This Villain Is Mine Now - Side Story 1

“Welcome, Your Graces the Archduke and the Archduchess.”

The moment they stepped down from the carriage, the stifling desert air pressed against them. Dark-skinned women quickly approached and draped a gauzy cloth around Elaina.

The scorching rays of the sun were far beyond what a parasol could shield. Having studied beforehand that women in this region usually wrapped themselves in these fabrics to protect against the heat, Elaina smiled graciously in response to their gesture.

“[Thank you.]”

The foreign women widened their eyes in surprise at hearing Elaina speak in their own language. Then, laughing brightly, they quickly stepped back.

Dahar in the Empire’s tongue. In the native pronunciation of this desert land, it was called Arashan.

With the development of the Mabel mountain range, exchanges with neighboring nations had become more active. Maritime trade had its limits, but now trade routes had expanded even to distant Arashan.

“This way, please. Your lodgings have been prepared.”

The prince of Arashan personally led Elaina and Lyle to their quarters, treating them with utmost hospitality. Offering rest before an audience with the king was a gesture of great respect for guests weary from their long journey.

“Wow.”

Elaina gaped as she looked around the accommodations prepared for them. While the Northern Archducal Castle and the mansion were both splendid, the buildings here carried an entirely different charm. The white brick walls reflected the sunlight, and the seams between the bricks were invisible, making the structure appear as though carved from a single massive block. Through the temple-like towering columns, heavy, warm air drifted in.

Still wearing the head covering the women had given her, now wrapped like a scarf, Elaina ran toward the columns. Seeing her excitement, Lyle smiled faintly.

***

After the audience with the king, a grand banquet was held from early evening. Once the sun set, Arashan transformed into an entirely different place, the weather cooling dramatically.

Concerned that Elaina might feel cold, the maids lit a fire near her seat. Thanks to that, Elaina—now changed into Arashan’s traditional attire—could be seen clearly from even a distance.

People looked upon Lyle and Elaina in awe. With his dark skin and formal garments, Lyle resembled a warrior native to Arashan. The king burst into hearty laughter upon noticing how Lyle’s gaze never once strayed from Elaina.

“[I’d heard your relationship was good, but I didn’t expect such affection. Do you have any children, Archduke?]”

Standing beside Lyle, the interpreter conveyed the king’s question. Lyle shook his head.

Seeing that, the queen smiled warmly and said, “[They say couples who are too close sometimes take longer to conceive.]”

Elaina’s face turned bright red. Her usual confidence disappeared under the teasing, and the banquet hall quickly filled with laughter.

“You’ve come at a very good time, both of you.”

The prince addressed Elaina and Lyle in fluent Imperial tongue. At his words, Lyle turned to him with a questioning look.

“Right now is our season of love—meaning the height of summer. They say that if a child is conceived during this season, a great warrior will be born.”

The interpreter quickly added an explanation. During the season of love, sandstorms were frequent in the desert. According to Arashan legend, the god of war who tamed those sandstorms would protect children born in this time.

“The god of war, huh,” Lyle murmured to himself.

The prince, reading his lips, offered a soft smile. “I’ve heard the Empire’s north is known for raising strong warriors. I’ve never seen snow myself, but I hear it’s an extremely harsh and frigid land. May your heir be as brave and bold as the god of war.”

At the prince’s toast, spoken while raising his glass high, Lyle silently lifted his own. But Elaina already knew—what Lyle truly wished for was not something as grand as a god of war.

Lyle rarely got drunk thanks to his strong tolerance, but the liquor of the desert nation was not something to be underestimated.

“Lyle. Please get a hold of yourself.”

The finest drinkers of Arashan came forward to challenge Lyle, who had not declined a single glass of the potent spirits. Knowing from Drane that refusing offered drinks would be considered rude in Arashan, Lyle accepted every glass handed to him and downed them all without hesitation.

Even on the way back to their quarters, Lyle’s stride never wavered. But once they were alone, he collapsed straight onto the bed.

To Elaina, who had never seen him like this before, it was a strange sight. She placed her ear against Lyle’s chest, which rose and fell with each slow breath. A steady heartbeat thumped against her cheek.

“You smell like alcohol.”

Lyle, who hated losing composure, had fallen asleep without even changing his clothes. Amused, Elaina decided to take care of him.

Grunting, she took off his shoes and placed his head covering on the table. His shirt, lined with tiny, tightly spaced buttons, proved difficult to remove. After crawling beside him and fumbling for a while, Elaina ended up straddling his body to begin unfastening the buttons.

“Why does this shirt have so many buttons?”

She had heard that the more buttons a garment had, the higher the wearer’s rank—since such clothes required help to put on. Just as expected, Lyle’s shirt was covered in countless buttons. They were so small, it made her well-groomed nails ache from the effort.

She had just reached the ribcage, having opened the buttons from the collar down past the chest and sternum, when—

“Elaina.”

Came Lyle’s voice, thick and drowsy.

“Drunken fool.”

“What are you doing?”

“Be quiet. Don’t move. These buttons are already hard enough to undo.”

“…As you command.”

Lyle immediately complied when Elaina smacked him lightly on the chest. Her touch must’ve felt pleasant because a smile formed on his lips.

“Are you some kind of pervert? Why are you smiling like that?”

Despite her reproach, Lyle’s smile didn’t fade. Just as she was undoing the last few buttons, Elaina’s world spun halfway around in a flash.

“Kyaaa!”

The final button didn’t survive. With a snap, it flew off and hit the floor. Lyle rolled up the shirt and tossed it far away, then looked down at Elaina, now pinned beneath him, and chuckled.

Lyle was usually so expressionless that the rare smile made him seem all the more dangerous. Surely it was that which made her heart pound so hard. And her face flushed.

“Elaina.”

“G-get off me, Lyle. You’re heavy.”

Lyle gently stroked along her jawline. “I don’t need the god of war, but I would like a child who resembles you.”

His smile deepened, as if the very thought was satisfying.

“If the child takes after you, they’ll be braver than any god of war.”

“What did you just say?”

Elaina flared up in the tense silence that followed. She tried to push him off in protest, but Lyle’s hand paused at the tip of her chin.

Then came a wave-like kiss. Unlike earlier, Elaina quietly accepted it. The dry desert dawn was cold, Lyle’s kiss reeked of alcohol, and his body was the perfect warmth to heat hers.

***

The next day, the maids who entered the room to clean promptly retreated.

Scattered blankets. Clothes tossed in every direction.

It was clear that a night like a storm had passed through here. The head maid told the others they’d return in an hour to tidy up and dismissed them for now.

But the scene was already etched into the minds of the quick-eyed maids.

The two slept pressed close together, not an inch of space between them—a picture of love itself. It wasn’t obscene, but beautiful, like a scene from a classic painting.

Elaina lay sleeping with her soft pink hair fanned like a blanket, wrapped protectively in Lyle’s large embrace. The memory left the maids blushing deeply.