This Villain Is Mine Now - Chapter 45

“I guess I’ll be heading out now.”

Even after finishing the bottle of wine Leo had prepared, the conversation continued until the alcohol wore off. It was now time for bed.

It was amusing that she had come to dinner in her nightwear, but Elaina was preparing to return to her room. However, when she opened the door, she almost fainted. Sarah was standing right in front of the door like a sentry, blocking the way.

“S-Sarah?”

“Ah, you’ve finished your meal! I’ll clean up the dishes.”

Sarah gave Elaina a knowing look, as if to ask where she thought she was going, and quickly pushed her back into the room.

“Madam, I told you! It’s your wedding night! Where do you think you’re going?”

Sarah whispered in a small voice, her tone firm. Elaina quickly glanced at Lyle, worried that he might have heard, but fortunately, he seemed unaware.

A maid who had accompanied Sarah began cleaning up the dishes on the trolley, and Sarah lit incense in Lyle’s room.

“You must be tired, so please rest comfortably.”

Before Elaina could even respond, the door was swiftly closed. Sarah’s intense gaze, as if forbidding her from leaving the room, lingered until the very last moment before the door shut.

“Uh…”

Elaina stood there, bewildered, glancing back and forth between the door and Lyle.

“She’s quite the competent maid,” Lyle said with an amused grin, clearly finding the situation entertaining. It was certainly a scene unlike any he had seen in his own household.

“Well, I mean…”

“Her name was Sarah, right? She’s right. It’s your wedding night, and if word gets out that we’re using separate rooms, there will be unnecessary gossip.”

He had clearly heard everything, despite pretending not to. Elaina’s face turned bright red. It was only then that she realized she was still in her nightgown.

Of course, Sarah hadn’t dressed her in nightwear just for dinner. Elaina, who had been used to sleeping alone in her own room since childhood, suddenly felt her world shaking as the idea of sharing a room with someone else, let alone Lyle, became overwhelming.

As she stood there unsure of what to do, Lyle picked up a pillow from the bed.

“You can use the bed.”

“And what about you?”

Without a word, Lyle walked over to the sofa. His long legs spilled over the edge, but he didn’t seem to mind.

After hesitating for a moment, Elaina eventually made her way to Lyle’s bed. She fidgeted awkwardly as she slipped under the covers, but sleep didn’t come. In fact, the more she lay there, the more wide awake she felt.

Lying stiff as a board, Elaina stared at the ceiling. The pleasant scent from the incense Sarah had lit filled the room, and the sound of night birds chirping through the slightly open window added to the peaceful ambiance.

“Are you asleep?”

“No.”

Her cautious question was immediately answered.

“I can’t sleep.”

It was an environment where falling asleep seemed impossible. Elaina, who had always slept alone, felt awkward sharing a room with someone else. And it wasn’t just anyone—it was Lyle.

The fragrance Sarah had swiftly lit was romantic and relaxing, making Elaina feel goosebumps for no particular reason. She suddenly sat up.

This wasn’t going to work.

“Would you like to go for a walk if you can’t sleep?”

She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep in her current state. Lyle, lying on the sofa, raised his head and looked at her.

“A walk?”

“A night walk. The villa’s garden is beautifully maintained. It might give you some ideas for decorating the gardens at the Grant estate.”

It was something she had said on a whim, but Lyle silently rose from his seat and went to fetch his clothes from the wardrobe.

“You’re not thinking of going out dressed like that, are you?”

The flowing negligee was far from suitable for a late-night stroll, even if it was spring. Lyle’s thick, oversized coat wrapped around her like a cloak.

“What about you?”

“I don’t feel the cold much. This is just right for me.”

Lyle extended his hand to her. “Shall we go, dear?”

It was a joke, knowing full well how flustered she was. Not wanting to lose to Lyle, who seemed so relaxed, Elaina placed her hand in his.

***

The full moon shone brightly in the sky, making the night almost as bright as day. Sarah, delighted by the idea of a night walk, happily saw them off at the entrance, exclaiming how wonderful it was.

Though Elaina had suggested the walk to avoid the suffocating situation inside, once she stepped outside, she realized it had been a good idea. The fresh air cleared her mind, and she felt her head finally begin to clear.

As they strolled through the garden, Elaina pointed out the various blooming flowers.

“This is my mother’s favorite of all the villas. I’ve been coming here often since I was a child.”

Though smaller in scale compared to other villas, it was filled with fond memories.

“I have a place like this too,” Lyle said, causing Elaina to tilt her head in curiosity.

As if sensing her need for more explanation, Lyle elaborated. “There’s a villa in my family. A place I’ve often visited since childhood.”

“Ah, where is it?”

“It’s in the region of Deftia. My mother loved it. In the summer, I used to go there with my grandfather.”

Lyle, momentarily lost in childhood memories, suddenly spoke again. “I’d like to visit it again someday.”

“Deftia… by the sea, right? I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been since it’s quite far from the capital.”

“You’d like it. There’s a lot to see, and it’s peaceful.”

The conversation paused as the sound of crickets filled the air. After a while, Lyle broke the silence.

“I’ve mentioned this before, but unlike me, Knox never received much love from his family. I’d like to take him there one day.”

Elaina looked at Lyle, surprised. The way he spoke about Knox showed the unmistakable care of an older brother.

“The Deftia villa.”

The immense assets of the Archduke’s family had been scattered far and wide, and the villa had naturally fallen into the hands of another family.

“Who owns it now?”

“Marquis Redwood.” Lyle’s expression stiffened slightly. “I heard from His Majesty that he requested to acquire the villa. I don’t know why.”

The marquis, who had once served under Lyle’s father, had likely visited the villa and developed a desire for it. Lyle answered casually, not attaching much importance to the matter.

At that moment, Elaina said, “I like that idea.”

Her words puzzled Lyle, and he frowned slightly. “What idea?”

“Before we divorce in a year, let’s go on a trip with Knox to that villa.”

“I just told you—it’s owned by the Marquis of Redwood.”

When the marriage discussions with Diane had come up, the villa had been mentioned. The marquis had firmly declared that no amount of money could make him part with it. Given his attitude at the time, it wasn’t something Lyle felt confident about.

But Elaina’s determination only grew stronger in the face of such a challenge.

“The more difficult the goal, the more satisfying it is when you achieve it. We still have plenty of time, so just wait and see. By next spring, we’ll be on a trip to the Deftia villa.”

It was an impossible idea. The marquis was not someone who would easily give up something he wanted. His refusal had been genuine.

But somehow, Elaina’s words held a strange sense of conviction.

“Alright. I’ll look forward to it,” Lyle replied, choosing not to challenge the obvious but instead responding quietly to her words.

The thought of having to share the same room again once they returned to the villa weighed heavily on Elaina. She circled the garden several times to delay the inevitable. By the time her legs started aching from the long walk, Lyle suggested they return to the villa.

“It seems like too much time has passed. If the maids find out we slept separately tomorrow morning, it will become troublesome. How about we head back and get some sleep now?”

Unfortunately, there was no way to argue against Lyle’s point. Elaina didn’t even want to imagine how much Sarah would scold her if she found Lyle’s legs sticking out from the sofa in the morning.

Eventually, Elaina and Lyle returned to the villa. Two hours had already passed since they left.

After a light wash, Elaina sat on the sofa, waiting for Lyle to finish his bath. She felt uncomfortable with the idea of occupying someone else’s bed and falling asleep first.

Her body was exhausted from a full day of work, and the long night walk had left her feeling heavy all over. Among the things weighing her down, her eyelids were the heaviest.

‘Lyle will be out soon, so I’ll just rest for a moment.’

Elaina leaned comfortably against the back of the sofa.

A short while later, Lyle emerged from the bathroom to find Elaina dozing off, slumped sideways on the sofa. He stood there for a moment, chuckling softly to himself as he took in the sight. Then, he quietly approached and gently lifted her up.

“Mmm.”

Elaina stirred slightly, murmuring in her sleep, as Lyle carried her to the bed and carefully laid her down. As he tucked her in, she wriggled her way under the blanket like a caterpillar, and the sight of her doing so made him smile.

Her earlier comment about not being able to sleep and asking if they should play a game of chess echoed in his mind.

“Yeah, right,” Lyle muttered to himself with a grin.

He blew out the nearly extinguished candle, and darkness filled the room. Lyle lay down on the sofa and closed his eyes.

The steady rhythm of someone else’s breathing, a sound foreign in his room, lingered in his ears.