A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 12

Tilia’s insides burned under that indifferent gaze.

The malice that had once filled her subsided, leaving only raw desire as her instincts began to rear their head.

Even though she stood in the shade, it felt as if she were directly under the sun, her breath quickening. It was as if desire was coursing through her veins, heating her body with a strange fever.

Hurry, hurry.

The urgent demand pounded in her head like a drum. Her instincts screamed out, craving something.

Give me an answer.

“Answer me. Will you do it, or not?”

Her body was already half out of her mind, as if pushed to the brink.

“Hurry up and answer. I need to make a decision.”

If Ilex Davenport wasn’t going to sleep with her, she had to find another man quickly, before she lost control completely and ran off to find the loathsome Gregory Myers.

Tilia clenched her fists tightly, struggling not to let go of the last thread of reason. Something wet fell between her fingers—whether it was sweat or blood, she couldn’t tell. Ilex’s eyes slowly followed the path of the liquid as it dripped to the ground.

‘I need to find someone else.’

At the very moment she decided to turn and walk away in haste, a low voice, as though spoken underwater, stopped her in her tracks.

“If I don’t sleep with you…”

His unexpected words grabbed her feet.

“…are you going to sleep with someone else?”

“What?”

Tilia stared at him in disbelief, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

“If I don’t do it, are you going to roll around with another bastard instead?”

No, she had heard him right.

Ilex Davenport stared at her with clouded, pale gray eyes, pressing her for an answer. His gaze resembled that of a snake eyeing its prey more than that of a man.

If I don’t sleep with you, are you going to sleep with someone else?

Tilia bit her red lips as she calculated how much time she had left—time that would no longer be enough to even salvage her already ruined undergarments.

“Yes.”

It didn’t take her long to reach her conclusion.

“I’ll roll around with another guy.”

Tilia answered matter-of-factly, meeting Ilex’s gaze. She watched as some emotion she couldn’t identify spread across his eyes.

“Is that so?”

His expression changed.

“Then I suppose we must sleep together.”

It was a smile she had never seen before. But the beautiful curve of his lips wasn’t kind; it was unsettling. No, not just unsettling—it was ominous.

As he slowly stood, her view was obstructed.

It wasn’t until Ilex stood in front of her that she realized how much taller he was than she had thought, and how much more imposing he felt.

“Sleep with me.”

Tilia instinctively took a step back, but Ilex grabbed her before she could retreat.

“I can’t just let another man benefit from this, can I?”

A shiver ran down the back of her neck, mixing fear with excitement. It was as though electricity shot through her fingertips, making them tremble. Standing before her, Ilex Davenport was bathed in sunlight, so bright she could hardly keep her eyes open.

In that dazzling light, he whispered, “I’ve wanted to sleep with you for a long time.”

***

Ilex Davenport’s room was different from the moment she stepped through the door. Tilia entered through a private entrance designed for him alone, trying her best not to show her nerves as she looked around. 

His room was larger than both the Ambrose family’s living room and reception room combined; it didn’t resemble a dormitory at all.

In the middle of the room was a bed draped with beautiful curtains, and on a mahogany table by the window, white paper and a pen were strewn about.

‘It’s like they just moved his room from his family home.’

Even while catching her breath, Tilia couldn’t help but glance around the room.

Suddenly, she heard the click of the door closing behind her, followed by the feeling of someone’s hot body standing close behind. Tilia tensed like a person with a wild beast at their back, her body stiffening as every hair stood on end.

That’s when it hit her.

She had come to this room to mix bodies with the man standing behind her. Now wasn’t the time to be casually admiring his room.

As she stood frozen in the entryway like a wooden doll, Ilex spoke, “What are you doing?”

The drowsy voice brushed her ear, and Tilia flinched as if someone had nibbled her earlobe. Ilex chuckled softly, his laugh reverberating low in the entryway.

“What’s wrong? Are you scared now that you’re actually here?”

His voice was as smooth as if it had been coated in oil.

“If you’re scared, just say so. I don’t have a hobby of sleeping with women who don’t want it.”

But Tilia wasn’t naive enough to miss the sharp barb hidden within his words.

So, he’s saying if I’m going to act like this, I should leave?

As much as she wanted to storm out, she couldn’t—not yet.

She had a goal she absolutely had to achieve.

She had to graduate. She had to reclaim her real life.

For that, Tilia was prepared to offer anything on the altar. Even if that meant mixing bodies with the man she had loathed for so long.

“…No way.”

Remembering her goal, Tilia steadied her voice and pretended to be nonchalant.

“I was just looking around the room.”

She prayed her bravado would work, that he would stay interested in her.

“Why? Did you want me to hate it?”

However, as she confidently turned her body toward him, Tilia found herself having to fight not to show her surprise.

They were much closer than she had realized.

She had almost buried her nose in Ilex’s firm chest, and now she had to stop herself from blinking rapidly as she took a deep breath. As she inhaled, she caught the scent of his cologne, and with her exhale, she felt the peculiar warmth radiating from his body.

“…If that’s what you’re into, I could play along. Want that?”

Tilia hastily stepped back, trying not to make it obvious. She could feel cold sweat running down her back, soaking into her already damp shirt.

At the same time, her breath started to quicken.

Was this holy water really meant to work on holy knights?

It felt like she was possessed by a very wicked, lustful demon.

What she really wanted was for him to look her over again. No, she wanted him to stare at her naked body. No, that wasn’t quite right. What she wanted, more than anything, was for him to lose control and… ravage her…

Tilia’s feverish eyes fixed on Ilex’s face once more.

“…Forget it.”

The man who had been smiling down at her was now wearing a cold, unreadable expression. His pale gray eyes were devoid of warmth, in stark contrast to her burning body.

Yet despite his indifference, Tilia’s breathing only grew hotter.

“I’m not into that kind of thing.”

Ilex’s detached voice cut through the air as his gaze dropped lower.

His cool eyes traveled over Tilia’s sweat-soaked neck, collarbone, and heaving chest before lifting back up. The brazen gaze sent a chill down her spine.

In truth, it was a miracle she had made it this far.

Several times while following Ilex here, Tilia had nearly collapsed, almost begging him to relieve her right there. But now she was certain that the effects of the drug hadn’t fully kicked in until this very moment. The sensation that blurred her vision was entirely new. The desire to touch his body was now beyond her control.

‘It’s so hot.’

Her desire-stricken mind commanded only one action.

She didn’t know exactly what position or movement it was asking for, but the command was clear.

Staring into his lowered eyes, Tilia lifted her hand to her neck.

‘I want to take it off.’

Her fingers reached for the button she had fastened this morning, now slick with sweat.

The smooth button now felt like a suffocating shackle around her neck.

Overcome by the fever, Tilia couldn’t resist and popped the first button open.

At that moment, she wasn’t sure if it was her vision or his pale gray eyes that wavered.

“Alright, go ahead.”

Ilex’s hand suddenly touched her shoulder.

Tilia inhaled sharply as his large hand made contact with her overly sensitive body.

But it wasn’t because his touch was suggestive or because her body was craving stimulation. It was because of the temperature of his hand.

Ilex Davenport’s hand was unnaturally hot, like it was burning. Given that her own body was already suffering from a fever, the heat of his hand was definitely not normal. It was as if he had just run across the entire academy grounds at full speed.

“But before that.”

Before Tilia could fully comprehend the situation, Ilex turned her body around.

“You need to wash up first.”

Before she knew what was happening, she was being ushered into the room.

Staring blankly at the elegant door, she watched as his long arm reached past her. The brass door handle turned with a click, and the door swung open.

“I don’t sleep with people who aren’t clean.”

With those words, he gave her a push inside.

She spun around in shock, her face showing her bewilderment, but the door had already closed firmly behind her.

“The towels are in the cabinet above the sink. Wash up and come out. I’ll wash somewhere else and be back.”

With those firm words, his presence quickly disappeared from in front of the bathroom. Shortly after, the sound of the front door closing with a thud echoed throughout the room.