A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 40

‘This… is the annex?’

Tilia struggled to maintain a composed expression as she gazed up at the grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

She had expected something like a small villa when she heard annex, but that assumption now seemed laughable. This building, standing apart from the main house, was even larger and more magnificent than the Ambrose mansion.

“This way, please.”

Tilia, who had been blankly staring at the sparkling crystals, turned her head at the gentle voice. She saw a maid with a flawless smile, as if she had been perfectly trained for this.

“I will guide you to the prepared bedroom.”

Tilia looked at the maid’s kind face and then subtly shifted her gaze sideways. She saw Ilex, standing rigid like an iron statue, briefly nod at the maid. The maid then turned gracefully and began ascending the stairs.

Tilia followed behind Ilex and the maid, climbing the staircase lined with antique portraits.

The maid, who walked silently, finally stopped in front of a door. Turning, she spoke in a soft voice, “Young Master, for the lady, shall I prepare…”

“No need.”

“Then, for the bath assistance…”

“That’s not needed either.”

Ilex, interrupting the polite maid each time, gave a cold warning.

“Until I call for you, do not enter. Ever.”

With that, the maid bowed deeply and retreated quickly.

“……”

Once the maid had left, the entire second floor became eerily silent, as if they had fallen into another dimension.

In that silence, the sound of Ilex opening the door echoed low and clear.

The way he opened the door for her was as courteous as if he were inviting her to a banquet. Although his lowered eyes held a savagery he could not fully conceal.

Pretending not to notice, Tilia walked through the door he had opened for her.

The room was softly lit and exuded luxury, reflecting its owner’s refined taste.

Tilia slowly moved forward, her gaze passing over the mahogany table by the window, the pale green curtains, the curved sofa opposite, and the bookshelf.

Her attention was caught by the large, curtained bed at the center of the room.

Click. She heard the door close.

All her senses focused on her back. Footsteps echoed as someone walked towards her, stopping just behind her—a presence radiating heat.

But maybe because it was the second time…

Tilia did not feel her heart pound as wildly, nor the sensation of blood draining from her limbs as she had before.

Just a little—just a tiny bit—she felt scared.

‘It’s okay. You’ve done this before.’

It’s nothing.

Tilia took a deep breath, erasing any sign of tension as she turned around with a calm face.

But the moment she turned her head…

Tilia knew instinctively. Tonight’s encounter would be nothing like the previous one.

Without realizing it, she took a step back. Until they entered this mansion, there had been a hint of rationality in Ilex’s demeanor, but now his eyes were completely clouded.

His gaze, murky and devoid of control, held no hint of restraint—only raw desire.

He noticed her slight trembling before she even did.

“Tilia.” His head tilted slightly as he asked, “Why are you trembling?”

You said yourself that you were affected by the holy water.

His cracked voice murmured as he slowly reached out. His hand—most likely unnaturally warm—reached for the hem of Tilia’s dress.

With tense eyes, Tilia watched his long fingers touch the lace near her thigh.

At first, his hand was careful, holding the lace delicately between his thumb and index finger, as if handling a fragile flower petal. But in the next moment, the cautious touch gave way to a possessive grasp.

The large hand, which had been caressing the soft silk, began to pull her skirt upward, like a spider drawing in its prey.

The touch, which had started as a small gesture, soon filled his hand completely with her skirt.

The soft fabric contrasted sharply with the veins bulging on the back of his hand as he lifted the hem higher.

Her worn shoes came into view, then her ankles, and just as her pale calves were about to be exposed…

“We should…”

Tilia spoke between rushed breaths, “…take a bath first.”

With those words, she stepped back, causing part of her skirt to slip from his grasp.

“…A bath?”

But Ilex looked dazed, as if drunk, his gaze still lingering on her exposed skin.

“…Why?”

“You said we couldn’t unless we were clean.”

“Me?”

Only then did Ilex’s gaze lift. He looked at her as if he didn’t understand what either of them was saying.

“When did I say that?”

“That time, in your dorm room!”

Tilia snapped, yanking the remaining part of her skirt from his hand. He instinctively tried to hold onto the soft silk slipping from his grasp, but his blurred gaze shifted to Tilia’s stern face.

“You definitely said it. That you couldn’t if we weren’t clean.”

“……”

“So, I won’t do it until I’m clean. I’m really uncomfortable right now.”

Ilex remained silent, simply staring at Tilia.

Under his steady gaze, Tilia unknowingly hid her sweaty hands behind her back.

The suggestion to bathe first was merely a stalling tactic. She wasn’t planning on running away. She wasn’t brave enough to sneak out of this enormous mansion while he was in such a state.

She just needed a moment—just a short moment to think. To understand why she had returned to him, why she had insisted on staying when he offered to let her go.

And if, in the meantime, Ilex Davenport could regain some composure, that would be even better. After all, as he had said, tonight might be too much for her to handle.

“I want to bathe. I really do.”

As she stubbornly repeated herself, Ilex suddenly sighed, covering his face with his large hand. He took a deep breath, his chest rising visibly, then gestured with his chin.

“The bathroom is that way. It should be ready.”

After exhaling roughly, he removed his hand from his face, avoiding her gaze.

“I’ll bathe somewhere else. Wait for me.”

There seemed to be a faint glimmer of rationality in his eyes again.

She couldn’t be sure, as he turned and left the room immediately after speaking.

Bang. The door closed loudly behind him.

The sudden noise made Tilia flinch, but she quickly composed herself and turned in the direction he had indicated.

As expected, the bathroom was opulently luxurious—enough to make her eyes widen.

At the far end of the bathroom stood a beautifully patterned granite bathtub, positioned before a large window. It seemed like the kind of place where one could enjoy the lush greenery on a fine day.

Tonight, however, the dark window simply reflected the bathroom like a mirror.

Huff. Tilia looked directly at her reflection in the black glass as she slowly undressed.

After removing the cumbersome dress George had insisted she wear, she saw a pale woman staring back at her—a woman whose appearance seemed out of place amidst the extravagant bathroom.

A naked woman with skin so pale it looked almost sickly.

Tilia glared at her reflection in the mirror-like window for a moment before striding towards the bathtub. She climbed into the beautifully tiled tub and quickly turned on the water.

Lukewarm water cascaded over her body. As she let the water wash over her, Tilia began to replay the events of the day.

First, she had gone to the social club to meet Brad Reynolds. After dealing with him as planned, she had run into Ilex Davenport while trying to leave, and during their escape, they had encountered Gregory Myers with a knife…

‘…No.’

Recalling the last sight of Gregory, lying in a pool of blood, Tilia bit her lip and shook her head slightly.

What came next was what mattered. Ilex had inhaled the vaporized holy water Gregory had brought.

If she remembered correctly, she had been the one to break the bottle while stepping back. He had ended up breathing it in because he had covered her nose and mouth.

Yes, that was it. That was all.

He had inhaled that maddening substance because of her, and so she bore some responsibility to help him.

Moreover, despite drinking the antidote, she too seemed affected by the potent holy water.

From the moment she saw Ilex’s eyes in the carriage, filled with a desire to lay her down right there, she had felt something.

That tickling sensation deep in her lower abdomen—it was the same feeling she had experienced when she drank the holy water.

Yes, that was why.

Murmuring to herself, Tilia turned off the tap. Now that she had sorted out her thoughts, her mind felt clearer.

The reason she had followed him was out of a sense of responsibility and a need to deal with her own rising desire. That was all. Nothing more.

Enough. With her reasoning solidified, Tilia turned to put on the gown the maid had prepared.

Creak. Just then, she heard the bathroom door slowly open with an eerie sound.