A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 37

“Ilex…!”

Tilia, realizing the situation, quickly tried to pull Ilex toward her.

But he moved first. Before she could even properly pronounce his name, Ilex pushed her behind him and stepped toward the approaching man.

Gregory, wielding a sword and charging like a madman, unfortunately never even got close to Tilia.

“Ugh!”

Ilex’s long leg mercilessly struck Gregory’s chest.

The sword and an unidentified glass bottle slipped from Gregory’s hand as he fell. Ilex swiftly kicked them out of Gregory’s reach, then stomped on Gregory as he tried to get up.

“If you’d let yourself be captured quietly, you wouldn’t be in this state.”

“Ugh…”

With an expression devoid of any emotion, Ilex ground Gregory’s head under his shoe as he spoke, “Didn’t find my warning scary enough, huh?”

As if realizing something, Gregory’s eyes turned to Ilex.

“It… it was you?”

His voice was distorted under the pressure of Ilex’s shoe, but he shouted in rage.

“Since when have you… been involved with Tilia Ambrose…?!”

However, his words went unfinished, as another kick was delivered.

Ilex, his expression one of boredom, began repeatedly kicking Gregory’s stomach. With his hands casually in his pockets, he focused on smashing Gregory’s face. His demeanor showed no warmth.

Under his feet, Gregory’s body crumpled like dough.

And behind this scene, Tilia stood with a face as white as a bleached sheet.

Truthfully, Tilia had somewhat underestimated Ilex until now.

He wasn’t overly generous, but he smiled often enough in front of her. And although he pretended otherwise, he had always shown her a gentle attitude.

But now, seeing him brutally beat someone before her eyes, she realized.

He was not someone she could take lightly. Foolishly, Tilia had only just begun to see Ilex as an ordinary man.

A man capable of violence, just like anyone else.

The dull thud of blows brought back memories she’d long buried. Just like Gregory now, she had once been powerless and forced to endure those beatings.

“Father, please… Please save Mother. Mother… she’s…”

No matter how much her swollen hands begged, all she received was cruel beatings.

“Shut up! Shut your damn mouth!”

The terrible past that she thought she had forgotten surged into her mind.

Her stomach, which had long stopped feeling pain, began to twist in agony. Her hands, much stronger now than they were back then, trembled as if they were about to be stomped on again.

‘I need to run away.’

Her stunted subconscious whispered to her.

‘You don’t want to get hit. Run away, quickly.’

As if following the voice, Tilia’s feet began to step backward.

He’ll come after me next. If he beats me like that, I’ll surely be left with permanent damage.

Caught in the throes of her trauma, Tilia was barely in her right mind.

‘I need to get out. Quickly…’

But she had barely taken three steps away from the scene of brutal violence when—

Crunch.

There was a shattering sound under her heel.

Quickly turning her head, she saw that the glass bottle, which had originally been in Gregory’s hand, was now completely smashed.

And from it, white smoke began to rise. In an instant, the white smoke enveloped the floor and began creeping up her legs.

‘What is this?’

Tilia stared at the smoke moving like a sentient being when she heard her name being called.

“Tilia!”

Looking up, she saw Ilex approaching her with a terrifying expression.

Blood—clearly not his own—was smeared on his face. That terrifying face overlapped with the memory of her father’s.

No.

She tried to turn her back to him quickly, but it was already too late. She watched, as if in slow motion, as the massive hand reached for her.

The large, thick-boned hand looked like a monster emerging from the sea. It seemed ready to grab her by the hair or strangle her at any moment.

Gasp.

Just as she had feared, the large hand clamped over Tilia’s mouth. Ilex covered her mouth and nose firmly, whispering in her ear.

“Don’t breathe.”

It wasn’t difficult at all. She hadn’t been breathing properly for quite some time.

“Damn it.”

At his soft curse, Tilia’s already trembling body shook even more.

“It’s concentrated holy water in vapor form. No matter how suffocated you feel, don’t breathe. And keep your eyes closed, just in case.”

Shuddering like an animal being led to slaughter, Tilia’s ears perked up at the unfamiliar word.

‘Holy water?’

“Are you really scared?”

Ilex, noticing her abnormal state, spoke with a voice tinged with concern as he gently stroked her back. But Tilia was too focused on deciphering his words to notice his actions.

‘Holy water? Holy water, really?’

With her eyes filled with tears, she looked down. Amidst the cloudy floor, a shard of glass glinted.

“Damn bastard… annoying even until the very end…”

With a murderous glare, Ilex stared at Gregory, who was already beaten to a pulp, before turning his gaze to Tilia, who was still in his arms.

The once frightening blue-gray eyes were now filled with worry.

“Let’s get out of here first.”

With one hand still covering Tilia’s mouth, the other cupping the back of her head, Ilex guided her to the exit.

Practically held in Ilex’s arms, Tilia watched the ground with confused eyes. Though she’d managed to snap out of her panic, she couldn’t understand the situation.

‘Why?’

Only questions filled her mind. Raising her gaze slightly, she saw Ilex’s desperate face as he searched for the exit.

‘Why on earth?’

Unknowingly, Tilia bit her lip as she lowered her gaze.

Right beside her ear, beyond his chest, she could hear his heart pounding violently.

For some reason, it felt inexplicably strange, and Tilia couldn’t stop biting her lip.

***

Bang. With a loud noise, the door to the outside finally opened.

The hand over her mouth was released.

Cough.

The cold early morning air rushed deep into her lungs.

“Breathe slowly and deeply.”

Ilex spoke as he gently rubbed Tilia’s back while she gasped for air.

“You’re safe now. Breathe slowly.”

Why was it? The comforting gesture gave her an odd sense of solace.

Honestly, she could have endured it. If she were alone, she would have gritted her teeth and managed to get through. But Tilia finally gave up, sinking to the ground right there.

Ilex, seemingly startled, quickly scooped her up.

“Are you alright?”

Only after they had reached a bench far from the site of the incident did Ilex put her down and carefully check on her.

As her trembling gradually subsided, Tilia noticed the large hand of Ilex.

“You can use it however you want, it’s just a handkerchief to throw away anyway.”

In that clean hand was a white handkerchief embroidered with delicate patterns. Seeing him, the situation finally started to make sense.

The hand she thought would strangle her had, in fact, moved to protect her. The touch she thought would kill her had instead been to save her.

He had been right. Ilex Davenport truly meant to help her.

The moment he saw her, he tried to lead her away, and the moment he saw the smoke, he had covered her nose and mouth.

Now, he was even offering her a brand-new handkerchief.

Everything had been for her.

“……”

The words of gratitude hovered at the tip of her tongue. But the question marks that still lingered in her mind stubbornly held those words back.

Why?

Why are you being so kind to me?

As she hesitated, caught between confusion and gratitude, staring at the handkerchief, something fell onto her lap.

Tilia looked up to see Ilex, who had stepped away from the bench.

“Wait here. The carriage will be here soon.”

Standing about four steps away, Ilex stared grimly into the distance.

Why was he suddenly reacting like this? With curiosity in her eyes, Tilia watched him cautiously.

Just as she thought he seemed anxious, the events from the basement replayed in her mind.

Gregory had brought a vial containing vaporized holy water, which had shattered.

When the vapor filled the space, unlike her, Ilex’s airways had been exposed to it. His hands had been busy covering her nose and mouth.

‘Then…’

Realizing the obvious fact belatedly, Tilia’s eyes widened.

‘He inhaled all of that smoke?’

The thought made her unconsciously clench her hands, wrinkling the handkerchief.

If the substance Gregory had brought caused the same symptoms as the one she had taken before…

Then right now, Ilex…

Her emerald eyes nervously darted around before glancing at Ilex. She saw him take something out of his coat pocket.