This Villain Is Mine Now

Chapter 100

“Butler, did you inform Elaina that I have arrived? She doesn’t seem to know I’m here. No, never mind that. You’ve already shown me to my room, so take me to Elaina immediately. I have something urgent to say.”

The air in the Grant mansion changed at the mention of Elaina’s name. Seeing the butler and maids flustered by her words, Diane instinctively realized that her uneasy feeling had not been unfounded.

“You haven’t… heard the news yet.”

The butler’s face was dark with sorrow as he spoke.

“Her Grace, the Archduchess, is no longer here. It has been nearly a month since she returned to the Winchester estate.”

Diane’s mouth fell slightly open. “What do you mean? No, what do you mean by that?”

She had returned to the Winchester estate? A month ago—coinciding with the period when Elaina’s letters had ceased.

“Allow me to escort you to your room first, Lady Hennet. This is not the right place to discuss such matters.”

The butler forced a weak smile, though he looked as if he had long since run out of tears to shed. Seeing this, Diane swallowed back her words and silently followed him.

***

Upon hearing that Nathan and Diane had visited the mansion, Lyle returned home earlier than usual.

“Lady Hennet seemed unaware of Her Grace’s departure. We offered to send a carriage to the Winchester estate for her, but she insisted on meeting you, Master.”

Whenever Diane came to mind, thoughts of Elaina naturally followed. It was inevitable—after all, Diane had been the fundamental reason why he and Elaina had become entangled in the first place.

Elaina and Diane. Lyle knew better than anyone how strong their friendship was. Contrary to the butler’s wishes, he had hoped they would return to the Winchester estate instead of waiting for him here.

But as soon as he opened the front door, he was met with Diane’s tear-filled eyes.

“How could you!”

Her voice was raw with transparent resentment. This was the first time Diane had ever raised her voice at him.

Diane had always found it difficult to deal with adult men due to her father and half-brothers. Lyle, in particular, had been someone she struggled with.

Their forced engagement had been far from pleasant, and even though she knew Lyle was a good person, his sharp and cynical demeanor made it hard for her to approach him. In his presence, she had always seemed like a small animal cornered by a predator.

But after hearing the butler’s explanation, Diane no longer found him intimidating.

The fact that he was an archduke, a tall and imposing man, didn’t scare her in the slightest anymore. To Diane, he was nothing more than a wretched man who had made her best friend cry.

“Elaina loved you so much! How could you do this to her!”

Nathan tried to calm her down, but Diane angrily shook off his hand and shouted again.

“Do you know? I truly thought you were a good person. I thought you and Elaina were perfect together!”

Diane vividly remembered the first time she had met Lyle. A man with a deathly serious expression, approaching her like a grim reaper.

But the Lyle she had met again in Mabel was just an ordinary man in love. His normally harsh expression would soften as if by magic whenever he looked at Elaina. Diane remembered it clearly—his gaze was the same as the way Nathan looked at her.

People instinctively recognize those who share their loneliness. She had seen it in Lyle, just as she had seen it in herself. The past tense was deliberate—because neither she nor Lyle was lonely anymore. She had been saved by Nathan and Elaina, and she knew Lyle had been saved the same way.

And yet…

And yet, how could this happen?

“I was wrong. You don’t deserve Elaina.”

According to the butler, Elaina had left the mansion without a word of explanation. Diane wanted to slap Lyle across the face. Even if her weak hands wouldn’t leave a mark on him, it would at least express her fury.

“I hope you regret this forever. For the rest of your life, you should mourn the day you foolishly let go of the greatest treasure you ever had!”

Her voice cracked with anger as she screamed at him. Nathan, flustered, tried to calm her again but failed. Finally, he turned to Lyle and bowed apologetically.

“My apologies, Your Grace. My wife has been deeply anxious ever since visiting the Redwood mansion. Please forgive her rudeness.”

Fortunately, Nathan was more rational than Diane. Of course, he had also been shocked by the news of Lyle and Elaina’s separation. And naturally, his perspective leaned inward—subconsciously, he assumed the fault lay more with Lyle than Elaina.

Even so, since he did not know the exact circumstances between the couple, Nathan tried to remain as neutral as possible.

Lyle, who had remained silent despite Diane’s harsh accusations, finally reacted to Nathan’s words.

“You went to the Redwood mansion?”

“Yes. I apologize, but could you lend us a carriage? We need to go to the Winchester mansion.”

“What happened at the Redwood mansion?”

Diane, still breathing heavily from anger, flared up again at Lyle’s question.

“Why do you care? It has nothing to do with you, so don’t concern yourself! This is about Elaina!”

Elaina.

At the mention of her name, cracks finally appeared in Lyle’s composed expression.

“Diane! That’s enough. You know we don’t have time to waste. If something happens while we delay—”

Diane fell silent at Nathan’s words. He was right. Hastily wiping away her tears, she glared at Lyle. She was no longer crying—there was no time for weakness.

“Listen carefully, Lyle Grant.”

The surrounding servants gasped. Diane Hennet, who had always seemed fragile, had just called Lyle’s full name without hesitation.

“I don’t know what made you decide to divorce Elaina, but let me make one thing clear. You will never meet another person like her again. Because there is only one Elaina.”

There was nothing more to say to Lyle Grant. As Nathan had said, they needed to warn Elaina about what had happened at the marquis’s estate as soon as possible. Diane turned to leave with Nathan.

But they could not leave.

“Move aside! What do you think you’re doing?”

Lyle stood in their way, blocking the entrance, his gaze locked onto them.

“I can’t let you go.”

His voice, rough as if scraping against iron, rang through the hall.

“Not until you tell me exactly what happened at the Redwood mansion.”

Diane had been tormented by anxiety over Elaina. The very mention of trouble involving her and the marquis had already stripped Lyle of any composure.

Nathan swallowed hard, tense at the sight of Lyle’s undisguised emotions.

***

“Diane!”

Seated on the staircase, Diane jumped to her feet at the sound of Elaina’s voice. The moment Elaina stepped through the doorway, their eyes met.

Elaina had lost a considerable amount of weight. Even at a glance, it was obvious she had been suffering. Diane’s eyes welled up with tears once again.

“Hic, Elaina…!”

Diane threw herself into Elaina’s arms. Though startled by Diane’s sobs, Elaina gently patted her back.

“Why are you crying? What happened?”

A sudden message had arrived from Grant, informing her of Nathan and Diane’s visit. Upon hearing that Diane and Lyle had a heated argument, Elaina had rushed out without even properly dressing for the outing.

“B-because you’re not crying, hic…! So, I have to cry for you.”

Watching Diane sob like a child, Elaina felt tears welling in her own eyes as well.

“Let’s not stay here. Let’s go home. Knox will be back soon.”

The word home made her heart ache again. But if they delayed any longer, she would run into Knox.

Since Lyle hadn’t explained anything to him, Knox had been sending letters to her every day. One day, she would have to give him a proper explanation, but the reality was still too painful for her to face. Seeing Knox was something she wasn’t yet ready for.

And more than Knox, there was someone else here whom she wanted to avoid at all costs.

“Butler, bring down Lady Hennet and Lord Hennet’s luggage. We’re leaving immediately.”

Elaina commanded the butler as calmly as possible. She wanted to leave before she had to face Lyle.

“Elaina.”

A voice called from the landing above.

Just hearing her name froze Elaina in place.

The sound of footsteps drew closer. It was the very sound she had once longed to hear in front of the study, a month ago.