This Villain Is Mine Now

Chapter 60

“You didn’t know? He always slept on the sofa,” Sarah responded as if she was more surprised that Elaina wasn’t aware. The two of them were having this conversation in the hallway outside the room.

“You knew? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it’s your private life.”

While Sarah could arrange for them to share the same room, she believed that meddling in whether or not they shared the same bed was crossing a line. Since neither Lyle nor Elaina had said anything about it, Sarah had assumed that they had come to some agreement. But it seemed Elaina hadn’t known anything about it.

“Madam, you’re usually so sharp about everything else. Didn’t you ever notice that half of the bed always looked untouched, with the sheets perfectly smooth?”

Now that Sarah mentioned it, Elaina realized it was true. There had been plenty of signs, but she hadn’t paid attention to them.

“More than that, why did His Grace suddenly decide to sleep in the bed last night?” Sarah’s eyes sparkled as she wondered aloud, unable to understand why he had suddenly changed his mind after being so stubborn for so long.

Elaina feigned ignorance, shaking her head. “How should I know? Maybe he was just really tired.”

“That’s good, then. I’ve always felt bad knowing he was uncomfortable sleeping on that sofa.”

Sarah admitted that one of the reasons the butler had hurried to complete the renovations on Elaina’s room was because he was concerned about Lyle’s comfort.

Elaina stared at Sarah, dumbfounded. “Was everyone aware of this except me?”

“Probably. I think it was only the butler and I who noticed because it happened every night. But I’m sure everyone will be more surprised to learn that you didn’t know.”

Finally, Elaina understood Lyle’s behavior over the past few weeks. Each time she stayed up late, he had suggested they go for a nighttime stroll. It hadn’t just been her imagination—he had indeed seemed troubled during those times.

“Alright, I understand. Go downstairs and help prepare breakfast.”

“What about the cleaning?”

“Let’s leave it for now so Lyle can rest.”

After watching Sarah head toward the dining room, Elaina slowly opened the door and entered the room. Why hadn’t she realized sooner? Now that she thought about it, there had been several strange details that she had overlooked.

The sound of the door opening caused Lyle to stir, his eyelids twitching before he finally opened his eyes.

“…What time is it?” Lyle seemed flustered, realizing he had overslept.

“It’s past nine o’clock. More importantly, don’t you have something to say to me?”

Elaina crossed her arms and glared at Lyle.

“I distinctly remember telling you last time that the bed was big enough for two people to share. So why have you been sleeping on the sofa all this time? I didn’t even know about it until now.”

“As long as we don’t cross the line in the middle.”

“What?”

“I said, as long as you don’t cross the line, it won’t be uncomfortable.”

Lyle raised an eyebrow, and Elaina’s face flushed with heat. The memory of waking up that morning right next to Lyle came flooding back to her.

“Th-that’s…!” Elaina stammered, struggling to find her words. “But I told you before that you should sleep in the bed, and you agreed. Why are you acting like it’s such a big deal now?”

Her indignant tone was met with Lyle’s steady gaze, as he remained silent, simply watching her.

“What?”

“I don’t see why we need to share the bed.”

His question was sincere, as if he genuinely couldn’t understand her reasoning.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m just saying I don’t get why you’re making such a fuss about this.”

Lyle’s words hit the mark. It was indeed strange for Elaina to insist on sharing the bed when he had no issue with the arrangement. Yet, despite being right, Lyle had a knack for making comments that sparked resistance. Elaina felt an unexpected surge of irritation.

“Then is there a reason why you shouldn’t share the bed with me?”

“What does that even mean?”

“We’ve been living in the same room for over two months now, and it’s not like you’re embarrassed by it.”

Lyle let out a soft, exasperated laugh. “I don’t understand why you’re suddenly being so unreasonable.”

“You’re the one being unreasonable right now.”

Elaina tried to maintain a nonchalant tone, but her irritation was apparent.

“Or are you worried that you won’t be able to keep your promise from the wedding?”

“What?”

“The promise you made not to fall for me.”

Lyle’s expression shifted subtly, and he fell into a brief silence. Elaina, realizing she had gone too far, felt she couldn’t back down now. She had no choice but to keep up her bravado.

“If that’s not the case, then sharing a bed shouldn’t be an issue, should it? I don’t mind sharing the bed with you at all.”

“If you insist…”

Lyle raised an eyebrow. Elaina seemed to have a talent for pushing his buttons. Their conversations often ended in stubborn standoffs, even over the most trivial matters.

“From now on, I’ll share a bed with my wife. Faithfully and diligently.”

Hearing Lyle’s overly formal words made a shiver run down Elaina’s spine. He had chosen to use the term wife deliberately, along with words like faithful and diligent, clearly to tease her.

“Hmph.”

“Alright, enough of this. It looks like the morning will be a bit hectic since I overslept.”

Lyle chuckled softly as he stood up, then casually began removing his shirt right in front of Elaina. With a startled yelp, she spun around, her face burning.

“W-what are you doing?”

“I thought you said I didn’t need to be cautious anymore. That’s what I understood.”

The teasing tone in his voice was unmistakable, and Elaina realized how absurd it was that she had made such a bold declaration about sharing a bed, only to become flustered over something as simple as him changing clothes.

Unable to face the situation, she quickly excused herself.

“I’ll head downstairs first. The food should be ready soon.”

“At your command, wife. I’d like to change my pants now, so would you mind leaving?”

His teasing words sent Elaina fleeing from the room, her flushed face hidden behind her hair.

***

Suggesting they share the bed had definitely been a mistake.

Elaina squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. Her tense posture gave away her discomfort, though Lyle had already picked up on her unease.

The lights flicked off, and the sheets rustled slightly as Lyle lay down beside her. She could feel his presence next to her, her senses suddenly heightened to every small movement.

How had they managed to live in the same room all this time?

Feigning a sleepy toss and turn, Elaina edged toward the far side of the bed. Now that she was aware of Lyle’s proximity, even his breathing sounded louder than usual.

A little more, just a little more.

Elaina’s cautious shifting toward the edge of the bed came to an abrupt halt when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist. Startled, she opened her eyes.

She had been on the verge of rolling off the bed.

“Are you really about to fall out of bed even while you’re sleeping?”

Lyle’s arm gently guided her back to the center of the bed, releasing her once she was safe.

“For someone who made such a big deal out of this, you don’t seem very comfortable. “At this rate, I’ll have no choice but to take back what I said.”

“What do you mean?”

It was pointless to keep pretending to sleep. Elaina cleared her throat and moved a little closer to Lyle.

“The promise that you wouldn’t fall for me—are you not confident you can keep it?”

“Oh, please… I was just half-asleep.”

“My wife has an amazing ability to talk in her sleep even when she’s wide awake.”

Lyle’s teasing only made Elaina press her lips together tightly in silence.

“I’m going to sleep now, so don’t talk to me.”

There was only one week left until Lyle’s departure for the Mabel Mountain region. If she could just make it through the week, this strange tension would surely fade.

Elaina got up abruptly, grabbed a cushion from the sofa, and placed it in the middle of the bed as if drawing a line in the sand.

“Don’t cross this line, alright?” Her voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

“…Unbelievable,” Lyle muttered to himself.

Even in her sleep, Elaina had kept shifting to the edge of the bed. Now, she had drawn a line in the middle of the bed with a cushion.

Despite her stern warning, once she fell asleep, she ended up rolling over the cushion and toward Lyle. Curled up like a contented cat, she snuggled into the narrow space, a satisfied smile on her face.

Her movements forced Lyle to shift as well. He turned toward her, her long lashes brushing softly against his chin.

A sweet fragrance filled the air. They used the same bath products, yet Elaina’s scent was uniquely sweet.

Lyle closed his eyes, pretending to be calm, though he was far from it. Elaina always fell asleep first, leaving Lyle to lie awake, struggling with his thoughts.

“…This is going to be the death of me.”

With a deep sigh, Lyle counted the days until the monster subjugation mission. The thought of enduring this for another week made him feel as though he was staring into the abyss.