This Villain Is Mine Now - Chapter 80

“What are you worrying about so much?” Drane asked with a curious expression. Ever since Elaina had returned to her room after having tea with Lyle, she had been lost in thought all day.

At his question, Elaina let out a deep sigh. “Of course, I’m worried.”

She had suggested spending time together, but she hadn’t expected Lyle to agree so readily.

“I’ve already explored the town of Mabel, and that doesn’t take long. Traveling to another city would take too much time, and I’m not familiar with the places.”

“No matter what you decide to do, His Grace the Archduke will happily agree. Even if you just want to lie in the grass and look at the sky all day, he’d do it.”

Drane spoke sincerely. Whatever Elaina asked for, Lyle would accept without complaint. The only one unaware of this was Elaina herself. However, Drane’s words only served to further complicate her thoughts.

“Be reasonable. He’s already behind on work. If I suggest wasting time like that, do you think he’ll listen to me?”

Lyle needed rest, but she had to ensure that it didn’t feel like a waste of time. This was important not only for herself but also for Knox—it was a crucial first step.

“Any good ideas?”

“Me?”

Drane muttered about how she should be asking if he had a lover before making such requests. Still, he gave her a serious answer.

“How about going for a hike?”

“A hike?”

“Yes. Kyst’s magic will soon be stable. After that, we plan to create a path across the mountain, but first, we’ll need to make a map for efficient work.”

His suggestion was that they could climb the mountain as a preliminary survey.

Drane shrugged. “If you stay at the mansion, you’re worried His Grace will break his promise and bury himself in work. But if you’re unfamiliar with other regions, there seems to be only one answer. Of course, for me, hiking is more torture than relaxation.”

“A mountain… Do you think Lyle will like it?”

“As I said earlier, I’m sure His Grace would be happy even if you just asked him to spend the entire day breathing.”

Elaina laughed at Drane’s sincere words, treating them as a joke.

“All right, I’ll ask Lyle.”

A mountain?

She’d never really climbed a mountain before, but as long as she was with Lyle, she figured she could manage it. With that thought, Elaina nodded slightly.

***

“[You want me to take you to that peak?]”

“He’s asking if you mean that mountain.”

“Yes, tell him that’s the one.”

Elaina nodded toward Kyst, who smiled faintly at her response.

“[Even now, if you change your mind, I could go with you, you know?]”

Hearing Kyst mumble something, Lyle frowned. “What’s he saying?”

“He’s saying it might be better if he goes with us.”

Within his magical domain, Kyst could move whatever he wanted to any location. Just as he had once moved Lyle from in front of his lair to near the Grant Knight Order’s camp.

After consistent use of Nathan’s sachets, the dragon’s pain subsided, and his magic finally stabilized. Without its turbulent energy, his power now flowed evenly throughout Mabel’s mountainous terrain, like a gentle stream.

At Kyst’s words, Lyle’s expression hardened.

Kyst raised his brows and spoke again, “[It’s not difficult to send you to the summit, but I’m worried about the way back being tough. If I accompany you, I can bring you both back down.]”

Elaina took Kyst’s words at face value. It seemed wise to accept the dragon’s kindness. If they traveled with Kyst, they could return comfortably, without hardship. However, Lyle’s reaction to Elaina’s suggestion was firm.

“I refuse.”

“Why?”

“If we rely on the dragon’s power, today would just be an extension of our work—a survey for making the map. You were the one who said we should rest today, weren’t you?”

“Well, yes, that’s true.”

“Besides, you said it should be family time.”

He emphasized the word “family” heavily.

“The dragon isn’t part of us.”

It might have been a bit childish, but with Lyle speaking this way, Elaina had no reason to insist otherwise. He had even mentioned “us,” which was unlike him. Clearly, Lyle wasn’t keen on accepting Kyst’s help.

‘Who said he’d agree to anything, even just breathing all day?’

Elaina muttered softly, recalling what Drane had said a few days ago. Indeed, Lyle was a stubborn person. Even before a dragon, he wouldn’t back down if something didn’t sit well with him.

“[He said you won’t be coming with us.]”

“[I can tell just by looking at his face.]”

Kyst suppressed a chuckle and nodded. He hadn’t expected Lyle to accept his offer in the first place. Lyle, usually so unreadable, was as transparent as clear water whenever it came to Elaina, making it an amusing prank for Kyst.

“[Well, have a good time. The weather doesn’t look great, so it’d be wise to return soon.]”

At Kyst’s words, Elaina turned her gaze skyward. Above them, the sky was clear, but far off in the distance, dark clouds were gathering.

“It might rain.”

“Those clouds are far off, so we probably won’t see rain until late tonight. There’s no need to worry.”

The mountain peak Kyst mentioned was one Lyle had visited a few times before. It wasn’t a high-altitude location, as taking Elaina to the highest part of the mountain range would be too much for her.

To create a map, they would need to climb the highest peak—only from there could they see the entire mountain range. But Lyle saw no reason to tell Elaina that. A round trip to the highest peak would take more than a day, meaning they’d have to take Kyst along. And Lyle wasn’t interested in that.

“All right, let’s go.”

Elaina was already bundled up, wearing a fur hat on her head and several layers of clothing. Her thick leather boots and padded trousers seemed excessive for Mabel’s cool early autumn weather, but Lyle knew the mountains would be much colder, so he had advised her to dress warmly.

Unlike her usual elegant attire, Elaina’s bundled silhouette was round and puffy, giving her a cute appearance. The furry hat with a raccoon’s tail and her bright face made Lyle turn his gaze away, struggling to maintain his composure.

Lyle picked up a rattan basket from the ground. It contained a picnic blanket, bread, and wine—items Elaina had prepared for their outing.

“I could carry that.”

Lyle, dressed in a black, waterproof cloak and leather armor, looked formidable enough to take on a bear. The sight of such a man holding a picnic basket was so incongruous that Elaina mumbled softly in embarrassment.

“Isn’t this your first time hiking? If you can’t use your hands freely, you could get hurt.”

“You seem to think I’ll fall for sure, don’t you?”

“I hope not, but given how often you stepped on my feet while dancing, I’m understandably skeptical.”

“That was…!”

Elaina clenched her fists, her face flushing red as Lyle teased her—even though he knew she’d been clumsy on purpose back then out of jealousy when he approached Diane. He smiled mischievously.

“I won’t fall, so you should be the one to be careful, Lyle. Even a monkey can fall from a tree, you know.”

Listening to them, Kyst let out a dry chuckle, as if amazed by what he was hearing.

Within his domain, Kyst knew everything that happened—like watching something in the palm of his hand. He knew well what Lyle had been up to, whether hunting falcons or hiking.

For someone of Lyle’s skills—or even just the Grant Knight Order members—climbing a mountain was easy, something they could practically do with their eyes closed. During wartime, they’d had to hide in the mountains or along riverbanks, lying in ambush, avoiding detection, and approaching the enemy unseen.

Who was worrying about whom, really?

Yet Lyle chose not to explain, preferring to enjoy Elaina’s misconception. A pleasant smile formed on his lips.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

With a feigned look of exasperation, Kyst intervened. “[Now, shall we get going? Unless, of course, you plan on standing here chatting all day.]”

With a sharp snap of his fingers, Elaina’s vision suddenly went dark. The first change she noticed was the crisp scent of the forest brushing against her nose.