A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 59

The moment Tilia realized that the man in front of her was neither a hallucination nor a mere figment of her imagination, she instinctively furrowed her brow.

Why is he here?

Before she could fully block her view by hastily drawing the curtain in annoyance, the man standing at the bottom of the dormitory stairs whispered again.

‘If you don’t come down…’

Unable to avert her gaze from his lips moving in the darkness, Tilia fiercely drew the curtains shut as soon as his words trailed off.

However, in the next moment, her shadow hesitated briefly, then abruptly stood up from her chair. She stormed out of the room, her footsteps heavy and loud.

The man, who had been watching her seemingly furious silhouette, let out a small laugh—a surprisingly gentle smile that Tilia, stomping angrily down the stairs, could not see.

***

“Are you satisfied now?”

Tilia glared at Ilex Davenport, her displeasure clear on her face.

“Don’t even think about shouting my name. Get out of here.”

But unlike the woman who had been lured outside, the man looking at her was as relaxed as ever.

“You’re dressed lightly.”

“Why are you here in the first place?”

“You wouldn’t take it even if I offered you my jacket.”

“Ilex Davenport. Why are you here?”

“Don’t go if Mackenzie Fitz calls you.”

Tilia’s face, barely managing to hold back her irritation, finally turned cold as the conversation kept going astray.

“He’s trouble. Avoid getting involved with him as much as possible.”

Ignoring her reaction, Ilex continued, “Honestly, I’d like to kick him out of the study group, but I can’t do that.”

Ha. At those words, Tilia could no longer contain herself and let out a scoff.

Of all people, he was the one to say that.

“Are you introducing yourself or something?”

“Me? You think I’m trouble?”

The man raised his eyebrows as if he’d just heard an absurd accusation.

“When have I ever acted like trouble to you?”

Tilia, who was about to snap back, barely held back her words.

The moment she opened her mouth, she knew the situation would turn against her. Bringing up what had happened in bed was exactly the direction he wanted the conversation to take.

Ilex seemed to realize why Tilia kept her lips sealed, and he let out a short laugh.

“You were studying, weren’t you?”

His casual tone, as if her anger didn’t bother him in the slightest, made Tilia’s eyes flash with anger. The way he acted, as if he knew her well, only added fuel to her simmering frustration.

“Why?”

What annoyed her most was that she had indeed been studying, just as he had guessed.

Feeling as though her most hated adversary had read her mind, Tilia lashed out in annoyance.

“Have you put a spy in my room now?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

Despite her sharp reaction, the man, cloaked in an almost steely calmness, replied nonchalantly, “You had ink stains on your hand.”

“……”

“You must have been drafting an outline. I was doing the same.”

The warmth in his voice, which almost sounded friendly, drained the strength from her shoulders.

It was always like this whenever she began a conversation with Ilex Davenport.

While she found herself entangled, trembling with emotion, he acted as though her visible agitation was nothing more than hypersensitivity.

As she realized the repeated pattern, she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion.

‘…I’m tired.’

She didn’t have the time for such quarrels. It was a waste of energy.

“You came all this way just to say something so trivial…”

Just as she was about to end the conversation and turn away—

“So, about that person…. told me…”

Not far away, she heard a young, excited voice.

Turning her head, she saw a silhouette of a man and a woman climbing the hill, shoulder to shoulder.

And they weren’t the only pair. Behind them, she noticed more couples climbing the hill toward the women’s dormitory, clinging together similarly.

They were campus couples, all lingering near the dormitory, reluctant to part ways.

It was only after seeing them that Tilia realized it—the area in front of the women’s dormitory, situated at the far end of the academy grounds, was bustling with people gathering at night to see their loved ones off.

And to those lovestruck couples, Tilia and Ilex Davenport, standing alone together, must have looked just like them.

No, this won’t do.

Tilia’s expression turned anxious the moment that realization hit her.

No one could find out she had stood in front of the women’s dormitory with this man at night. Rumors about her and him were already rampant; she couldn’t add more fuel to the fire.

Letters persistently demanding investments from her father, who would chase her all the way to the academy dormitory, were the least of her worries.

The biggest threat was Cecilia Clayton—unpredictable and volatile.

“…Why?”

Seeing Tilia looking at him in dismay, Ilex lowered his voice slightly and asked, “Do you have something to say?”

Last week, Cecilia Clayton, upon learning that Ilex Davenport had joined Tilia’s study group, had come to her classroom from another lecture hall just to glare at her for a long time.

Tilia had pretended it was nothing, but deep down, she couldn’t shake off the unease. Especially when she thought of her roommate, who knew nothing and slept peacefully in their shared room.

Cecilia Clayton’s rage, driven by what seemed like an irrational fury, might stop at nothing.

When her thoughts reached that point, Tilia instinctively grabbed Ilex’s arm. She felt his body stiffen in response to her sudden touch, but she had no time to care.

“Just go.”

Pulling him along roughly, Tilia whispered urgently. His oddly tense voice reached her.

“Where to?”

“Anywhere. Somewhere dark.”

“…Why?”

His voice, sounding slightly husky, slowly scratched at her ear.

“…Why do you want to go somewhere dark?”

“Are you seriously asking?”

In contrast to his calm demeanor, Tilia’s voice was sharp and impatient as she pulled at the man who refused to budge.

“People are coming. If they see you and me alone at this hour, do you think the rumors will be any less filthy?”

At her frustrated words, Ilex’s previously relaxed expression hardened. But Tilia was too preoccupied to notice his changing expression.

By now, the couples had approached close enough for their faces to be visible. Tilia bit her lip, unconsciously tightening her grip on his arm.

No one can see us. If rumors spread, Father might come to the academy dormitory to pressure me for investments…

While she stood frozen with a pale face, she suddenly heard a sigh from above. Surprised, she looked up, only to find a warm jacket draped over her shoulders.

“Let’s go.”

He gently removed Tilia’s grip on his arm and intertwined their fingers. Tilia, wide-eyed at the warmth of his hand, let herself be led as he spoke indifferently.

“I know a secluded spot where no one will be around.”

***

Once she regained her composure, Tilia’s first action was to harshly pull her hand away from Ilex’s. Her next action was to remove the jacket he had placed on her shoulders.

“I don’t need this. Take it back.”

Once she confirmed no one was around, Tilia handed the jacket back to him, her voice cold.

“Just wear it yourself.”

“You’ll catch a cold. Keep it on.”

“If you don’t take it, I’ll just throw it on the ground.”

Even at her words, Ilex simply stared at her in silence.

What, does he think I won’t do it?

With a cynical smile, Tilia loosened her grip on the jacket.

With a soft thud, the expensive jacket fell onto the dirty ground.

But its owner didn’t even glance at the now-soiled jacket. Instead, he simply looked at Tilia briefly before slowly walking away, like an indifferent landlord leaving his property.

“If you take that path, you’ll find the back entrance used by the dormitory supervisors. If you go that way, you can enter the women’s dormitory through the rear door without being seen.”

Tilia was taken aback by his unexpected reaction. She blinked at the expensive, custom-made jacket discarded like trash.

“You’d better hurry. Soon, this place will be overrun with couples doing things they wouldn’t want others to see.”

Ilex spoke without any hint of attachment in his voice. However, unlike him, Tilia, who had thrown the jacket, couldn’t move.

If this place was indeed a secret lovers’ meeting spot, wasn’t that all the more reason to take the jacket with her?

But if someone saw the name sewn into it, they would surely spread terrible rumors…

“If you want rumors about you and me, stay there. I could hold your hand all night if you want.”

But with his words, she turned without further thought.

Whether rumors spread or not, it didn’t matter. Her reputation was already tarnished; it couldn’t get much worse.

As Tilia approached, hiding her hands behind her back indifferently, Ilex gave a small smile and began walking again.