This Villain Is Mine Now

Chapter 109

The Marchioness had been anxiously worrying that Elaina might change her mind, but the very next day, Elaina met with the Marquis and exchanged the deed to the villa for the rights to the medicine.

“Thank you for the excellent deal, Marquis.”

After receiving the villa’s deed, Elaina immediately returned to her carriage, as if she had no further business. The Marchioness scoffed at her foolishness.

News that Elaina Grant had handed over Nathan Hennet’s medicine rights to the Marquis of Redwood quickly spread throughout the capital. People gossiped about how reckless her decision had been.

“Another major uproar is bound to happen.”

“Isn’t that obvious? The Archduke of Grant is strangely obsessed with that villa. He’ll do anything to obtain it as part of the divorce settlement.”

“Ha! Unbelievable. Even in divorce, the Archduchy of Grant is stripping Winchester of everything.”

The two had fought bitterly over the divorce, seemingly oblivious to those around them. Now that Elaina had the upper hand, people expected the conflict to become even fiercer.

However, to everyone’s surprise—

A drastic change occurred in the relationship between Elaina Grant and Lyle Grant after she exchanged the medicine rights for the Marquis of Redwood’s villa.

Within a few days, people had completely forgotten about the astonishing deal. That was because an even more shocking event had taken place.

Elaina Grant had returned to the Archduchy!

Just as when she had stormed out, her return came without any warning, leaving everyone who had speculated about their relationship utterly stunned.

“Honey! Have you heard the news?”

Upon learning that Elaina had gone back to the Archduchy, the Marchioness rushed to find her husband. However, she was rendered speechless upon seeing him.

The newspaper in his hands, reporting Elaina’s return, was crumpled beyond recognition. His face, twisted with rage, was the most terrifying she had ever seen.

***

“Stop this nonsense and leave at once! Do you even realize where you are, causing such a disturbance?”

Despite the butler’s desperate attempts to calm the situation, it was futile. The Marquis of Redwood was shouting furiously, demanding that Elaina Grant be brought before him. His voice was so thunderous that it echoed through the upper floors.

“Bring her down here immediately! How dare she deceive me?!”

“If you refuse to leave, I will have the guards remove you!”

Just as the heated exchange reached its peak—

“It’s fine, butler. Step back.”

From the upper floor, Elaina appeared, descending the staircase. The butler hurried to her side.

“Madam, please don’t come down. The Marquis of Redwood is in a highly agitated state.”

“It’s fine. He was an expected guest, so I should greet him myself.”

Elaina entrusted Knox to the butler’s care. The child had grown anxious upon hearing the marquis’s shouts even from his room. Seeing her determination, the butler quickly headed upstairs, whispering that he would also inform Lyle of the situation.

“I fail to understand what kind of outrageous behavior this is, Marquis of Redwood. How dare you create such a commotion at the Archduke’s residence?”

“Did you really think you could deceive me and get away with it?”

“Me? And what exactly did I deceive you about?”

“Didn’t you say you would divorce Lyle Grant? That the Deftia villa was merely a pretext for the divorce? You clearly told me that!”

“Oh, did I? And why does that count as deception?”

Elaina shrugged indifferently.

“The contract we signed merely states that the Deftia villa would revert to the Marquis of Redwood upon my divorce. But as far as I recall, there was no agreement on when I would finalize the divorce.”

“Are you playing word games with me?!”

The Marquis ground his teeth, but Elaina merely smiled at him.

“Word games? Surely you don’t think we have that kind of relationship.”

For a brief moment, Elaina’s tone shifted sharply.

“Watch your words, Marquis. Out of respect for Diane’s father, I’ve used honorifics with you. Yet you still presume to act superior? You seemed more courteous when we first met.”

“This is the first time we’ve met privately like this, Your Grace the Archduchess.”

The Marquis’s face contorted with fury, while Elaina arrogantly lifted her chin.

“You do realize that even this much is enough to be considered a scandal. I’d rather not stir up unnecessary trouble, so I suggest you leave. If you feel you’ve been wronged, you may send a formal letter of complaint.”

“…Do you think I’ll just let this slide after what you’ve done?!”

The Marquis’s eyes gleamed with malice. Elaina met his gaze with unwavering confidence.

“If I intended to let things go easily, I wouldn’t have started in the first place.”

Elaina lowered her voice so the servants around them wouldn’t hear.

“I hear you possess some damnable power. If you’re so resentful, use it. Though I doubt you’d waste it on someone like me.”

The Marquis’s expression hardened even further. He had feigned ignorance, treating Lyle as a madman, but now it was clear that had all been an act.

“You knew, and yet you still did this? You must have nine lives.”

“The villa is already in my hands, so it’s not like you can use that power anymore. Why should I be afraid? Besides, I doubt that power still exists after going unused for ten years.”

At Elaina’s composed response, the Marquis’s eyes flashed sharply. She was under the mistaken belief that he needed the Deftia villa to use his power.

The Marquis glared at Elaina, who stood her ground without yielding. The foolish act she had put on during her previous visit had completely vanished.

Indeed, using the power on Elaina would be a waste. He had threatened Lyle by mentioning her, but the real reason he hadn’t used his power all these years was exactly this—hesitation.

She seemed to believe she had uncovered something significant, but the truth was, there was nothing in the Deftia villa. He had scoured every inch of it for nearly a decade, and nothing remained to be found.

The ring in question was hidden away in a secret place that only the Marquis knew. He had locked it in a concealed chamber within his study, safeguarded by layers of protection.

‘Eventually, she’ll find out about the ring.’

It was only a matter of time. Ever since the ring had started glowing again, the Marquis had grown paranoid, constantly checking if someone had tampered with his desk, fearing it might be stolen.

If he used his power again, he could gain unimaginable wealth and prestige. But something within him warned that leaving Elaina alive would be a grave mistake.

He couldn’t even bear to imagine those wolves getting their hands on the ring.

He had waited ten years for this opportunity, and though using it on such a trivial matter felt wasteful, it was a far better option than losing the ring.

“It seems your parents failed to educate you properly. Didn’t they teach you not to mock the elders?”

The Marquis sneered at her.

“Perhaps now is the perfect time for a lesson. You should learn that every action comes with consequences.”

“Do as you wish. If you can, that is.”

At some point, Lyle had appeared beside Elaina. He subtly positioned himself between her and the Marquis, as if shielding her.

The Marquis let out a bitter laugh. “Ha! You should have become an actor instead. To deceive everyone so flawlessly.”

“Leave, Marquis. My wife has nothing more to say to you. If you continue to cause a disturbance, I will formally address this matter.”

Grinding his teeth, the Marquis lowered his head slightly. “I shall take my leave then, Your Grace. Please do not hold this against me.”

Lifting his head again, he muttered a low warning between his clenched teeth, “They say regret always comes too late. Forgive me for overstepping in my dealings with the Archduchess.”

He had never expected Elaina to break their agreement. Barging into the Archduke’s residence had not been an attempt to undo the deal—he had merely needed confirmation. If Elaina had orchestrated this scheme with prior knowledge, he had to determine just how much she knew, and what she didn’t.

Now, he had a fairly good grasp of the situation. There was no longer any reason to waste his breath in pointless arguments here.

The Marquis cast an indifferent gaze at Lyle, who was staring down at him coldly.

“Now, it’s your turn. I hope you two understand what it feels like—how devastating it is to realize regret only when it’s far too late.”

He would ensure their deaths. With that promise to himself, the Marquis twisted his lips into a cruel smile.