This Villain Is Mine Now - Chapter 84

Elaina, nestled in Lyle’s arms, glanced up at him as he carefully moved forward. Unlike her pounding heart, Lyle’s face was calm, focused solely on descending the mountain safely. Of course, she couldn’t know his inner thoughts, but at least outwardly, that’s how he appeared.

In the end, none of the worrisome scenarios she had imagined came to pass as they made their way down the mountain.

“Please board the carriage quickly.”

Drane, having heard from Kyst that the two had descended the mountain, sent a coachman to wait for them. The coachman ran over as soon as he spotted the pair.

Lyle carried Elaina all the way to the carriage. Despite her repeated requests to be put down, he paid no heed and only set her down once they reached the carriage door.

“Your Grace, here is a towel.”

The coachman handed Lyle a towel as he entered the carriage, following Elaina. Although the rain had stopped, Lyle’s hair was still wet. Carrying Elaina through the rain-slicked, rough mountain trails had caused him to sweat.

Had he been alone, such exertion wouldn’t have made him break a sweat. But this time was different. His entire focus had been on descending carefully to ensure Elaina’s safety, knowing a misstep could endanger her.

As he wiped his hair and face with the towel, a weary sigh escaped his lips. It had been a long time since he’d been this tense. Not even when he drew his sword against Kyst had he felt this way.

Elaina’s breath had been so close, brushing against his neck. Had he not kept his wits about him, he might have kissed her amidst the intimate atmosphere.

Lyle glanced at Elaina. She was looking out the window, still wrapped in his cloak. The memory of the cave surfaced, and Lyle raised his hand to cover his mouth, ensuring his expression remained hidden. He couldn’t let Elaina glimpse his feelings.

But Elaina was far too preoccupied to notice Lyle’s subtle actions.

‘I’ve gone mad,’ she thought, squeezing her eyes shut and chastising herself repeatedly.

When she first looked across at Lyle, the sight of his sweat-soaked shirt clinging to his muscular frame made her heart race uncontrollably. Unlike Lyle, who appeared composed, she felt like the only one harboring improper thoughts. Even without a mirror, she knew her face must be flushed bright red.

***

The serene days of autumn passed peacefully, barring a few notable changes.

Since that day, the so-called “family time” had tacitly become a thing of the past. Elaina never brought it up again, and Lyle threw himself into his work.

However, the most noticeable change, without question, was that Elaina no longer shared a room with Lyle. The reason she gave was that she felt chills, as though she might be coming down with a cold. Not wanting to pass it on to Lyle, she moved to another room. And to this day, she continued to sleep separately.

It had been three weeks since then, plenty of time for even the worst cold to have passed.

“Here, take this back.”

Drane’s mouth fell open slightly as he saw the mountain of completed documents.

“You’ve reviewed all of this?”

“Yes.”

Lyle’s indifferent reply made Drane’s eyes widen.

“Is something wrong?”

At the unexpected question, Lyle looked up at Drane.

“It would be better if you were more specific. What do you mean by ‘something wrong’?”

“I mean…” Drane scratched his head awkwardly.

Though he had no intention of prying into his superior’s personal life, the awkward atmosphere had become too much to bear.

“Did something happen with Her Grace?”

Lyle stared at Drane quietly when Elaina’s name was mentioned.

“No.”

After a moment of silence, Lyle answered. However, that brief pause spoke volumes, far more than his actual words.

“Both you and Her Grace have been acting like haunted souls who failed to finish some unresolved business since that day.”

From the very day they returned from the mountain, Elaina had requested to work separately in her own room. Lyle had shown no reaction to her decision.

Elaina said she would work separately in her room from the day she returned from the mountain. Lyle didn’t respond at all to that.

Over the past three weeks, both of them had immersed themselves in their respective tasks as though possessed by demons.

Thanks to that, the map of the Mabel Mountains was completed quickly, and in just a few days, one of the northern merchant guilds would finally use the land route for the first time under the escort of monsters.

Of course, it was a busy time, but their behavior was excessive, even for such a hectic period.

“Many are worried the two of you might have had a quarrel.”

“They must have too much free time to meddle in other people’s affairs.”

Drane frowned. He already knew what had transpired on the mountain from Kyst. Initially, he thought Elaina’s behavior was due to embarrassment. However, the situation seemed more unusual the more he considered it.

‘It’s been half a year since their marriage,’ Drane mused. He had heard that they shared a bed back at the mansion in the capital. So, why was there this strange tension between them now?

If it wasn’t embarrassment, could it be that they had quarreled? But observing them during meals and other occasions when they were together, it didn’t seem like they had fought.

“Your Grace.”

Drane opened his mouth to say something, but Lyle cut him off before he could speak.

“There’s nothing wrong between the Archduchess and me. Now leave. I don’t want to discuss this matter any further.”

It was a clear dismissal. Drane had no choice but to hold back his words and leave.

“Understood. I’ll take my leave.”

The sound of the door closing prompted Lyle to lean back in his chair and stare at the ceiling.

Just as Drane had noticed, Lyle was fully aware that Elaina’s behavior toward him had changed. Although she tried to hide it, Lyle’s sensitivity regarding her made him acutely aware of the shift.

His clenched fist tightened further.

It had started that day. The day Elaina began avoiding him.

‘She must have realized.’

That wasn’t supposed to happen. He should have been more cautious to prevent her from discerning his feelings.

Knowing that Elaina intended to divorce him once their contract ended, Lyle understood all too well how his actions might have been perceived by her. Her avoidance was an unspoken answer, signifying his feelings were burdensome and something she wished to evade.

Fortunately, she hadn’t completely avoided him. That was a genuine relief. If she had, he wouldn’t have been able to predict what desperate actions he might take.

Catching himself before spiraling into a worst-case scenario had been fortunate. If Elaina had continued to stay close, his overwhelming desire might have caused her more distress. Maintaining this distance was for the best.

After staring blankly at the ceiling for a moment, Lyle shook the bell on his desk. A servant promptly entered the room.

“Send for Sarah. I need to speak with her.”

A short while later, Sarah arrived, knocking on the door before stepping in. Noticing her nervous expression, Lyle spoke quickly.

“The Mabel mountain route will open in a few days.”

“Yes?”

“Once we hear that the merchants have crossed safely, there won’t be any urgent matters for the time being.”

Sarah blinked, unsure of the context. Summoned so hastily, she had no idea what to make of Lyle’s words.

Seeing her confused expression, Lyle realized she hadn’t grasped his meaning.

“It means there’s no more work for Elaina to do here.”

“…Oh.”

Sarah let out a short sigh of understanding.

“Understood. You’re asking me to prepare for our return to the capital. I’ll inform Her Grace as well.”

As she calculated how many carriages would be needed for their luggage, Sarah assumed she would travel separately from Lyle and Elaina.

“I’ll instruct the coachmen to prepare three carriages.”

Smiling as she finished her calculations, Sarah received an unexpected response.

“No.”

“Pardon? Do you need more carriages? I can arrange for another.”

“That’s not it.”

Looking directly at Sarah, Lyle continued, “Only you and Elaina will return. I’m not going back.”