The Villainess Just Wants to Study

Chapter 26 ~ Lips

Lowering her head, she touched her lips with her fingers. Dylan could still remember it vividly—the way his lips and tongue moved against her own. He had wiped the tears from her face and kissed her.

"How embarrassing," she muttered as she bit her lip. "What to do..."

'I made it clear that nothing would happen between us, so why is he here?'

She looked at the bright pink peonies in silence, before shaking her head side to side. "Send him away," she said. "Tell him I'm not well enough to see guests right now."

"But you can't refuse him since he's already here," Mina protested nervously, fiddling with her thumbs. "And I'm sure the Lord had a difficult journey coming here."

Dylan sighed and closed her eyes. "Where is the guest?" she asked.

"I showed him to the drawing room, milady."

"I'm going to finish reading this chapter," said Dylan with a nod. "I'll head down after." 

At her nod, Mina bowed and left.

'It's rude to visit without notice. I'll make him wait.'

Dylan flipped to the first page of the book. She sat on her bed, cross-legged, with the book Caspian gave her in her lap. She began to read, thinking of what to write in the margins. 

***

"Lord Laikin."

Laikin, who was patiently waiting in the drawing room, turned around at the call of his name. "I apologize for any inconvenience my sudden arrival may have caused." 

She waved a hand as if to brush off his worries. "It's fine," she said, "shall we have some tea?"

They sat at a table by the window. 

"What brings you here?" she asked as Mina poured her a cup of tea.

"Am I not allowed to see you?" he retorted, sipping his teacup. His eyebrows lifted. "Ah, this is—"

"Astragalus tea. If it's not to your taste, I'll have my maid bring something else."

"No, that's alright, rather..." Laikin's voice trailed off as he furrowed his brow. "Isn't astragalus a herbal supplement?"

Dylan nodded but said nothing. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss her health with him. 

Suddenly Laikin spoke again, his eyes shining. "Are you in a formal relationship with anyone, Dylan?"

Dylan blinked her eyes, unable to understand what he was trying to say. "What?" she asked. "A formal relationship?"

"Do you perhaps have a lover? Say, for example, the Crown Prince?"

Pfft! Dylan spit her tea and erupted into a coughing fit. 

"Was my question rude?" he asked, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips.

'Ha, what game are you playing?'

Dylan shook her head. "It's alright," she said, "and I don't have a lover."

Laikin brushed his hair casually. A pair of eyes as blue as the sky stood out from beneath the brown that fell over his forehead, catching her attention. He slightly raised the corner of his mouth when he noticed she had been staring.

"Why are you here, Laikin?" she deadpanned, averting her eyes. "How did you even know I returned home?"

"I have my ways," he explained, swirling the tea in his cup. "You look like you're feeling better."

"Yes."

"Will you be returning to the academy?"

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you care?"

He leaned forward over the table, his eyes glowing. Their faces were inches apart now. He stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable, then his gaze fell on her lips. 

Dylan bit her lip nervously as a warm flush started up her neck. Her stomach contracted and then twisted into a knot. Was she excited or scared by the idea of kissing him again?

"You bite your lips when you're anxious," he whispered, lightly tracing her lips with a finger. 

"Laikin," she whispered. His name in her mouth made something stir within him. 

"Did you kiss him with these?" he asked, eyes burning with desire. "With the same lips you kissed me with?"

"No."

"Then what did it mean to you?" he asked. She heard the edge of desperation in his voice. "Did our kiss mean nothing to you?" 

Dylan froze. 

"Then," he continued, leaning his forehead against hers, "should we try it again?" 

"Laikin, I—"

He planted a lingering kiss on her cheek and drew back. "Did you feel anything just now?" He then planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "How about now?" he asked. 

"Stop," Dylan said, pushing him away with her hands.

Crash! 

"I'm so sorry!" Mina shouted, falling to her knees to clean up the snacks she had just dropped.

Laikin looked startled for a moment, and then composed himself. He leaned back in his chair, muttering something inaudible underneath his breath. 

"It's okay," Dylan said, still in shock. "We were just—"

"I, I forgot to knock! Please punish me, milady!" 

Laikin stood and gulped the rest of his tea. "I should take my leave," he said. "Take care of your health, Lady Dylan."

"A, are you leaving?"

"You don't want me to go?"

"...Just go."

He reached into his coat, pulled out a small decorative box and set it on the table.

"What's this?" Dylan asked him.

"It's medicine for your lips," he said, quietly. "You bite on them when you get nervous." He bowed politely and then left the room.

Mina glanced up at Dylan, who was watching the door he had left through with a confused expression. "M, milady," she stuttered, "I deeply apologize."

"It's okay," Dylan replied with a sigh, "just clean up the mess."

'What the hell just happened?'

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Uh oh... it looks like somebody's fallen for our Dylan.