This Villain Is Mine Now

Chapter 42

As soon as they stepped inside, a cacophony of noise overwhelmed their ears. The lively chatter from all directions mingled with the cheerful music played by a wandering musician.

As Elaina looked around, taking in the bustling scene, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Lyle gesturing towards the bar with exaggerated mouth movements.

“Elaina.”

A strange feeling crept over her. It was a name she had heard countless times from countless people, yet watching Lyle form the words made her heart tingle inexplicably.

Lyle took her hand. The crowd was so dense that she might have been swept away if he hadn’t held on tightly. But despite the jostling crowd, Elaina found herself moving forward without bumping into anyone, thanks to Lyle guiding her just half a step ahead.

As they reached the bar area, the noise died down a bit. Elaina had to shout to be heard over the din.

“Why are there so many people?”

She tried to sound casual, but she had never expected to see such a crowd in a tiny alley. It reminded her of the kind of gathering one might see at a debutante ball. Lyle leaned in closer, clearly not hearing her the first time.

“What?”

“I said, why are there so many people?”

Lyle’s lips twitched as if he found her question amusing. “There are far more commoners than nobles, and this is a pretty popular tavern because it’s cheap and decent.”

“Who told you that?”

Before he could answer, there was a loud clunk as someone slammed a mug down on the bar. Startled, Elaina quickly turned to see who it was. Despite the dim light, she could make out a man with short gray hair and navy eyes. He pushed an enormous beer mug towards Lyle with a broad smile on his face.

Elaina glanced at Lyle, wondering if they knew each other. His expression had softened, and for a moment, she was surprised. It was rare to see Lyle’s normally stern face look so approachable.

“Hey, Captain! Or should I call you Your Grace now?”

“Colin.”

The large man pulled Lyle into a bear hug, clapping him on the shoulder with a familiarity that only close comrades could share.

Colin’s eyes met Elaina’s. The bear of a man’s eyes crinkled as he let out a hearty laugh and extended a thick hand towards her.

“And you must be the famous Lady Winchester. Pleased to meet you. I’m Colin. My brother and I run this tavern together.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

After shaking her hand, Colin ducked back behind the bar and called out to them, “Drink as much as you like. This round is on me, in celebration!”

A large beer mug was soon placed in front of Elaina as well. Startled, she looked at Lyle, who quickly grabbed the mug and downed it in one gulp.

“My apologies, Colin. The lady isn’t used to drinking beer like this.”

“Is that so? She’s never had wheat beer before? I wouldn’t have guessed!” Colin chuckled, genuinely surprised.

“Nobles rarely drink anything other than wine.”

“Then what would you like to drink, my lady? I’ll prepare it for you.”

“No, I can drink! Give me the beer!” Elaina insisted, lifting her chin stubbornly. But Lyle intervened, holding up his hand.

“Just bring her some juice, Colin. Don’t mess around.”

Colin chuckled, throwing a playful glance at Lyle before disappearing into the kitchen to fetch the juice.

“I can drink, you know,” Elaina muttered.

“I’m sure you can. But you’ve never tried the kind of beer commoners drink,” Lyle replied calmly.

Commoners often drank strong liquor that was cheap and quickly intoxicating. The beer Colin had brought was known as beer, but it was incredibly strong, with a high alcohol content, and served in large quantities.

“If you really want to drink, you can do it next time. Somewhere more suitable, like at the estate.”

“You don’t know this, but I can hold my liquor just fine,” she grumbled. She had only started drinking a few months ago, but still.

Ignoring her protest, Lyle simply chuckled. Elaina scooted closer to him, curiosity piqued.

“How do you know each other?”

“We were in the same unit. He served under my command.”

“He looks older than you, though.”

Lyle nodded just as Colin returned with a glass of peach juice. “Yes, I’m seven years older!” Colin chimed in with a grin.

He recalled the day he first met Lyle, who had been dragged to the battlefield alongside his father. For five years, until his father’s death, Lyle had been an outsider among his own allies. Commoners naturally resented nobility, and many were particularly bitter about a fifteen-year-old child being the heir to an archduchy.

After Lyle’s father died, Colin took him under his wing, placing him in his own squad. It wasn’t long before Lyle was promoted to Centurion, but until then, he had been one of Colin’s men.

“We went through hell together,” Colin said simply.

“Is everyone doing well?” Lyle asked.

“Of course. Thanks to you, we made it out of that hellhole alive. We’re doing just fine.” Colin nodded towards the wall where a small frame hung. Inside was a silver medal, a symbol of knighthood.

“So, you were knighted as well,” Elaina observed.

“Yes, my lady,” Colin confirmed.

“Wouldn’t you earn more by joining a knightly order? If you were a Centurion in battle, your skills have already been proven.”

Colin glanced at Lyle with a smile. “I know my place, my lady. A commoner knight? That’s like putting pearls on a pig.”

Elaina, taken aback by his words, couldn’t find a response, but Colin quickly changed the mood with a boisterous laugh. “But it makes a pretty nice decoration on the wall. And I’m happy enough to be here, running this tavern with my brother.”

Raising his glass, Colin proposed a toast. Lyle clinked glasses with him without a word.

Just as Lyle’s grand title of duke was mostly for show, the rewards given to commoners who served in the war were nothing more than token gestures. There was no need to burden Elaina with such unpleasant truths.

Lyle downed his drink in silence. Beside him, Elaina sipped her juice, the sweet peach flavor filling her mouth. She glanced at Lyle’s glass.

“What?”

“Can I try it?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Lyle replied, though he pushed his glass towards her.

The mug was heavy, requiring both hands to lift it. After a moment’s hesitation, Elaina brought it to her lips, taking a small sip.

Her face immediately scrunched up in disgust. “Ugh.”

She quickly downed the rest of her juice, but the taste of alcohol lingered. Colin burst out laughing at her reaction.

“Instead of laughing, why don’t you bring her some water?”

“Right away, sir.”

Colin returned shortly with water, which Elaina eagerly used to rinse her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk with a mouthful of acorns.

“I told you not to be stubborn.”

“Is this really something people drink? It’s way too strong.”

Even after several rinses, the strong alcohol taste lingered on her tongue. Lyle, meanwhile, drained the rest of his glass in one go.

“Not bad.”

“That’s some strong liquor.”

“You get used to it after a while.”

In a place where people were constantly dying, such things were necessary to keep one’s sanity.

Lyle had learned to drink before he even came of age on the battlefield. Strong spirits were useful for disinfecting wounds or dulling pain, so they were distributed even if you didn’t drink them. After becoming a Centurion, he received better-quality liquor, but Lyle still preferred the strong drink he had grown accustomed to.

“I think I’ll need another juice,” Elaina said, grabbing her glass and taking a large gulp. Finally, the sweet taste began to mask the lingering alcohol. She let out a satisfied sigh, the scent of peaches filling the air.

Lyle ordered another round of juice and beer from Colin. As he downed his drink, a warmth spread through his body, and the overpowering smell of peaches was suddenly masked by the alcohol.