This Villain Is Mine Now

Chapter 110

Not long after the incident with the Marquis, Elaina and Lyle decided to leave the capital. Their destination was Deftia.

Having declared war, the Marquis would no longer be an easy opponent.

If he were to use his power to manipulate dreams, staying in the capital would be dangerous. The capital had long been his domain, filled with people who knew him well, providing him with countless opportunities to act.

Someone could harm them—or worse, the opposite could happen.

It was nearly impossible to prepare for every possible scenario. Compared to remaining in the capital, the villa in Deftia, where the Marquis had not set foot for a long time, was a far better choice.

“You must return safely.”

Diane, seeing them off, spoke with a determined expression. But in the next moment, her face crumpled, and she tightly embraced Elaina.

“You must, must come back safely. Promise me.”

“I will, Diane.”

To Diane, Elaina was her only true friend—practically family.

Elaina had always stood by her side and protected her.

Diane felt utterly useless for not being able to do anything in return.

“I’m sorry… Hic…”

Tears finally spilled from her eyes. The thought that it was her own father threatening Lyle and Elaina’s lives filled her with resentment. She was ashamed of the fact that she was part of that family.

As Diane wept, Elaina patted her back with a troubled expression. “We agreed not to cry. I’ll return safely, so don’t worry, Diane.”

No matter how much she worried, she couldn’t go with them. If she did, her father might use that dreadful power on her as well.

Diane couldn’t bear the thought of hurting Lyle or Elaina. If such a thing happened, her very soul would shatter beyond repair. And the same would be true for Elaina and Lyle.

Diane wiped away her tears. Her face was sorrowful, but she shed no more.

“It’s time to go.”

It was Leo, standing beside them, who spoke. Though he calmly reminded them of reality, he too was just as concerned. The somber look in his eyes made Elaina smile wryly.

“I told you not to worry. Why are you acting like this, too?”

“I’m not worried.”

His face was filled with worry, but his words were far from honest. Elaina hugged him.

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

“I’m sorry. For not telling you sooner.”

After returning from the North, Leo had rejoined the Imperial Guard. Since he had only temporarily taken command of the Grant Knights, it was inevitable.

After discovering the Marquis’s plans, Elaina had deliberately kept her distance from Leo. She wanted to prevent him from becoming a target.

“If you’re sorry, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place.”

Despite his words, Leo soon placed a gentle hand on her head.

“Take care. Knox will be safe at our estate, so just focus on yourself.”

A few days earlier, Knox had been moved to the Bonaparte residence. Normally, the Duke and Duchess Winchester would have looked after him, but this time, that wasn’t an option.

“…Take good care of him.”

“Even if you hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t let a single hair on his head be harmed. No need to say it.”

Leo lightly flicked her forehead, making sure not to hurt her.

“Before anything else, he’s Marion’s friend. There’s no way I’d leave him alone. You have no idea how excited Marion is right now.”

Leo playfully chuckled. Thinking about Marion’s innocent excitement, Elaina felt a little better.

With Nathan, Diane, and Leo seeing them off, the carriage finally departed. As Elaina watched them wave until they were out of sight, she strengthened her resolve.

Inside the carriage, stacks of documents lay scattered. Reports detailing the Marquis’s activities and various incidents within the capital filled the space. The scope was vast, but given their current limitations, this was the best they could do.

“It’s just a trip.”

“…What?”

“We’re simply visiting the Deftia villa to check on its condition. I promise, nothing will happen. So don’t be afraid. I will protect you no matter what.”

Hearing Lyle’s words, Elaina’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit before she let out a small, weary laugh. He had no idea what kind of expression he was making as he told her not to be afraid.

But despite Lyle’s words, which even he himself couldn’t fully believe, Elaina surprisingly felt somewhat calmer. She picked up the documents neatly stacked beside him.

“This feels just like that time.”

“…The day we left for our honeymoon.”

He responded quickly, as if they had been thinking the same thing. Lyle’s stiff expression softened slightly.

“That’s right. Worrying won’t change a thing. Besides, if someone else ends up being the target instead of us, that would be an even bigger problem.”

Elaina recalled a letter she had received. It had arrived from Mabel not long ago, shining a light through the thick fog surrounding them. Now, all that remained was to wait for events to unfold. Clenching her fists, she silently hoped that the Marquis would move according to their plan.

***

“…Hah!”

Her eyes flew open. Her entire body was drenched in cold sweat. The chill in the air made her shiver as the sweat cooled, causing her teeth to chatter.

Elaina’s sudden outburst startled Lyle awake. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his embrace, wrapping her tightly in the blankets. His warmth slowly chased away the cold, but her face remained deathly pale, as if she had just seen a ghost.

Lyle’s expression turned grave. He had been worried this would happen, and now his fears had materialized.

“Don’t tell me…”

“It’s nothing. I just had a bad dream, that’s all.”

Elaina forced a smile and leaned against him.

A nightmare.

Yes, it was just a nightmare.

But Elaina chose not to tell Lyle the details.

“I woke you up for no reason. Go back to sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

The sky outside was still dark. The stiffness in Lyle’s posture eased slightly at her words.

“I told you, I’m fine.”

Seeing her smile, Lyle finally nodded. Exhausted from the day’s work, he quickly fell asleep again.

A short while later, Elaina quietly slipped out of bed, carefully ensuring she didn’t wake him. Moving slowly, she stepped out of the room.

It was the dead of night, and the entire villa was silent. Even the few servants present were fast asleep.

Elaina picked up a lantern and walked carefully to avoid making noise. Her destination was the kitchen. There, she retrieved a knife—one sharp enough to cut easily with just a flick of the wrist.

A lantern in one hand, a blade in the other.

In such an eerie state, Elaina continued on her way. When she opened the front door, the icy dawn air stung her cheeks. A single shawl was far from enough to keep her warm, but she pulled it tighter around her shoulders and pressed forward.

She finally came to a stop at a clearing not far from the villa.

Once a well-kept garden, it had long since been overrun by wild growth, untouched by human hands.

Elaina pushed through the tangled brush. Soon, her steps left the soft grass and met solid stone. A stone slab.

Clearing away more of the overgrowth, she revealed the engraved inscription faintly etched into the surface:

「The door may only be opened with the blood of Grant.」

Words the Marquis had read before her.

The blood of Grant.

Just as she had seen in her dream.

Elaina stared at her hands. On her left ring finger, her wedding band glimmered under the lantern’s light, and in her right hand, the knife gleamed just as sharply.

If Grant’s blood was required, then Elaina Grant—she, too, was Grant.

In her dream, she had opened this place with Lyle. It was Lyle who had made the cut, who had bled. But since she had no way of knowing if she could resist the Marquis’s power in a dream, she wanted to avoid creating the same situation in reality.

‘I have to try first.’

Elaina took the knife from the kitchen and pressed it against her palm, making a cut.

Drip. Drip.

Blood fell, but as soon as it touched the stone, it vanished as if absorbed into the slab.

And then, at last, the door opened.

Where the stone had shifted, a dark passage yawned before her, waiting to swallow her whole.

It was barely wide enough for a single person to enter. Elaina took a deep breath, then stepped into the darkness.