This Villain Is Mine Now

Chapter 65

“I think I might have a good job opportunity to recommend. Could you set up a meeting later if it works for you?”

Elaina’s eyes sparkled as she spoke. If no one else recognized his value yet, she wanted to seize the opportunity, especially if it involved talented people.

“Of course.”

Nathan readily nodded and stood up from his seat.

“Well, I should head to the academy now. I need to prepare the materials for my experiments starting tomorrow.”

His words hinted at his real intention—to give Diane and Elaina some privacy to chat comfortably.

Diane and Elaina saw Nathan off, and then they returned to the room. Diane opened the window, waving at Nathan until his carriage disappeared from sight.

“You seem so happy,” Elaina said teasingly.

Diane blushed, placing her hands on her cheeks, but she wasn’t about to back down.

“You know what it’s like, Elaina.”

“Do I? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on. I’m talking about His Grace, the archduke.”

Diane hurried to sit closer to Elaina, her eyes sparkling like stars. Elaina was so taken aback that she shifted slightly back in her seat.

“The archduke? I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Elaina, I’m so happy. I wake up every morning hoping that this isn’t just a dream. If I feel this way, imagine how much more you must feel—being apart from the one you fell in love with at first sight right after your marriage.”

“Fell in love… what?”

Elaina stuttered, her eyes blinking rapidly—a rare sight. Diane was still under the impression that Elaina and Lyle had feelings for each other ever since they first met at the ball.

Despite Elaina’s repeated efforts to convince her otherwise, Diane seemed utterly unwilling to believe it.

“You married each other even though it wasn’t love at first sight? Why would you do that?”

“That… well…”

Elaina hesitated. How could she tell Diane, of all people, that she had married Lyle to stop her own marriage? Seeing Elaina at a loss for words, Diane smiled mischievously, taking her silence as confirmation.

“You might be right about many things, Elaina, but on this matter, I’m definitely correct.”

No one knew better than Diane what it meant to live without even a sliver of love. After spending twenty years without receiving any affection from those around her, she could easily see the warmth in Elaina’s life.

Diane gazed at Elaina, smiling gently. “You know, Elaina, every letter you sent me was full of stories about His Grace and his younger brother.”

“Well, of course! Lately, they are the biggest part of my life.”

“Exactly.”

Diane could tell that Elaina’s letters were filled with her affection for Knox and Lyle. It might not have been love, but there was no doubt that warmth existed between them. Smiling knowingly, Diane watched as Elaina gave up trying to change her mind.

Love? Who loved whom? It was ridiculous.

“Enough about me. Tell me more about your life, Diane. How’s it been in Hennet?”

Though they had talked about it in their letters, there was something special about chatting face-to-face. Diane blushed slightly but then began to speak.

“Our house in Hennet is a small but comfortable mansion. It’s nothing like the archducal estate, but there are about five servants living with us. With the dowry from my father, we built a house with a small laboratory.”

She described the house: five guest rooms, three rooms for the servants, a cozy living room, a library, and a master bedroom. Diane’s face radiated peaceful happiness as she spoke.

“When we have a child, we plan to turn one of the guest rooms into a nursery. And if our family grows, we might build an annex.”

“Wait a minute. You didn’t make a separate room for yourself? Why not? You have enough money for it.”

“You’re right. We still have a lot left from the dowry.”

Even after buying land and building a new mansion, half of the dowry still remained. Lack of funds wasn’t the reason Diane didn’t have her own room.

“I just didn’t want a room to myself.”

Ever since she could remember, Diane had lived in an isolated room at the Redwood estate, separated from her family. It was always “Diane Redwood’s room,” a lonely space that only received occasional visits from cold nannies or servants running errands for her parents.

That was why she didn’t want a solitary room in her new home. Diane wanted to create a warm environment, one where she wasn’t alone anymore.

“At first, it felt strange to share my bed with someone else, but now I can’t sleep without Nathan.”

Elaina opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. She knew exactly how Diane felt.

Since Lyle had left for Mabel, Elaina hadn’t been able to sleep well. She had returned to her own room, not wanting to use the archduke’s room while he was away. But that room—which she had decorated to her own tastes—felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable. In the end, she asked for Lyle’s permission to use his room while he was gone.

“See?”

Diane’s voice snapped Elaina out of her thoughts. Startled, Elaina turned to look at her, only to see Diane smiling knowingly.

Feeling like her thoughts had been exposed, Elaina cleared her throat and said, “No, that’s not it.”

But it was clear that Diane didn’t believe her.

***

Knox quickly grew close to the guests after returning from the academy. Unlike his brother or Elaina, both Diane and Nathan had a gentler touch, and Diane, who had never experienced having a younger sibling, treated Knox like her own brother.

Ever since Lyle left for the northern subjugation, time seemed to slow down. But now, with the mansion bustling with activity, each day seemed shorter. Still, Elaina never forgot to write letters to Lyle.

Starting with her gratitude for allowing Diane and Nathan to stay, the letter soon filled multiple pages.

With so much happening since Diane’s arrival, there was plenty to share. By the time she was halfway through the third page, Elaina began to feel a bit self-conscious.

‘It’s not like I’m gossiping with him…’

She briefly wondered if it was right to share every little detail like this. But with a sigh, Elaina picked up her pen again and continued.

「The herbs you sent last time have been incredibly helpful to Nathan. He told me a fascinating story about discovering a new property of the herb that could bring in significant revenue. Oh, but there’s something even more important than that…」

After writing about Drane, the letter grew to fill another page. She ended by inviting Lyle to visit Hennet with her once the monster subjugation was complete, but even after that, she added a lengthy postscript.

How odd.

Just a few months ago, they barely knew each other, and now it seemed like there was always so much to say.

Elaina thought of her conversation with Diane—about how she couldn’t sleep without Nathan by her side.

Did Lyle feel the same? Had he struggled to sleep like she did?

“I should be asleep, but I can’t seem to fall asleep.”

Lyle’s voice from the night before the departure echoed in her ears. Startled, Elaina shook her head, trying to dismiss the feeling. Her chest felt tight, almost as if something was tickling her heart. She quickly sealed the letter with wax.

It would take a full week for a carriage to reach Mabel, meaning she would receive a reply in about two weeks.

However, contrary to her expectations, no reply came from Mabel even after two weeks. It wasn’t until another two weeks had passed—nearly a full month later—that she finally received a letter from Mabel.

Elaina hastily opened the letter, but as soon as she read the first line, she knew something was wrong.

The handwriting was familiar, but it wasn’t Lyle’s. It was Leo’s.

The letter, filled with urgency, conveyed the news that Lyle and the scouting party had ventured deep into the mountains and had not returned.