This Villain Is Mine Now

Chapter 88

“Mm…”

The fluttering of Elaina’s eyelashes, as delicate as a butterfly’s wingbeat, was followed by her eyes opening to the bright sunlight. She looked around in a daze, but as soon as she grasped the situation, she shot up from where she lay.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Ahhh!”

Startled by Lyle’s voice, Elaina let out a scream. She hadn’t expected him to still be in the room.

“Oh, you didn’t go out? What about work?”

“I decided to take the day off. Drane said it was fine.”

In truth, Drane had slipped a note under the door suggesting they take a quiet day to themselves, but Lyle saw no need to share that detail with Elaina. Turning his gaze away, he spoke again.

“More importantly, are you feeling okay? I was about to wake you since you’ve been sleeping all day.”

Lyle’s concern brought the events of the previous night flooding back into Elaina’s mind.

“I-I’m fine! There’s nothing wrong!”

She hastily managed her expression, pretending nothing was amiss, but she couldn’t hide the bright red blush spreading across her face. Lyle let out a soft chuckle at her endearing reaction.

Unlike Elaina, Lyle was already fully dressed. Seeing his neat appearance, Elaina suddenly became acutely aware of her own disheveled state. Wrapping the blanket tightly around herself, she avoided his gaze, her eyes darting nervously. She wanted to ask him to leave but couldn’t think of the right words.

Before she could say anything, Lyle handed her a set of clothes that Sarah had thoughtfully prepared.

“Would you like me to help you dress? Or should I call Sarah instead?”

Elaina, who was about to ask him to call Sarah, caught sight of the reddish marks on her chest, faint yet undeniable, like bug bites. Her mouth snapped shut. She couldn’t bear to let even Sarah see her like this. If Sarah smiled knowingly, Elaina might just die of embarrassment.

At that moment, she realized that having Lyle help her was the lesser evil.

“…I’ll leave it to you.”

Her voice was barely audible, but Lyle’s sharp ears caught every word.

“Of course.”

With a faint smile, Lyle began to help her dress. His hands, calloused and rugged, were a stark contrast to Elaina’s soft skin. His touch was gentle yet firm, and the warmth from his hands left her feeling flushed.

“Are you feeling hot?”

His hand brushed against her heated skin, and Elaina shivered at the cool sensation.

“Should I open the window?”

Lyle’s attentiveness made Elaina feel a mix of emotions that were hard to describe. It wasn’t just that his care felt good—her heart fluttered in a way that left her uneasy, yet she found herself craving more of his attention.

Without waiting for a response, Lyle interpreted her silence as agreement and opened the window slightly. A refreshing autumn breeze wafted into the room.

Helping her off the bed, Lyle guided Elaina to a chair. Then he stepped outside to fetch a tray of food, which he set on the table. Most of the dishes were light and easy to eat, even if they had cooled.

“If we eat too much now, we might not have room for dinner later.”

Elaina looked at the array of fruit, soup, and bread, then glanced at Lyle. She repeated this a few times, unable to believe what she was seeing.

“Who are you?”

Her voice was half-joking but carried a hint of genuine disbelief. The man before her, behaving so differently, left her both amused and baffled.

“Your husband.”

She had expected a curt reply, but the word “husband” that came from Lyle’s mouth caught her completely off guard.

Husband.

Elaina cleared her throat awkwardly and took a sip of water, unable to hide her embarrassment. Watching her flustered reaction, Lyle’s lips curled into a crooked smile.

“If it embarrasses you, why ask questions like that?”

“How was I supposed to know you’d answer like that?”

Lyle spread jam on a piece of bread and placed it on Elaina’s plate. His gesture, as though she were a child, made her smile despite herself. However, she quickly composed herself, maintaining a dignified expression as she took a bite of the bread.

Like a mother bird feeding her chick, Lyle continued to serve her. He even scooped soup into a spoon and held it up to her mouth, leaving her no room to lift a finger.

“I feel a bit guilty about making the Archduke serve me like this.”

“It’s fine if it’s you.”

“You know, they say people act strangely before they die.”

“Don’t worry. I have no plans to die before you.”

Wow.

Elaina shivered exaggeratedly as though she had goosebumps. She thought she had come to understand Lyle after all this time, but she had never imagined seeing this side of him.

The problem was, despite her initial discomfort, she couldn’t help but feel happy about the way he treated her.

***

“Sarah.”

“Yes, madam?”

“Can you do something about that expression?”

Anyone overhearing might think Elaina was a terrible mistress, bullying her maid, but the other maids standing nearby all silently agreed with her. Yet even they were wearing expressions not so different from Sarah’s.

“What do you mean, madam? I’ve done nothing.”

Sarah’s protest sounded aggrieved, but the corners of her lips betrayed her. Her cheeks were puffed slightly as though she was holding back laughter, her expression a mix of amusement and admiration for Elaina.

“Should I tell everyone to leave if you’re so uncomfortable?”

The maids gasped and looked at Sarah, their faces pleading.

This was the most entertaining moment since they had started working in the mansion. After days of avoiding each other, the Archduke and Archduchess had finally reconciled.

Not only that, but their usually platonic relationship seemed to have ignited into something more passionate, like dry wood catching fire.

‘Please, Head Maid, don’t let them send us away.’

Sarah smiled brightly at their imploring gazes.

“Perhaps. But as the Archduchess’s personal maid, I cannot leave her side. You understand, don’t you, Your Grace?”

Lyle sighed, glancing at Sarah with a look of disbelief.

“You’re becoming more brazen by the day, Sarah.”

“It’s because the people I serve are such noble individuals.”

Though she had always known her master was a good person, Sarah no longer found Lyle intimidating, even when he lowered his voice. After all, someone who cherished the young lady—no, the madam—so deeply would never act harshly toward her, her personal maid.

Lyle gave Sarah an incredulous look at her cheeky reply. Even when their eyes met, she merely lowered her gaze in feigned politeness and flashed a playful smile.

It wasn’t just meal times that had become uncomfortable.

Everyone working at the estate had stayed unusually late today, refusing to return to their homes. Whenever they saw Elaina and Lyle, they couldn’t hide their delighted smiles.

In the end, the two decided to escape the prying eyes and went for a walk. Lyle made Sarah promise, over and over, not to let anyone into the garden.

Being a capable maid, Sarah knew where to draw the line. If she pushed any further, she might genuinely anger either Elaina or Lyle. She confidently assured them that not even an ant would come near the garden.

“Goodness.”

Finally able to breathe, Elaina shook her head.

Of course, she was aware that both she and Lyle had made everyone uncomfortable these past few days. Thinking back to Drane’s pointed remarks, even the younger maids must have been walking on eggshells.

But to think that everyone would be so unanimously overjoyed at their reconciliation.

“I’ve learned a tremendous lesson.”

“What kind?”

“From now on, if we have complaints about each other, we’ll talk about them immediately. Let’s not let it go past a day.”

She added, with particular emphasis, that they should resolve things quickly—especially before Sarah found out. Clenching her fist in a gesture of determination, Elaina’s resolve made Lyle chuckle.

“That might be difficult.”

“What? Why?”

Elaina frowned, but then she shut her eyes tightly as she heard Lyle’s answer.

“Because I doubt I’ll ever have a reason to complain about you again.”

“Oh, goodness, Lyle. Please, stop.”

Her plea, so unlike her usual composed self, drew a low laugh from Lyle.

“Alright, fine. I’ll stop—on one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

Lyle came to a halt. Naturally, Elaina, walking beside him, stopped as well.

Under the full moon, the garden was utterly deserted, just as Sarah had promised. The space belonged entirely to the two of them.

A fleeting touch, soft lips brushing hers. The kiss was so brief that Elaina could only blink in stunned silence, unable even to think of closing her eyes.

“If you keep making such a foolish expression, I might do it again.”

At her husband’s whisper, as if he had become a completely different person overnight, Elaina swallowed hard.

“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if you did it again?”

At his wife’s words, which were not quite a provocation but close enough, Lyle’s eyes softened with a trace of laughter.