The Villainess Just Wants to Study

Chapter 54 ~ Look At Me

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"Why are you frowning so much?" Jessie asked. She picked up a red ribbon and pulled it through Dylan's hair, winding it through a braid. "Milady should smile more."

"I know," Dylan rolled her eyes. "I was just thinking of something."

'I hate ribbons, but I can't tell her that. Jessie looks so happy.'

Suddenly the door burst open, and Grisa Hollingdale entered the room.

"Dylan!" she exclaimed, giving her a lovely smile. "I've missed you."

She flew into her friend's arms, nearly knocking them both to the ground. Stiffly, Dylan let herself be held in her embrace. She still wasn't used to physical contact, but then she relaxed. Grisa didn't want to hurt her, she realized, just to give her a hug.

"I told her to knock," Lucas said apologetically, "but she wouldn't listen."

Dylan chuckled softly. "It's okay."

"You look beautiful." Grisa said, still not freeing her from the hug. "You've always been beautiful, today more than ever."

Beautiful. She had never thought of herself as beautiful. Perhaps it was because her heart was so irreparably damaged. Perhaps it was because she looked so much like the man who hurt her. Either way, beautiful was a word that she did not associate with herself.

"I have something for you guys," Dylan said, pulling away from the hug. She gestured to Mina, who handed them each a small black velvet box.

"What? Dylan, you really didn't have to get me anything," Grisa said in excitement.

She opened her gift and gasped when she saw what the square black velvet box held. Grisa saw the most gorgeous pair of earrings she had ever seen. Picking up one earring, she held it to the light. It was a long earring made of pearls and glistening emerald gems.

She gasped, her eyes wide, looking up at Dylan. "Oh, Dylan! This is too much. You should never have—"

"I wanted to," Dylan said, interrupting her. "Just take it."

"Thank you so much," Grisa said, tears in her eyes. She put on the earrings and looked in the mirror. "They're gorgeous!"

Dylan looked up at Lucas, who was staring at the box with an unreadable expression on his face. "Aren't you going to open yours?" she asked him.

He hesitated a moment more, then opened the velvet box. The brooch within, made of a glistening emerald gem surrounded with pearls, matched the earrings Grisa got.

"Thank you," he said with a smile. Then he hesitated. "But I didn't get you anything. I—"

"It's fine, you don't have to worry too much. If you want to give me something, then maybe you could wear it around, and tell people you got it from a new jeweller named Yvette Rodwell."

'This is all a part of my plan to bring in sales.'

After a while, he sighed and took the brooch out, holding it up to the light. "Okay."

"I'll put it on for you," said Grisa, fastening the brooch to his coat. "Doesn't it look pretty?"

Dylan looked at Grisa and Lucas. They looked like the perfect couple. They looked perfect. Fit for one another.

Dylan checked her hair in the mirror one more time, then stood up. "Shall we walk to our classes together?" she asked.

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