This Villain Is Mine Now

Chapter 47

Upon arriving at the Archduke’s residence, Elaina immediately began inspecting the construction site with the butler, while Lyle went to meet the workers tasked with renovating the garden and training grounds.

The residence had been neglected for nearly a decade, so fixing everything at once was impossible. They decided to focus on the most critical areas first. The dining room and kitchen were completely renovated, from the floors to the walls. The gleaming dining table caught Elaina’s eye—it matched perfectly with the space, even better than she had expected. The table she had chosen with Diane fit the room beautifully.

“It looks like the flooring has been properly repaired as well.”

“Yes, madam,” the butler replied, following closely behind Elaina.

Next, they visited Knox’s room. When Knox entered, his eyes widened in surprise.

“This is my room?”

“Of course. You helped pick out the wallpaper, didn’t you?”

Knox’s mouth dropped open slightly. He had indeed selected the wallpaper and wood patterns from a thick catalog with Elaina. The walls were covered with sky-blue silk wallpaper, and the floors were dark teak wood.

“Yeah… I really like it.”

The curtains, made of light chiffon, complemented the spring weather perfectly. Even though only a day had passed, Knox blinked in disbelief at how different the room felt, as though it belonged to a completely different house.

At that moment, Sarah entered the room. She had been unpacking the items from the gift carriage when she found something special.

“Young Master Knox, the Duke of Winchester sent you a gift.”

Sarah handed Knox a box. His face lit up with excitement as he opened it.

Inside was the chess set they had used with the Duke the previous day. Each chess piece was finely crafted porcelain, a high-quality set. Even Sarah’s eyes widened in amazement at the sight.

“Oh my! The Duke cherished this chess set.”

Elaina patted Knox’s head and smiled. “It seems your skills really impressed the Duke. Do you still think people would find you a bother?”

The chess set came with a brief note, encouraging Knox to keep practicing until they met again.

Knox quickly looked around for a suitable spot and placed the chess set proudly on the table. He set up the pieces exactly as he had seen them in the Duke’s study. Watching him, Elaina couldn’t help but smile, noticing how he had arranged them just like they had been in her father’s library.

***

The construction was progressing swiftly. Elaina was feeling proud after seeing how much Knox liked his new room, but her mood was soon interrupted by the butler’s unexpected news.

“My room isn’t finished yet?”

“No, madam. I’m terribly sorry,” the butler replied, looking apologetic.

The rooms that Lyle and Knox’s mother had used were left untouched, as they held significant meaning for the two brothers, especially Knox. Instead, one of the unused guest rooms nearby was supposed to be converted into Elaina’s room.

The problem was that the materials and furniture for her room had not yet arrived.

“I see. It’s fine. I’ll just use one of the unfinished rooms for a few days.”

Elaina tried to comfort the distressed butler, but as soon as she spoke, the butler’s eyes lit up and he shook his head vigorously.

“That won’t do at all! We can’t have the lady of the house using such a shabby room. That’s simply out of the question.”

“But… you just said the room isn’t ready.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Elaina frowned, unable to understand the butler’s cryptic response.

“While your room isn’t ready yet, His Grace’s room has been fully renovated. Since we made some repairs in preparation for his return, there wasn’t much left to fix.”

“…What?”

“Come this way, madam. You should check His Grace’s room anyway.”

With a wide smile, the butler ushered Elaina forward. Normally, his age made him appear somewhat feeble, but his sudden burst of energy left Elaina with no room to argue as she followed him to Lyle’s room.

The butler provided a detailed explanation of the various features in Lyle’s room. Unlike the brief reports on the progress of the other rooms, his descriptions of Lyle’s room were elaborate.

“As you can see, the bed is more than large enough for the two of you. The room has been newly refurbished, and placing your vanity in this spot wouldn’t look out of place at all.”

The butler’s enthusiasm was obvious as he tried to convince her, and Sarah, who was observing the situation, clapped her hands in agreement.

“Oh my, it’s perfect! It’s as if the furniture was arranged just waiting for a vanity to be placed right here!”

“Hoho, you think so too? Then let’s move the vanity over here at once.”

“The Duke of Winchester’s servants are still unloading our things. I’ll ask them to move the vanity into this room immediately,” Sarah added, her coordination with the butler seamless, as though they had been working together for years.

Elaina barely managed to stop Sarah from rushing off downstairs to get the vanity.

“W-wait! No! I can use any room—it doesn’t matter. The new room will be ready in just a few days, so I’ll only need a temporary space.”

“Exactly, madam! As you said, it’s only for a few days, so why not share a room with His Grace? It’s no big deal.”

Sarah’s sharp retort left Elaina at a loss for words. The butler smiled contentedly, stroking his mustache as though pleased with Sarah’s logic.

“Madam, as the new lady of the Grant family, wouldn’t it be nice to be considerate of your servants’ feelings? The butler clearly wants to take good care of you, but if you use a shabby guest room, it would weigh heavily on him.”

“Oh, madam, it’s all right. It’s my fault for not finishing the work in time,” the butler added, bowing his head apologetically.

Sarah, triumphant, raised her chin slightly and gave Elaina a look, as if to say, ‘See? It’s not all wrong.’

“Is there a reason you can’t share a room with my brother?”

Out of nowhere, Knox chimed in, having observed the entire situation.

“Yesterday, the Duchess and the Duke of Winchester shared a room. Isn’t that what married people normally do?”

Knox, too young to understand the intricacies of relationships between men and women, asked his innocent question.

The butler, quick to seize the opportunity, immediately agreed. “Indeed, Young Master. Married couples, especially newlyweds, usually share a room. Of course, if the madam chooses to use a separate room, it’s not considered inappropriate. However, as a servant, I would feel…”

“Enough! I get it!” Elaina interrupted, cutting off the butler before he could repeat the same lecture she had heard from Sarah the day before.

“But this isn’t a decision I can make on my own, is it? His Grace’s opinion matters the most—after all, it’s his room. Sharing a room might make him uncomfortable.”

Desperately, Elaina tried to use Lyle as her shield to fend off the butler’s persistence.

“Yes, madam. What do you think, Your Grace?”

The butler addressed Lyle, who, to Elaina’s surprise, had just come inside after finishing his work outside.

Unlike Elaina’s flustered reaction, Lyle appeared perfectly calm.

“I don’t mind. It wouldn’t be uncomfortable. We already shared the room last night, didn’t we? You didn’t seem uncomfortable either.”

“When… when did I say that?”

“Last night. You slept comfortably, didn’t you?”

The butler’s eyes sparkled like stars at the mention of the last night. It was as if he could die happy now. Lyle, in his usual straightforward manner, ordered the butler to move Elaina’s belongings to his room if necessary.

“W-wait! Isn’t this something we should think about a bit more carefully?”

“I overheard enough downstairs. The construction on your room isn’t finished. Even if I offered you my mother’s room, you wouldn’t use it, right?”

“Of course not!”

“Then just use my room. It’s only for a few days, so what’s the issue?”

Lyle genuinely seemed puzzled by why Elaina was making such a fuss.

“Or, if you prefer, you could take my room and I’ll use one of the other rooms.”

“…Let’s just share the room! Fine, fine! Why is everyone so determined about this?”

Elaina grumbled, her face flushed with embarrassment, wondering if she was the only one feeling awkward in this situation as she opened Lyle’s door.