The Villainess Just Wants to Study

Chapter 51 ~ Clouded Skies and Memories

The next day, Dylan lay watching the thick clouds drifting through the morning sky. The muscles in her arms and back were so sore that they would have brought tears to her eyes, except that there was no moisture left in her body to actually cry.

She'd crept away from practice when she had the chance. While the Duke's knights were running laps around the field, spending hours on fielding drills and batting practice, Dylan was napping.

"Get up," Conan said. He stood there towering over her. "Is this where you've been?"

Dylan shook her head from where she was laying on the floor. She should have expected this to happen sooner or later. She was grateful that she was able to get away with sleeping during practice for this long.

She huffed out a breath. "Can't I get a break? I was at the courthouse until late last night."

'I wonder if Whittle dealt with Axil's bail yet. He must be really tired of dealing with my funds right about now.'

"Sleeping for twenty minutes wasn't enough for you?" Conan asked, crossing his arms. "Milady will be returning to Faerhester in two days. You should practice with us as much as possible before then."

She grumbled under her breath as she rose up to her feet. Two days wasn't a lot of time, and she still had some business to deal with before she returned to school. Up until now she had only been worrying about her personal drama. The thought of having to return to Faerchester so soon hadn't even crossed her mind.

"How'd you even find me?" asked Dylan, dusting grass and leaves off the back of her pants. "I was sure I found the perfect, hidden nap spot."

Conan glanced to his right. Dylan followed his gaze, spotting Cadence standing there.

His light brown hair ruffled in the wind, and his muscular body looked breathtaking in his training clothes. She shook her head and forced herself to not be swayed by his good looks. Cadence was the culprit who ruined her naptime.

"I'll give you ten minutes to return," Conan said as he turned his back on her and walked away.

As soon as he was out of her sight, Dylan plopped herself back down in the grass and patted the ground beside her, as though Cadence was a puppy. Cadence hesitated, frowning, then obediently sat.

For a few brief moments they sat in silence. There was an unspoken understanding among them. Dylan glanced up at the clouds, still thick overhead.

.

.

.

The beautiful lady gently poked her child in the stomach, and Dylan let out a ticklish laugh.

"What are you looking at?" she smiled gently.

"The clouds, mommy," Dylan giggled, pointing at the sky above. "They're so pretty."

The lady kissed the child, cradling her deep within her arms and squeezing her in one big affectionate hug. "I'm gonna squish you," she told her daughter. "You're so adorable. How did I end up with such a perfect child?"

"Well..." Dylan spoke as she wriggled out of her mother's embrace. "That's all thanks to mommy."

"Thanks to me?"

She put the flat of her tiny hand on her mother's heart. "Mommy's heart is so beautiful with kindness," the little girl said, softly. "You love me, and that's why I can be happy."

The woman smiled warmly in her usual good-natured way, and then taking hold of her daughter's hand, she brought her forward for another hug.