The Villainess Became My Alpha Husband

Chapter 54: Elaine Kissed Me

I was sitting in a navy-blue gown that pooled neatly around my legs, the fabric smooth and cool against my skin. It had a soft satin sheen that caught the light whenever I shifted, dark enough to look almost midnight in the shadows, but brighter where the sun touched it.

The sleeves were fitted at the shoulders and flowed looser at the wrists, giving the whole dress a quiet elegance that made me feel strangely exposed and safe at the same time.

Flowers had been tied into my hair earlier that afternoon—small pale blossoms woven through my silver strands, their petals resting lightly against my temples and over one shoulder.

The scent of them was soft and clean, faintly sweet, and every time the breeze brushed past, a loose strand of hair moved across my cheek.

Elaine sat across from me with a sheet of paper in one hand and a pen in the other, as if she had been writing something before I interrupted her.

The room was calm, with sunlight spilling through the tall windows and warming the polished floor.

I could hear the faint rustle of the curtains and the distant sounds of the palace beyond the door, but inside the room, the quiet between us felt more focused than silence usually did.

"How did your friends react when I defeated Count Jennife?" I asked.

Elaine stopped writing and gave me a blank look. "What do you mean by ’friends’?"

"I mean, alphas." I looked away. "I am sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you that question." My voice had gone quieter at the end. I wasn’t sure why I had asked at all. Maybe I just wanted to know if they hated me too. Maybe I wanted to know if people like her had laughed at me behind my back.

Elaine’s face softened a little. "Alexander, you don’t have to apologize. I will not get angry at you."

I gave her a small, hesitant look. "Will... you? I mean, will you promise me?"

She nodded at once. "I will not. I am promising you that."

"Okay," I said after a moment. "So were the alphas angry at me because I defeated her?"

She looked at me for a moment before answering. "Well, most people wanted to declare your fight void."

I pouted before I could stop myself. "Of course, they would."

Elaine laughed and reached across the space between us to pinch my cheek.

"Stop pouting, will you?"

"Ouch! What are you doing?!" I pushed at her hand, more startled than offended, my face heating at once.

"You look too cute when you pout."

That made me blush harder. I shoved her hand away and stood up from the chair, turning quickly as if distance might save me from the heat in my face.

"Where are you going?" she called after me.

I spun around and yelled, "Away from you!"

Before I could take another step, Elaine reached out and pulled me back toward her with one hand, firm but not rough. My nose bumped against her chest, and I let out a small cry from the sudden impact.

"Alexander," she asked, sounding more startled than amused, "why are you going away from me?"

I stiffened immediately as she lifted me up with too much ease and carried me back toward the chair. Before I could protest properly, she sat down and settled me right into her lap.

"Put me down, will you?"

"Should I?"

"Yes, please!"

"No."

"What?"

"I said no."

I turned my face away, completely unable to understand why my heart was beating so loudly. Elaine twirled one loose strand of my silver hair between her fingers, slow and absent-minded, then pinched my chin and gently turned my face back toward hers.

"The knight commander stopped them from declaring your match void," she whispered.

"Okay..." I said, though my thoughts felt scattered now.

"Alexander," she said more softly, her voice lower than before, "I am not a good husband."

"No, you are not."

That was too quick, and I realized it only after the word had already left my mouth.

Elaine gave the faintest, slightly stunned look. "That was quick."

I hesitated, then slowly rested my head against her shoulder. "You hurt me too much before."

Her arm shifted around me, careful, as if she were afraid to move too fast. "I am sorry for that."

I did not answer right away. The room felt warmer now, quieter in a way that made everything seem slower. Her hand rested lightly against my back, and the flowers in my hair brushed the side of her cheek.

She tipped my face up again, just enough that I had to look at her. Her gaze dropped to my lips, and that made me freeze.

"We will divorce in the future," I said, though my voice came out smaller than I intended.

"Will we?" she asked.

"Yes... mphmm—"

The rest of the sentence disappeared because Elaine kissed me.

It was gentle at first, so soft I almost did not move at all. Her lips were warm, careful, and hesitant in a way I had never felt from her before. There was no force in it, no coldness, no tension, and no hate.

This was different.

This one felt real.

My breath caught in my throat.

Elaine’s hand stayed steady at my back while her other one remained near my face, holding me there not with pressure, but with a kind of quiet certainty that made my chest feel strange.

The kiss deepened only slightly, still tender, still slow, as if she were afraid that I might pull away at any second. Her lips brushed mine once more, lingering just enough to make my thoughts go blank.

When she finally pulled back, the space between us felt much too large all at once.

I stared at her, completely lost for a moment.

Elaine looked just as still, just as startled by what she had done, though her expression was softer now than I had ever seen it. Her thumb brushed once against my cheek, almost absent-mindedly, like she was checking to see if I was still there.

I swallowed hard. "What was that?"

Her eyes searched my face. "A kiss."

"I know that much."

A faint flush had risen into her face, but she did not look away. "You looked like you needed one."

That made me freeze again. "That is not an answer."

"It is the only honest one I have."

I looked at her for a long moment, then lowered my gaze to her chest, where my head had been resting only a second ago. My face was burning now, and I did not know whether I wanted to push her away or hide against her shoulder again.

"You are unbelievable," I muttered.

Elaine gave me a quiet look. "Because I kissed you?"

"Because you keep saying things like that as if they mean nothing."

"They do mean something." freёwebnovel.com

I looked up at her. "Then what?"

Her fingers brushed lightly at the flower in my hair before she answered. "That I wanted to. That I should have done it gently the first time. That I know I have no right to ask anything from you yet."

That made my throat tighten.

I looked away again, embarrassed by how close her words came to something honest. "You always do that."

"Do what?"

"Say something strange and make it sound simple."

Elaine’s mouth curved faintly, almost shyly. "You make it sound worse than it is."

"It is worse."

"Is it?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it again because I did not know how to answer that. Her arm stayed around me, warm and steady, and the hand at my chin had gone still. The sunlight across the room had shifted, making the blue of my gown glow darker where it folded over my lap.

Finally, I muttered, "You should stop doing things that confuse me."

Elaine’s eyes held mine. "I could try."

"That does not sound convincing."

"It is not meant to."

I gave a helpless little sigh, still sitting in her lap and still very aware of the fact. "You are impossible."