A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 6

‘So he was waiting for Cecilia,’ Tilia thought, finally understanding why Ilex had turned his head. She observed him closely, noticing that the nape of his neck had turned slightly red, as if his face had flushed.

Although she had heard rumors about their supposedly meaningful relationship, she hadn’t realized it was close enough for him to blush.

‘Wait, did she say she came to pick him up? So he wasn’t studying after all?’

Even as Tilia tried to make sense of why Ilex had been near the library, Cecilia approached, prompting Tilia to quickly turn around. She had no interest in being the third wheel or becoming a witness to their secret rendezvous. The last thing she wanted was for Cecilia to subtly request her silence.

“Were you waiting long? You must have been cold… Oh, Tilia!”

But Cecilia was faster.

Startled to see Tilia hadn’t yet left, Cecilia, who had hurried over to Ilex, greeted her with a surprised voice.

Great eyes, as always.

Suppressing a sigh, Tilia turned back fully, plastering a forced smile on her face. “Hello, Cecilia.”

Cecilia, awkwardly rolling her eyes, stepped slightly away from Ilex.

“Were you coming from the library, Tilia?”

“Yeah, you too?”

“No, I just left the student council room. I was studying there.”

After the brief and awkward exchange, Tilia quickly waved her hand and hurried down the stairs.

“Alright then, I’ll head off. Keep studying hard.”

Once discovered, the best option was to make a swift exit.

‘Damn it.’

But Tilia had forgotten where they were headed.

The Arkansis Royal Academy was an old, prestigious institution with a dormitory system. Even though the dorms were separate, the women’s dormitories, where both Cecilia and Tilia lived, were located near each other.

‘This is the worst.’

Grumbling to herself, Tilia sighed in frustration as she found herself walking with Ilex and Cecilia trailing behind her.

No matter how quickly she walked, the distance between her and the couple enjoying their little secret didn’t seem to change.

“Did you get much studying done?”

But the worst part was only beginning.

“You should have told me it was cold before coming out.”

The private couple’s conversation started drifting to her ears from behind, even though they were keeping a slight distance.

Ilex, perhaps uncomfortable with Tilia walking ahead of them, remained silent. At least he could have said something to keep Cecilia from feeling awkward.

Contrary to Tilia’s concern, however, Cecilia seemed perfectly happy, her voice brimming with excitement.

“I’m so worried. The pass rate for the graduation exam is less than 30%. I’m terrified I’ll mess up the first round.”

Tilia tried her best to tune out Cecilia’s words, staring off in another direction.

“Oh, but you’re not worried, are you, Ilex? You’ve never failed to take first place, not even once. Tell me, what’s your secret? You barely even study, and you skip classes so often.”

But this time, Tilia couldn’t help pricking her ears.

A secret. If there was some secret to his grades, Tilia, more than anyone, was desperate to know it.

What could it be? Maybe he studies in secret? Or is it top-grade holy water?

Walking slower now, she focused all her attention on the conversation behind her.

Still, no response from Ilex.

“Well, I guess that was a silly question. There’s only one answer, isn’t there?”

Cecilia’s voice sounded deflated, with a hint of laughter.

“The real answer is, you were just born that way, right? Because you’re a genius?”

Tch. Tilia kicked a small stone lying in her path, pouting her lips.

“Does it feel good to be called a genius?”

Behind her, Cecilia’s laughter echoed. Judging by the tone, Ilex was probably smiling too.

Good for them.

Tilia straightened her steps, trying not to let her bitterness show.

“You really are a genius, though. I’ll never forget the day you entered the academy as the top student.”

Tilia lowered her eyes at Cecilia’s words, which struck like a sharp arrow.

Cecilia wasn’t the only one who hadn’t forgotten that day.

“You were so impressive. Tell me the truth, you came in late on purpose, didn’t you?”

Tilia’s lashes trembled as memories from that day flashed before her eyes.

Her stomach and thighs throbbed from where she had been struck with a cane. Perhaps she should be grateful they’d chosen to hit her where the marks wouldn’t show, considering it was the academy’s entrance ceremony. Or maybe it was just another sign of their insincerity, hitting her to save face.

With a blank expression, Tilia clenched and unclenched her fists. Unlike physical pain, the unfamiliar feeling of psychological loss seeped out of her like sweat.

There was no special appointment letter for the runner-up at the entrance ceremony of the Arkansis Royal Academy. That honor was reserved solely for the top student.

“Student representative, enter!”

As the white-haired man standing at the podium shouted, the crowd turned expectant eyes toward the entrance. Even Tilia, her green eyes dark with disappointment, scanned the surroundings, searching for the person who would soon emerge.

“Student representative…?”

But no one came forward. The headmaster’s voice, sounding confused, began to waver. Murmurs rose among the crowd, and in the distance, it seemed like someone had been sent to search for the missing representative.

“Why aren’t they coming out? I was looking forward to this.”

“Do you know who the top student is this year?”

“Haven’t you heard?”

Overhearing the conversations of the students nearby, Tilia’s stiff hands began to relax.

“It’s the second son of the Davenport family. He was quite the talk at the last debutante ball.”

Just as her tense hands started to loosen, the doors to the Hall of Victory, adorned with black velvet, swung open, and sunlight streamed in as if illuminating a dark cave.

“Well, that’s a cliché entrance.”

Someone let out a low whistle, their tone mocking.

And they were right. His entrance was as cliché as any storybook protagonist.

The late-summer sunlight streaming in was far brighter than the indoor lighting, and the academy uniform he wore—clearly made from the finest fabric—was, of course, worn in a disheveled manner.

Backlit by the sunlight, his polished shoes stepped confidently onto the red carpet.

Thunk.

The doors closed.

With the light cut off, the main character was revealed in full detail.

‘What a typical leading man,’ Tilia muttered to herself inwardly.

Tall. Perfectly balanced physique. And… an almost impossibly flawless face.

His features, as if painted by a god for a grand portrait, were so precise that they didn’t even seem real. From his straight brows, down his sharp nose, to his defined jawline—every angle was so elegant it felt otherworldly.

Tilia was willing to bet every penny she had that the person who had sarcastically whistled at his entrance was now utterly speechless. Because that’s exactly how she felt.

Her palms, once more, grew damp with sweat. Without looking away, she stared at the one person who had crushed her hopes. The one who had shattered her pride, which had never wavered since the day she was born, always placing first in everything.

Tilia’s gaze was intense as she focused on the person who had dealt her that blow.

How had he done it? How had he studied to take the top spot with such a wide margin?

Perhaps he sensed the hostility in the stares directed at him. Walking forward without hesitation, the second son of the Davenport family turned his head and looked directly at her.

From his dull blue-gray eyes, Tilia found only one emotion—boredom. A deep-rooted boredom that seemed ingrained in him, as if it were a part of his very being.

His indifferent gaze flicked over her briefly before shifting forward again. But even though his head had turned, his eyes had seen nothing.

“Student representative, Ilex Davenport.”

As the headmaster’s voice finally regained its composure, Tilia made a vow.

On graduation day, I will be the one standing there.

Glaring at the broad back of the Arkansis Royal Academy’s top student, Tilia’s green eyes blazed with determination.

On graduation day, I will get rid of that back.

‘I wish I’d never made that vow.’

Back in the present, Tilia let out a long sigh.

That wish would never come true. Even after all these years, she had never once managed to surpass Ilex.

‘Well… there was one time I did beat him.’

Her brows furrowed as the memory of that moment came back to her.