A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 104

“Are you sure it’s really underwear? You didn’t buy something else, did you?”

“……”

“Just let me check once. It’s new anyway, so what’s the big deal?”

Ilex Davenport’s face looked as nonchalant as if he were just asking to see the lunch menu.

“It’s not like I’m asking you to show me something you’ve worn.”

But Tilia noticed.

“If it’s really that uncomfortable for you, I’ll show you mine too.”

She saw the sparkles in the man’s eyes, shining as if stars had been embedded in them with excitement.

“Come on, let’s see—ugh!”

The moment she realized what he was up to, Tilia, face flushed red, stormed toward him and kicked him hard in the shin.

“Why hit me—!”

“Get out.”

Still massaging his shin, the man couldn’t suppress the laughter spilling out. Tilia shouted at him with a voice trembling with fury.

“Get out of this room. Right now!”

“If you show me what you bought.”

“If you don’t leave right now, I’m not going with you today. I’ll just sleep here at the inn.”

At those resolute words, Ilex stopped pretending to be hurt, smacked his lips, and turned his back.

“Let me know if you need help packing.”

And without a hint of regret, he walked toward the door.

“Ah.”

But just before opening it, he turned back and whispered, “Don’t forget to bring the new underwear, too.”

Biting her lip at that, Tilia raised the bag in her hand, about to hurl it at him in her burning embarrassment.

But the next moment, she realized that if she threw it, the man at the door would snatch it up gleefully and run. So instead, she grabbed the fountain pen in her other hand and threw that.

“Tch, no effect.”

With a light snatch, Ilex caught the pen Tilia had thrown and smiled regretfully before stepping out.

Only when the door shut tightly did Tilia, face flushed with heat, toss the bag aside and collapse to the floor.

That bastard.

This is why she hated Ilex Davenport. He always had to play around on top of people’s heads. He could just let things go, but he always had to make sure she looked utterly embarrassed.

It felt like there was some curse that only humiliated her in front of this one man. Why did these things only happen when she was with him?

After cursing the thief who started this whole mess, then Ilex for bringing up the bag again, she ended up blaming herself for buying such a thing in the first place.

‘…Forget it. It’s water under the bridge now.’

But her grumbling didn’t last long. She had to deal with the tasks right in front of her.

‘First, I need to pack.’

Hoping Ilex had gotten too distracted by the thief to remember the trivial lingerie store, Tilia calmly began organizing her belongings.

Things were messy but nothing seemed to be missing. Most of what she packed were daily essentials, and nothing was particularly expensive.

‘Even the thief must’ve been disappointed.’

Thinking with slight self-mockery, she pushed her shoes and clothes back into the suitcase.

‘Books are intact, and so are the documents. Nothing seems to be missing…’

Maybe it was because someone was standing guard outside. Tilia, oddly calm for someone who’d just encountered a thief, suddenly stiffened as she remembered something and hurried to her worn suitcase.

Now that she thought about it, there was something she couldn’t afford to lose, even if it wasn’t expensive. Something she absolutely needed for proof.

“Haah…”

Tilia finally let out a breath of relief after confirming that the letters she had packed tightly inside a small box and hidden in the lingerie bag were still safe.

Thank goodness. These are safe too.

It seemed the thief had missed them since they were stashed deep in the handbag. The bag itself had been opened, but the box showed no sign of being touched.

‘Well, even if he knew it was there, why would he steal it?’

It was something valuable and important only to her, not something a thief would find worth taking. Just as that thought crossed her mind, Tilia noticed the pocket next to the suitcase.

‘…Why?’

She reached into the inner pocket and checked the contents, and her expression grew increasingly serious.

‘Why is this still here?’

What startled Tilia wasn’t that something had disappeared. It was the opposite—something hadn’t been taken. It looked completely untouched.

Why. Tilia couldn’t hide her confusion as she pulled out the money still stuck deep in the inner pocket.

‘Why didn’t the thief take this money that was sitting in plain sight?’

Given that they even rummaged through the lingerie bag, the thief must have seen the money in the pocket.

It wasn’t a small amount either. It was the living expenses for the next fifteen days after paying the inn fee.

So then why?

Muttering the same question over and over, Tilia double-checked the amount and bit her lip hard.

If it were just a petty thief, there’s no way they wouldn’t have taken the money. Unless they had another purpose for breaking in. Unless they were searching the room for something other than money.

Another purpose. Tilia froze in place like someone who had tripped over a thought she had stumbled upon without meaning to.

Then, as if to interrupt the flow of her thoughts, a light knock echoed in her ears.

“Tilia.”

Startled, she looked up to hear a familiar voice.

“Need help?”

Ilex’s voice from beyond the door was utterly calm. The firmness of it reminded her of the embrace from earlier, which had offered such comfort.

If she told Ilex about her suspicions, he would help right away. He would think through the motive of the thief with her and track down who the culprit might be.

“I’ll help you finish packing.”

“…No.”

But instead of asking for help, instead of mentioning that the thief might have had another motive, Tilia refused.

“It’s fine. I’m almost done.”

It was an instinctive response. The moment she sensed something strange, things she had previously taken for granted began to feel suspicious.

How had Ilex known there was a thief in this room? How had he managed to come to her rescue so quickly?

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him. It wasn’t that she doubted the sincerity of his intent to save her.

Still, a creeping sense of caution surged within her. Ilex, too, seemed to be hiding something from her.

From outside, unaware of her hardened expression, his voice came again, still casual.

“If I help, it’ll be done faster.”

“…I already finished sorting the underwear, so just wait patiently outside.”

At that, Ilex gave a soft laugh and obediently backed off. Tilia listened quietly to the sound of his retreating footsteps, then slowly rose to her feet.

Even as she resumed sorting her things, nothing appeared to be missing. The money was still there, and so were the few items that might have had any real value.

But the state of the room was another matter. Her luggage had been torn open and laid bare, as if someone had been frantically searching for something specific—not money.

After fastening the last buckle on her suitcase, Tilia stared tensely at the door, then strode toward it with determination and turned the knob.

Creak. The old inn door opened with a grating sound.

Beyond it, leaning against the wall across the hall, stood Ilex, looking toward her.

His face, dimly illuminated in the twilight of the corridor, was caught in a slant of light.

Tilia gazed at his beautifully lit face, shining faintly under the soft glow of the low-hanging lamp, as if looking at some exotic artifact for the first time.

She didn’t know how he had known exactly which room was hers. She didn’t know why a man dressed in plain clothes, likely one of House Davenport’s knights, had been at this inn.

But one thing she did know: that he had rushed in to save her was real. That the rapid, pounding heartbeat she felt against her back in his embrace was real.

And so, the one thing she could still believe in amidst her doubts and fears—was Ilex.

“Let’s go.”

He had been quietly watching her just as she had him, and now extended his hand with a graceful gesture.

“The servants will carry the luggage.”

Tilia looked at the outstretched hand with a moment of hesitation, then placed her hand in his as if coming to a decision.

“Okay.”

At last, their hands met. Ilex intertwined his fingers with hers, as if vowing never to let go, and gently pulled her toward him.

***

The annex of House Davenport, which she was returning to after three years, appeared even more grand than she remembered.

Having stepped out of the carriage holding the master’s hand, Tilia looked around the mansion with unfamiliar eyes.

Her gaze passed over the brightly lit garden and the far edge of a glass greenhouse before her cheeks flushed.

Memories from three years ago resurfaced.

‘Wait a minute. I’m still wearing the same underwear.’

While Tilia was panicking at the thought that her hastily bought lingerie might end up being meaningless, Ilex remained calm.

“I told them to move your luggage to the guest room.”

With that, he passed through the front gate and began ascending the steps at a leisurely pace. Tilia hesitated, unable to follow right away, and when she paused, he turned his head and looked at her.

“Tilia.”

He merely said her name, but there was no mistaking the urging in his tone.

After a moment of gazing at both him and the grand mansion behind him, Tilia finally stepped forward to join him.

The Duke, who had been watching her with narrowed eyes, finally let the tension in his expression fade and adjusted his stride to match hers.