A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 57

Tilia felt an inexplicable sense of danger as she looked into his blue-gray eyes.

The man stood in silence, seemingly waiting for something.

She knew. Now was the moment to ask him why he had sent those flowers. But an instinctive sense of danger prevented her from speaking.

She had an uncanny feeling. If she asked “why” right now, she would hear something irreversible. Her gut told her that it would be better to leave it buried and walk away.

“What difference does another rumor make?”

Sensing her hesitation, Ilex suddenly spoke with a sneer.

“Just accept it. It won’t harm you. As you said, I’m the top student, so I can be a big help for your graduation.”

“…I can do it without you.”

“Don’t let your pride get in the way.”

He sharply replied to Tilia’s belated response.

“You desperately want to graduate, don’t you, Tilia Ambrose? You want to make it happen no matter what.”

Ilex raised his hand, as if he could no longer hold back his frustration, while staring down at her resolutely.

Startled, Tilia tried to back away, but her back was against the wall.

Without warning, his firm fingers touched her lips. Only when his hot fingers made contact did Tilia realize that she had been nervously biting her lips.

Ilex, stopping her bad habit with his finger, let out a heated sigh and leaned closer.

Behind the building, in a deserted area, the strong sunset could not penetrate the dim corner where his shadow loomed over her, making the space even darker.

“So just pretend you don’t know.”

Even without touching, his closeness radiated heat that she could feel vividly as he whispered softly.

“After all…”

As his words trailed off, Tilia’s eyes widened.

But Ilex Davenport, without checking her expression, simply turned and left, as if his task was done.

It wasn’t until his broad footsteps faded completely into the distance that Tilia slumped against the wall, sliding down to sit.

Her trembling hand covered her mouth, her startled eyes reflecting her inner turmoil.

“After all…”

His low, haunting voice echoed in her ears once more.

“Once you pass the Ontaroan consulate exam and leave this country, it’ll all just be meaningless rumors.”

***

“Um, Tilia. You know…”

After the first study session ended, Judy had been circling around Tilia in the dormitory, looking for an opportunity, before finally asking, “So, um… could you tell me what your relationship with Ilex Davenport is?”

Hearing her friend’s question, Tilia swallowed the sigh that was about to escape and looked at her. Turning her head, she saw Judy’s hazel eyes glinting with curiosity.

“There’s nothing between us.”

Hearing Tilia’s straightforward response, Judy’s warm brown eyes showed a hint of disappointment.

Judy must have also heard the rumors—about Tilia and Ilex Davenport. About the flowers the second son of the Davenport family had sent, spreading throughout Arkansis high society.

Moreover, today Judy had seen her dragging him hastily to a deserted area.

Judy must have reached her limit, finally unable to resist asking what kind of relationship they had and what change of heart Tilia, who seemed to dislike him, might have had.

“I’m serious. I have no idea what he’s thinking, but I don’t have any thoughts about him. So there’s nothing between us.”

That was all Tilia could tell Judy. It was the unembellished truth. Though, admittedly, it was half of the truth, concealing secrets she didn’t want to reveal.

“…Alright.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Judy nodded, accepting Tilia’s plain statement.

“If you say so, then I guess that’s it.”

She answered brightly before sprawling out on the bed and muttering, “But anyway, does that mean Ilex Davenport is really joining our study group now?”

Judy seemed to change the subject on purpose, but Tilia couldn’t answer immediately and just stared out the window.

She wanted to say that she had decided to kick him out and keep the group to four, but she couldn’t.

She couldn’t carelessly remove a man who knew her secret from the study group.

To ensure he stayed silent, and to figure out his true intentions, she had to keep him in the group.

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“Wow.”

In response to her forcedly nonchalant answer, Judy let out an innocent exclamation.

“So, we have both the top and second-ranked students in our study group now? Awesome! I’m definitely going to pass!”

Seeing her friend stomp her feet in joy, Tilia’s hardened expression softened a little.

“Yeah, passing is almost certain. Though we’ll have more work to do.”

Judy’s cheerful face instantly turned glum at her words.

“Will Ilex Davenport also… study as intensely as you do?”

After some thought, Tilia remembered the topics he had chosen for her and nodded slowly.

“He may not do a lot, but when he does, he’ll do it thoroughly.”

“Ugh.”

Judy let out a groan, burying her face in her pillow, causing Tilia to laugh.

After murmuring to herself for a while about how “graduation never comes without pain,” Judy eventually stood up and grabbed a towel, casually speaking again.

“Tilia, you know? You’re my most precious friend.”

Hearing the sudden comment, Tilia, who was sitting at her desk organizing materials for tomorrow, turned her head.

Judy fiddled with the towel, glancing at Tilia as if gauging her reaction, before adding, “No matter what anyone says, I’m always on your side, Tilia.”

Hearing those words, Tilia blinked briefly at her friend before a smile bloomed on her face like a snowflake melting in her palm.

“Thank you, Judy. I feel the same way.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how I would have made it through this rough academy without you.”

Hearing the heartfelt words that Tilia, who often struggled with affection, managed to express, Judy seemed touched, her shoulders trembling slightly.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to say!”

Judy then rushed over to give Tilia a tight hug.

“Tilia, even after we graduate from the academy, let’s stay close friends.”

Judy smelled soft and warm, a scent that Tilia could never possess.

For a moment, Tilia felt like confessing everything to her sunny friend, but she managed to suppress her weakness, burying it deep inside.

“…Yeah, let’s do that.”

Judy didn’t notice the hesitation at the end of Tilia’s voice, filled with guilt, and spoke cheerfully.

“Promise me, okay?”

She hugged her friend once more before, rubbing her nose shyly, she announced she’d be off to wash up and rushed out of the room.

Only after her roommate left, leaving her alone in the room, did Tilia finally exhale the breath she had been holding and clutched her throbbing head.

‘How does he know?’

The fact that Ilex Davenport mentioned the Ontaroan consulate was a secret she hadn’t even told Judy.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her closest friend. If she told Judy, Judy would surely support her more sincerely than anyone else and diligently keep her secret.

But despite knowing she would receive encouragement and understanding, and despite feeling a sharp sense of guilt, Tilia had one reason for keeping this secret even from her only friend.

The dream of the consulate position was too dear to her to share with anyone else.

The dream of becoming a foreign consulate officer had been hers ever since she was first seen as a commodity to be sold by her father.

From that day, Tilia had never imagined a life where she didn’t go to Ontaroa. Or, more accurately, she couldn’t imagine it.

That thought alone made her feel like she was suffocating, as if she were in hell.

It was such a heavy dream, such a precious wish, that she couldn’t easily talk about it even to her only friend.

She was afraid her heart would grow weak. She was scared that her heart, bolstered by loving support, might crumble even just a little.

‘But how did he find out, Ilex Davenport…’

Unable to suppress her anxiety, Tilia bit her lip again.

Her lips, already sore from her sharp teeth, began to bleed, but despite the metallic taste, she couldn’t stop her bad habit. Instead, she stood up and began pacing.

Could it have been a mistake to reveal her interest in learning the Ontaroan language?

But even if he knew she was interested in the language, that alone wouldn’t directly link to her aspirations for the consulate position.

Suddenly, she remembered the official document George had stolen from her room.

Could he have told Ilex about finding that consulate document in her room?

‘…No.’

But Tilia quickly dismissed that thought.

There was no way. If George had known Ilex Davenport, he would have bragged about it to her without hesitation.

‘How, then, could he possibly know…’

Anxiously pacing her narrow room, Tilia kept biting her lips.

No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t figure it out.

How had Ilex Davenport discovered the secret she had kept so well?

Why had he insisted on joining her study group, despite knowing her secret?

It all remained shrouded in a fog of uncertainty.

The only thing she knew for sure was one thing.

He knew her well—far better than she had ever anticipated.

The asparagus, the breakfast on the table—perhaps none of it had been a coincidence.

With that thought, Tilia finally collapsed onto her bed.

Even though she was in her own room, where she should have felt most comfortable, she felt an uneasiness that made it hard to breathe, forcing her to take several deep breaths.