A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 36

‘I knew this would happen.’

Tilia looked down at the man writhing on the floor with an indifferent expression.

It was a good thing she had quickly switched the cups while he went to draw the curtain.

Even though she had taken the antidote Judy gave her, it would have still been dangerous if the poison was strong enough to knock out a man of his size.

‘Men are all the same. They only have one thing in their heads.’

Tilia poured the tea over his lower body—the tea that had been in the cup she had pretended to drink earlier.

‘Leaving things as they are would be a shame…’

With a carefree expression, Tilia rummaged through her bag and pulled out a red pen she had prepared in advance. Then, in thick letters, she wrote a word on his forehead—one that he might have secretly desired.

‘Male whore.’

Tilia chuckled as she put the pen away.

‘This will be a good experience for you.’

According to her research two days ago, this secret club was known for attracting people with particularly unusual fetishes.

If she left him like this, men who were into such plays would surely gather around.

An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

Having finished her work, Tilia calmly packed her bag and left the room.

Of course, she left the door wide open so the perverts could find their way in.

***

It was definitely a members-only club. Though the security was strict at the entrance, the inside was relatively free. Because of that, she had let her guard down, and now she was struggling to find the exit in this maze-like space.

‘Where am I supposed to go?’

Tilia sighed, staring at yet another door at the end of the long hallway. This was the fifth one she had encountered.

‘I just want to get home.’

The place was crawling with strange people. Just the thought of possibly running into another pervert made her head ache as she walked, her nerves on edge.

‘If this isn’t the way, maybe I should find a waiter or something…’

Tilia, looking tired, was about to open the door with the elegant engraving when she sensed someone standing in the dark corner of the room.

Startled, she tried to step back, but it was too late.

“Mmph!”

A strong hand covered her mouth, and her body was quickly restrained.

She struggled in fear, but the man did not budge. It felt like she was fighting against a solid rock.

The overwhelming difference in strength filled her with fear.

“Stay still.”

A familiar voice whispered in her ear, as Tilia turned pale from fright.

“I’ll let go if you promise not to scream.”

As that deep voice reached her ears, Tilia finally began to recognize the man standing behind her.

A familiar scent. A firm body she had touched before. And that unusually high body temperature…

Slowly turning her head, she saw a man she knew well. It was Ilex Davenport.

‘Why is he here…?’

Tilia looked at him in shock, then narrowed her eyes. Whether he had been running or something else had happened, his face looked inexplicably urgent.

Tilia eyed him with suspicion, then shook her head, signaling for him to let her go.

“Stay quiet. Can you promise that?”

Locking eyes with him, Tilia slowly nodded.

After a moment’s hesitation, the warm hand left her mouth, and the arm that had restrained her finally let go.

“What are you doing?”

The moment he released her, Tilia moved away as fast as a beast escaping a trap, glaring at him warily.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Let’s go first.”

Ilex grabbed Tilia’s wrist and tried to head toward the opposite door.

But Tilia had no intention of following him obediently. She roughly shook off Ilex’s arm and spoke sharply, “Why should I follow you?”

Unlike the sharpness in her voice, Ilex’s expression was anxious.

“I’ll explain as we go. There’s no time.”

“No. Explain now.”

“There’s a dangerous person here. I’ll explain the rest on the way…”

“Right. The dangerous person is standing right in front of me.”

At her cold tone, Ilex, who had been looking at the door, turned his head. Tilia met his eyes head-on, refusing to back down.

“How can I trust you?”

You’re just like the other men here—you only care about my body, making ridiculous demands.

Ha.

Ilex let out a hollow laugh, as if realizing how she saw him. He glanced to the side for a moment before turning back to her.

“Gregory Myers has escaped.”

“…Gregory?”

“Yes. By the time the holy knights got there, the window had already been torn out. The problem is, that bastard took the jewels with him. And in a place like this, money can buy you anything.”

“Wait.”

Tilia frowned, struggling to follow the story, and looked at Ilex. “What does Gregory escaping have to do with me?”

Ilex looked down at her with a complicated expression. “That bastard probably thinks you were the one who reported him.”

“What? Why would I?”

“Does that explain it? We don’t have time to waste.”

“Explain what?!”

Despite her protest, Tilia let herself be pulled along by him, unlike before.

“Why would he think I reported him? That makes no sense. I didn’t do anything!”

Of course, she kept asking questions to try to understand the situation.

“And how would Gregory even know I was here?”

“That damn Brad Reynolds spread the word that he was meeting you here. Gregory must have heard it too.”

“So you’re saying Gregory is here, trying to kill me?”

Ilex gave no answer, only quickening his pace. Tilia struggled to keep up, trying to process what he was saying.

Is Gregory really in here? To get revenge on me? But why? I wasn’t the one who reported him.

Tilia looked at Ilex, who was holding her wrist, her eyes filled with confusion.

He seemed to know the place inside out. When he opened another door to reveal a hidden room, he showed no hesitation as he pushed aside a bookshelf in the corner, revealing a concealed door.

“If we go a little further, we’ll reach the exit. There’s a carriage waiting outside. You can take it and leave.”

“……”

Watching Ilex find the exit so quickly made Tilia feel a surge of suspicion.

Where exactly was this prepared carriage going?

Tilia watched Ilex move forward without hesitation, then spoke up abruptly.

“Ilex, how do you know all this?”

Once again, there was no answer. He just moved toward another hidden exit and into another corridor.

Tilia’s eyes narrowed.

‘Can I trust him?’

Ilex Davenport was one of the most suspicious people she knew. And judging by the things he had said to her, the rumors about him were likely true.

“Ilex Davenport.”

Suddenly, Tilia dug in her heels, refusing to move.

“Why aren’t you answering me?”

At her resistance, he finally turned his head to look at her.

His gaze met hers—those determined green eyes demanding an answer—and he let out a small sigh.

“Three days ago, when George Ambrose was running his mouth at the bookstore.”

“……”

“Since then, I had a feeling something might happen, so I investigated. I was already keeping tabs on Gregory Myers, just in case.”

Ilex’s expression was calm as he spoke, but Tilia’s doubts remained.

“Why would you investigate that?”

Her tone was icy, almost emotionless.

“Why are you so concerned about me, anyway?”

“……”

Ilex paused, one hand still on the door leading to the exit, and hesitated as if uncertain.

His thumb unconsciously stroked the soft inside of Tilia’s wrist. She glanced down, noticing his hand on her wrist.

The sensation of his fingers on her skin was strangely unfamiliar. It felt like a small insect was crawling beneath her skin, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that it might someday burrow deeper.

Feeling a sudden, inexplicable unease, Tilia sharply pulled her hand away.

As she raised her eyes to demand an answer, she noticed something unusual. Beyond the door, something was rushing toward them.

At first, she thought it was a scarecrow. But as it grew closer, she realized it was no ordinary dummy stuffed with straw. It had eyes—living eyes filled with murderous intent, glaring at them from beneath ragged cloth.

‘I’ve seen eyes like that somewhere before…’

Ah. An all-too-familiar name flashed through Tilia’s mind.

Yes, Gregory Myers. It was him.

The moment she recognized him, she also noticed the object in his hand.

A glowing blue sword.

Gregory, looking far worse than when they had been in the academy, was charging at them, weapon in hand.