A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 69

“What…?”

Tilia couldn’t fully comprehend what the man in the bowler hat was saying. The words of the others lined up behind him seemed to blur together like a ringing in her ears.

“I’m an aide from the Barnes Viscounty. Baron Ambrose has incurred a debt of 17,000 gold to the Barnes family…”

“I’m from the Fisher County. Miss Tilia Ambrose, as the eldest daughter of the Ambrose family, you must repay 9,200 gold by the deadline…”

“According to the real estate transfer collateral agreement, the Ambrose estate’s ownership will be transferred within the next month…”

This was all happening in front of the main building’s notice board, where a crowd had gathered to check the posted grades.

“What’s going on?”

“Not sure. Something about debts.”

“Isn’t that Tilia Ambrose? The top graduate of the latest exams?”

The murmurs of people whispering her name and the cold, professional voices announcing astronomical amounts of money swirled in her head.

She couldn’t even feel the freezing wind that had been cutting into her skin moments ago. Her entire body burned as if feverish, while her insides felt icy, as if all the blood had drained to her feet.

“Miss Tilia? Miss Tilia Ambrose?”

“See? I told you it’s her. Tilia Ambrose, sold off by her own father…”

Hearing her name repeated, sharp as blades at the end of every sentence, made her eardrums ache. The ground beneath her feet seemed to sway like a storm-tossed ship, and her vision spun. She felt nauseous. She wanted to run away.

But…

“…Wait.”

Clenching her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, Tilia bit the inside of her cheek hard.

Get a grip. Though she wanted to slap herself to regain control, too many eyes were watching. She steadied herself with the pain from her hands and mouth, taking a deep breath and raising her head.

“My father, Baron Ambrose, incurred debts, is that correct?”

Her voice cut through the cold air, clear and composed.

“I’d like to review the debt settlement agreements.”

Each word she forced out felt like a fight for survival. She continued, “It’s not appropriate to discuss this here. Could we move to another location to review the documents?”

Her calm and rational request startled the aides, who had been eagerly relaying their masters’ orders.

“Hmm…”

The man in the bowler hat, stroking his black mustache, forced a genial smile.

“Very well. Let’s start with Count Dawson’s estate…”

“No, she should come to the Barnes estate first,” interjected a brown-haired man, stepping in front of him.

“Viscount Barnes has been eagerly awaiting her. The Barnes family was the first to invest in the Ambrose family. Let’s follow the order.”

“Hold on. If we’re talking repayment order, the Fisher family should come first. Count Fisher holds the largest claim!”

Watching the aides begin to argue, Tilia narrowed her eyes.

There was no way they would be this heated over something as trivial as the order in which contracts were being reviewed.

Which meant there was something more behind their fervor…

‘The order they’re arguing over must carry some other significance.’

Her gaze, which had barely been fixed ahead, sank downward as if plummeting.

Her father’s letters, constantly urging investments from the Davenport family’s second son, had abruptly stopped around early winter.

Fearing he might be causing even more trouble, she had resolved to leave Arkansis before anything exploded, pouring herself into her studies.

At the time, she had believed it was the best choice—that she could escape her collapsing world before it was too late.

How foolish. She hadn’t realized that from the moment she was born, a thick web of misfortune had been spun beneath her feet, one she could never escape.

She didn’t need to check to know the horrific promises her father had made to secure investments. To Baron Ambrose, she wasn’t a daughter—she was collateral to squeeze out more money. A fish to be kept alive until it could fetch the highest price.

On those contracts, her value was probably itemized, piece by piece.

Her eyes, now blurred with unshed tears, stared at the puddles forming at her feet. She wished she could dissolve into them and be swept away through the sewers.

It was then, as her breath caught, that something black blocked her vision.

For a moment, she thought she had fainted. Or closed her eyes. Or perhaps she was hyperventilating.

But it wasn’t darkness, nor the veil of her eyelids, nor the blessing of unconsciousness.

“Debtors shouldn’t be allowed to enter the Arkansis Royal Academy.”

The darkness in front of her eyes was caused by a high-quality black jacket.

It moved up and down, heated and wide, following its master’s urgent breaths.

“Your masters must have forgotten the school rules, or maybe they’ve never set foot in the academy before.”

As her vision cleared, sounds became audible again. Amid unfamiliar noises, Tilia recognized a familiar voice and slowly lifted her head.

“Leave. You’ve caused enough of a commotion that the guards will be here any moment.”

She could only see his back, but there was no mistaking him.

That golden hair, those broad shoulders, and that strong neck…

Ilex Davenport.

He was the man she had once waited for by the door, for the first time in her life.

Ahem. The sound of someone clearing their throat, seemingly startled by this unexpected intruder, echoed around her. My goodness, it was Ilex Davenport. The murmurs behind her grew louder.

In the midst of the chaos, someone in front of Ilex gathered the courage to speak.

“You’re Lord Davenport, aren’t you? But no matter how strict the academy’s rules are, they cannot override the laws of the kingdom. Lady Ambrose is obligated to…”

“The autonomy of the Arkansis Royal Academy is a right recognized by Her Majesty the Queen. Are you questioning Her Majesty’s authority? Do you dare to do so in front of the academy’s students?”

“Ah, no! That’s not what I meant…!”

“Then leave.”

With a sharp command, a hand suddenly grabbed hers.

The warmth she had grown familiar with thawed her frozen fingers.

Tilia felt as though her whole being was anchored to the hand holding hers as she looked up at him.

I wish he would meet my eyes. I wish he would explain what had happened.

But Ilex Davenport, hurriedly wrapping his arm around her shoulders, only whispered urgently.

“Run.”

***

“Pack your things.”

He didn’t give her a moment to speak as he dragged her in haste to the front of the women’s dormitory.

“Wait! Male students aren’t allowed in the women’s dormitory…!”

“Move quickly.”

The dormitory supervisor shrieked as she saw Ilex stride into the lobby, but he acted as if he didn’t hear her.

“Hurry up. There’s no time.”

Though flustered, Tilia pulled out her room key and opened the door as he had instructed, asking nervously as she did so.

“What’s going on? Why are you doing this?”

“Just pack your things first. The train is leaving soon.”

“Train?”

Perplexed by his words, Tilia looked up at him.

Unfazed by her gaze, he simply led her into the unlocked room, striding in.

“Take only what you need. I’ll send the rest to you later.”

“What train are you talking about?”

“The train to Ontaroa.”

“Ontaroa? I don’t have to go there right now…”

“Don’t worry about the debt. I’ll pay it off.”

Ilex spoke quickly, as if every second counted, opening the wardrobe to pull out a large suitcase and tossing clothes into it haphazardly.

“The real problem is that your damned father, who’s obsessed with money, has gotten involved in smuggling.”

He practically growled as he stuffed clothes into the old suitcase.

“Of all things, he’s tied to the illegal import of military supplies—the one thing Parliament is most wary of. The broker might’ve intended to focus only on the mining scam, but things have gotten filthy.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“What I’m saying, Tilia…”

Holding her trembling shoulders, Ilex suppressed the rising fury in his voice and said, “You need to leave for Ontaroa immediately. Before Parliament pins the blame on you, as soon as possible.”

“……”

“Because I couldn’t protect you.”

As she stared at him, dazed, Tilia finally realized.

The blazing anger within him wasn’t directed outward but inward.

He closed his eyes to hide the turmoil boiling over, exhaling deeply before reopening them. His gaze, like a sea clearing after a storm, met hers directly.

“So, Tilia. Pack your things quickly. I refuse to watch you end up in a detention center.”