A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 10

To calm her throbbing head, Tilia had intentionally sought out a restroom far from the exam room. The main building’s first floor was lined with department offices, and with the exam only hours away, there was no reason for Gregory Myers to be lurking around the women’s restroom except for her.

Tilia’s mind began piecing together the situation, analyzing the connections between her highly sensitive state and Gregory’s expectant expression. And most of all, the fact that he had been standing outside the restroom in that revolting state.

At that moment, a past conversation with Judy flashed through her mind:

“Well, holy water was originally made for knights, right? So for ordinary people like us, if you don’t follow the prescribed dosage, your bodily functions could become overly activated.”

“And that’s a bad thing? Isn’t that good?”

“No! When your senses become overly sensitive…”

“You’ll turn into an animal, driven only by instinct. They say you can’t control yourself unless you… you know… do it with someone. You need another person’s energy to return to normal.”

At the same time, Gregory’s frantic words from in front of the library resurfaced:

“Is that all you heard? Did you only misunderstand that part?”

Back then, Tilia had brushed it off, not wanting to think too deeply. But now, she could clearly recall Gregory’s anxious expression, as though worried she might have overheard something crucial.

‘No way. That couldn’t be…’

Tilia halted in her tracks and shook her head, laughing bitterly.

Not even Gregory would pull something like that, right? Besides, I only drank the water I brought from the dormitory today.

‘You’re being paranoid. There’s no way that’s possible.’

Tilia forced herself to laugh off the uneasiness and quickly walked toward the exit of the restroom. However, her steps began to slow as she approached the sunlit door.

No… something’s not right.

Her already hesitant steps grew heavier until, eventually, she couldn’t move forward anymore.

It can’t be…

Tilia clenched her fists tightly, her hands trembling before going limp.

Still, just in case…

Letting out a deep sigh from the depths of her chest, Tilia turned and opened the stall door, securing the lock behind her. With pale hands, she began unbuttoning her shirt.

Her fingers, trembling slightly, fumbled several times before she managed to lift her skirt.

And then she saw it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Tilia finally cursed aloud, something she had been holding back all day.

Her underwear was soaked.

It wasn’t the kind of dampness that could be mistaken for anything else. She hadn’t been interested in men, but she wasn’t naïve enough to misunderstand what her current state meant.

She had thought her heightened senses were just a side effect, but now that there was undeniable evidence, she had no choice but to accept the truth.

He must have drugged me.

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the clean, fragrant restroom floor, trembling.

In her mind, she could hear Judy’s voice:

“So don’t drink water carelessly. My brother says things have gotten pretty bad recently. You know how the social scene is filled with rich but low-class types, right? You never know what might be slipped into your drink. Don’t drink anything.”

When could it have happened? No matter how hard she tried to recall, she only remembered drinking the water she had brought herself.

Could Gregory have switched the bottle when I wasn’t looking? But how? And when?

Her thoughts became more chaotic as her head grew hotter, making it harder to think clearly. In place of reason, her emotions began to take over.

She felt anger. Sadness. No—more accurately, she felt utter devastation.

It was horrifying, humiliating, and hopeless to the point of choking her.

“I’m telling you, she’s the one. You could take her and just have your way with her without any consequences.”

Gregory Myers’ words, spoken so arrogantly in front of the restroom earlier, echoed in her head, making her feel even more victimized than ever.

If I had been born into a respectable noble family, would Gregory Myers have dared to pull something like this?

If I were Cecilia, or anyone else from the academy, would he still have done this to me?

The tears that burned hot against her cheeks felt lukewarm now as they rolled down her face.

Sitting on the pristine restroom floor, Tilia buried her face in her knees.

“I’ll kill him.”

But her time spent crying was short-lived. With an intense determination, Tilia lifted her head.

“How dare he… do something like this to me?”

Her emerald-green eyes, now soaked with tears, burned with a fiery rage.

“Does he think I’ll give up because of this?”

Wiping her face roughly, Tilia forced herself to her feet. Her thighs, still weak and trembling, barely held her up, but she dug her nails into her skin, willing herself to stand.

‘Just wait. I’ll be the one laughing in the end.’

Smack!

Tilia slapped her face hard, trying to clear her head. Revenge would come, of course. But now wasn’t the time to let her emotions overwhelm her. She had a more immediate problem to solve.

‘Think.’

Tilia bit down on her lip, desperately trying to come up with a solution.

Given the circumstances, it seemed certain that Gregory Myers had slipped her an overdose of that cursed holy water.

While she had no idea why he would do something like this before an exam, the thought of his dirty grin and the bulge in his pants left no room for doubt.

‘If I don’t do it with someone, I won’t be able to take the exam.’

There were about three and a half hours left until the exam.

Tilia took a deep breath and quickly came up with three possible solutions.

The first: inform the professor of her condition, visit the academy infirmary for treatment, and request a private exam.

But there was a problem. Exams taken under medical leave were only worth 80% of the original grade. Even if her condition was considered unavoidable, there was no guarantee they’d make an exception. And since Tilia needed to graduate this year, this option carried too much risk.

‘Then, the second option.’

Forcing herself to stay calm, Tilia considered the next plan.

Inform Judy of the situation and ask her to find a priest.

Judy, as the youngest daughter of the Wells family, would likely pull all her strings to bring a high-ranking priest to the academy. However, this plan also had its flaws. Even with Judy’s connections, there was no guarantee she could find a suitable priest in time. Moreover, Judy, in her concern, might alert the professors, leading to the same issue as the first option.

‘So, the second option may also lead to a retest.’

That left the third option.

Tilia bit her nails anxiously as she murmured her last possible plan.

Find someone to sleep with in the next three and a half hours.

According to Judy, the only way to counteract an overdose of holy water was to mix one’s energy with someone else’s. In other words, if she slept with someone, she could return to a state where she could take the exam.

‘But…’

Just like the other options, this one came with its own problems.

The first issue: she had no experience.

The second: even if she found someone, how could she be sure they’d be discreet enough not to cause trouble later?

‘Still, if I succeed, I’ll be able to take the exam.’

Biting her lip, Tilia reminded herself that this option, unlike the others, allowed for a backup plan. If she couldn’t find a suitable partner, she could always revert to the first or second options.

With her mind narrowing in on the decision, Tilia closed her eyes and reconsidered the third option’s flaws.

The first issue wasn’t a big deal. She could always fake experience if necessary. Even if her partner realized she was inexperienced, they probably wouldn’t mind. Most would likely find it more appealing than off-putting.

Smirking bitterly, Tilia turned her attention to the second issue.

‘Someone I could sleep with who wouldn’t cause trouble afterward…’

As long as it wasn’t Gregory Myers, it should be fine. She’d rather die than sleep with him.

Suppressing an inappropriate chuckle, Tilia listed the necessary conditions.

It had to be someone willing to agree to her outrageous request, someone surrounded by women who wouldn’t attach any special meaning to their encounter.

And, if possible, someone with a face better than Gregory’s.

Though the second condition—finding someone who had been with many women—felt distasteful, the other requirements seemed manageable.

Three and a half hours.

Tilia exhaled slowly, reminding herself of the limited time she had.

Her head spun as if her logic was slipping away, her breathing growing hotter, and the sensation of her damp underwear clinging to her skin only made it worse.

To be honest, Tilia wasn’t entirely convinced she hadn’t lost her mind. Was she really not just rationalizing her primal instincts?

Regardless, her plan was set, and she was determined to carry it out.

Tilia swallowed her parched throat and unlatched the restroom stall door.