A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 54

The second exam topics were chosen from the eight core courses of the Academy’s first exam and four elective subjects.

Each topic was selected through multiple discussions to relate to current societal issues, and the problem was that the debate was entirely random in every way.

First, no one knew who would be on their team. Not only could they not predict the topic they would take, but also whether they would be on the affirmative or the opposing side.

Everything was decided on the day of the exam through a strictly impartial lottery.

In some ways, it was chillingly fair, and in others, it was terrifyingly unfair.

Since there was no way to predict whether luck would be on your side, if you wanted to pass, you had to be prepared for all potential topics.

But that was easier said than done. Covering all the vast theories learned over the past four years was no simple task.

Even if they were lucky enough to encounter a topic they had debated before, the outcome would still depend on whether they had practiced it from the affirmative or opposing viewpoint.

Ultimately, to pass with certainty, they needed to be well-versed enough to articulate their arguments clearly, regardless of which side they were on—an almost impossible feat.

In these cases, the most crucial skill was the ability to narrow down potential topics. If they couldn’t cover everything, they had to at least practice those most likely to come up.

Having debated even once could make all the difference when facing someone with no experience.

Knowing this well, Tilia looked at the man with a touch of envy.

Ilex Davenport would almost certainly rank first again in the second exam.

Unlike her, who, if things went badly, had to be prepared to fail.

“…So, do you, like, have a private tutor or something?” Tilia asked, her voice betraying the envy she couldn’t fully hide, while looking at Ilex, who was scanning her notebook.

She had heard before that high-ranking nobles who truly wanted their children to graduate from the Royal Academy hired private tutors for them ahead of their final exams.

Those expensive private tutors, hired secretly, were usually former or even current Academy professors.

“You seem to know a lot, so I just thought I’d ask.”

Realizing belatedly that Ilex wouldn’t give her a straight answer even if it were true, Tilia added, trying to recover.

“Well, even if you did, it wouldn’t just be you…”

“Haven’t you heard?”

In contrast to her hurried words, his reply was casual.

“The new dean, who replaced the old one because of a test-leaking scandal, is famously strict. I heard that as soon as he took office, he filed complaints against nobles who slyly tried to bribe him. Under such a strict dean, who would dare conduct secret tutoring?”

“Then…”

“As far as I know, there aren’t any graduating students receiving tutoring now. The new dean supposedly sent an official notice to both current and former professors. He stated that the Academy’s honor must never again be tarnished. If it happens again, he’d stake his deanship on finding the culprit.”

As he folded a corner of the notebook page, Ilex let out a small laugh. “He seems better suited to be a knight than a dean, but still. I suppose it’s good news for you.”

With that, Ilex went back to reviewing her notes, and Tilia silently watched him.

She had also heard about the new dean, who had been appointed last semester. Since it was unusual for the head of the Academy to be replaced over a scandal, the board had been especially picky in selecting a candidate, finally appointing a rigorous scholar.

But she hadn’t realized the new dean had gone to such lengths.

While she processed this unexpected information, Ilex handed back her notebook as if he had seen everything.

“Here, I’ve folded the corners of the pages with topics I think will come up.”

At his words, Tilia hastily took the notebook and opened it.

There were pages folded that made her think, ‘Really, this topic?’ But among them, there were also folded pages containing topics she herself thought likely to appear.

As she looked through her notebook, unaware of who was standing in front of her, she noticed Ilex watching her intently and looked up.

Why are you doing this for me? She wanted to ask, but she felt awkward given what she had already shown him.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to thank him. Her pride wouldn’t allow it.

Reading her wary gaze, while she still clung to the notebook with topics he’d marked, Ilex smirked. “You did a good job. Your notes are well-organized.”

Hearing those words, accompanied by his smooth smile, Tilia realized she hadn’t been the only one benefiting.

She had forgotten, distracted by the fact that the man before her had ranked first for four years, but in reality, you shouldn’t just let anyone see your summary notes.

For graduating students, study notes were more precious than life itself. Sometimes, they weren’t even shared among group members.

Yet she had foolishly let Ilex Davenport see the topics she had painstakingly selected, all while believing he was helping her.

Seeing her shoulders tremble with a sense of strange betrayal, Ilex laughed even louder.

Perhaps he sensed she was about to grab him by the collar, for he quickly took a step back.

“Study hard, Tilia.”

Leaving her with those words, like a teacher instructing a child, he quickly walked away.

The long strides that soon carried him out of the gaslight’s reach seemed almost cheerful.

Without realizing it, Tilia found herself watching his broad back retreat, but then, noticing the late hour, she hurried to turn away.

However, just before entering the dormitory, she turned her head once more in the direction where Ilex Davenport had disappeared.

Did he genuinely care about my list of topics?

Or, more importantly, why was he in front of the girls’ dormitory at such a late hour…?

With those confusing thoughts momentarily clouding her mind, Tilia stared at the path before decisively turning away.

It didn’t matter what his intentions were.

After all, he had nothing to do with her.

Resolving her questions with determination, Tilia entered the dormitory with no further hesitation.

***

The much-anticipated day of the new semester finally arrived. The graduating students moved busily between classrooms and the library, looking more tense than usual, and even professors showed some leniency toward the fourth-year students.

But a week later, Tilia sat at the far end of the large, fan-shaped lecture hall, with a wry smile instead of the intensity of an exam candidate.

The final semester’s curriculum differed slightly from the previous three years.

Unlike the usual tightly-packed schedules, the timetable for the graduating class’s second semester had more empty slots than classes, all of which were filled with preparation for the second exam.

For the final exam, five students would sit around a round table to debate. Consequently, the graduating students formed groups of five to practice debates together.

Since they had to cover many topics, group members spent more than seventy percent of their time together during the final semester.

Learning groups that determined graduation outcomes were formed based on benefit rather than familiarity.

No matter how close friends they were, no one wanted to include someone who had barely passed the previous exam in their study group.

No one wanted to fail at the last hurdle because of personal attachments.

In that sense, it was only natural that Tilia would receive numerous offers from others.

After all, she was the student who ranked second in every exam.

It was clear that she would take a leading role in the fierce competition for study partners.

But contrary to expectations, no study group formed for Tilia after the first day, the second day, or even after an entire week had passed.

After spending some time feeling bewildered, she finally realized why no one approached her, and why she had faced rejection after rejection.

It was Cecilia Clayton’s doing. There was no other explanation.

Everyone who turned her down had clearly been cautious of Cecilia.

With another bitter laugh, Tilia looked at the woman with the fiery red hair sitting below her.

Since entering the lecture hall, her gaze had always been fixed on one person.

Her cold-hearted, prospective fiancé, Ilex Davenport, who had never once returned her gaze.