a towel around his neck as he turned to face her.

“Did you finish your work?” he asked in return.

“Well, I’ve done most of it. I still need to choose the wallpaper, chandeliers, and flooring materials.”

“You don’t have to put so much thought into it.”

“No, I want to do it perfectly since I’ve already started. When the weather gets warmer, I’ll begin renovating the ballroom.”

After having heard about wallpaper, furniture, and decorations for what felt like an eternity, Lyle assumed there couldn’t be any more to discuss. But another topic arose.

“The ballroom?”

“Yes, I’m planning on hosting at least two grand balls—one in summer and one in winter. They’ll be spectacular, and I want to make sure everyone is awestruck.”

Elaina then began laying out her plan for their first year of married life to Lyle.

“For now, I plan on supporting Nathan. I’ve mentioned him before, right? He’s a talented botanist.”

“Ah, yes. The man who married Lady Redwood. I remember.”

“If it’s him, he’ll be able to find crops that can grow well in the Mabel Mountains.”

Lyle listened intently, a look of surprise crossing his face. Seeing this, Elaina raised her eyebrows.

“What’s with that expression?”

“No, I’m just surprised you’ve thought about it so seriously.”

“Of course. We made a deal, didn’t we? If it was just about Diane’s marriage, there’d be no reason for me to marry you. Diane’s wedding happened faster than I expected, after all.”

Even though the conditions had changed, a deal was still a deal.

“By next spring, seven years from now, the status of the Archduchy of Grant will have changed considerably.”

However, not everything depended on Elaina alone.

“To ensure the residents can settle in the Mabel Mountains, we need to deal with the monsters first. I’ll leave that to you.”

The House of Nobles’ approval would be taken care of with the help of Duke Winchester, so all that remained was to recruit capable knights and form a proper order.

“Yes.”

“The sooner, the better. I don’t know when Nathan will be able to supply the crops, but the monsters need to be dealt with before we miss the planting season.”

As the serious conversation between them continued, Sarah knocked and entered with a trolley carrying dinner.

“Apologies for interrupting, but dinner is ready. Please enjoy it while you continue your discussion.”

Elaina glanced at Sarah, surprised by how demure she acted in front of Lyle. Sarah, ever the opportunist, had even lit candles in elegant silver holders to set the mood.

“The wine is a gift from Lord Bonaparte to celebrate your marriage. And the flowers are from Madam Hennet, a gift to congratulate you, madam.”

“What? Why are you only bringing these out now?”

“Well, I thought it would be most meaningful to unveil them at such a nice moment.”

The fresh flowers, having absorbed plenty of water, bloomed fragrantly, revealing Diane’s thoughtful heart in the gesture. The wine was clearly a luxury item, likely the most valuable in Leo’s collection.

“Well then, I hope the two of you enjoy your time together.”

With a mischievous smile, Sarah bowed and left, closing the door behind her with a resounding click. The sound echoed ominously, as if telling them not to think about leaving until morning.