A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 74

As always, it was a dull day.

Snowflakes, which would soon become slush and turn the ground into a muddy mess, were piling up gently on top of each other, as if they had no fear of melting away and disappearing.

Everything in sight was covered in white, but a woman with jet-black hair stood out like ink accidentally spilled onto paper.

Ilex, who was walking lazily toward the dormitory, naturally turned his head toward her.

Despite the bitter cold, the woman was not dressed in proper winter clothing.

Her exposed white fingertips and knuckles were flushed red, as if inflamed.

Who is she?

Suddenly curious, Ilex tilted his head slightly to get a better look at the woman’s face.

Everything was white, black, and red. Her face, framed by hair as dark as the night, was as pale as the falling snow, and her lips, which she was biting, were as red as if they had been stained with blood.

However, the reason Ilex’s pupils dilated—ever so slightly—was not because of her striking beauty.

The woman’s eyes were as red-rimmed as her lips beneath them.

Why?

The moment he realized she was crying, Ilex slowly turned his head to check what she was looking at.

The bulletin board in front of her was filled with one large notice: the grade report.

Ah.

Seeing her biting her lips in frustration as she stared at the grade report, Ilex’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

She must have failed.

His brief curiosity ended there. Having reached a conclusion, Ilex resumed walking toward his destination.

Before that first impression could fade, the man learned the name of the woman who had been crying in front of the grade report.

Tilia Ambrose. The eldest daughter of the impoverished Baron Ambrose family.

Contrary to his assumption, however, her grades placed her second in rank.

Then why was she crying?

As the question crossed his mind, the other idle men in the vicinity started talking about her again.

“She’s George Ambrose’s sister.”

“George Ambrose? Oh, that idiot? Hard to believe someone like her has a brother like that.”

“Well, his looks aren’t bad. It’s just that his brain is as empty as his pockets.”

It seemed the woman’s brother was such a disgrace that even lowlifes looked down on him. The men, who had gathered like vultures, continued their chatter with snickers.

“Poor Tilia Ambrose. What bad luck to be born with a brother like that.”

“It’s not just her brother—her father’s even worse. She’ll probably be sold off to some rich old pervert. But before that, if she’d just give me a night— Hey, Ilex, where are you going?”

“It stinks.”

“Huh?”

“Did none of the women you’ve been with ever tell you? Your breath smells like rotten eggs.”

Leaving behind the idiot who was now sniffing his own breath in embarrassment, Ilex walked away.

It wasn’t as if he particularly disliked hearing them jeer at Tilia Ambrose.

It was just that those men truly reeked. A stench so foul and filthy that he couldn’t stand it.

Was it because he had become aware of her? Or was it because her appearance was particularly eye-catching?

After learning her name, Ilex found that Tilia Ambrose frequently caught his eye.

Still, he dismissed it as mere coincidence. He never spared her more than a passing glance.

Even after hearing about her unfortunate circumstances, he didn’t feel any particular interest.

There were always plenty of beautiful women with tragic backgrounds, so many that they practically tripped over one another.

But then, by chance, he discovered her secret.

That was when he truly began to take an interest in Tilia Ambrose.

***

The daughter of the Clayton family, Cecilia Clayton—whom his family had designated as his betrothed—was an insufferably annoying woman.

She was well aware that their engagement was nothing more than a formal alliance between noble houses, devoid of any deeper meaning.

And yet, she behaved as if it were a real marriage.

She constantly demanded attention, displayed obsessive possessiveness, and meddled in every little thing. Even when he cursed at her and pushed her away, she persistently clung to him.

That day was just another occasion when he had fled to the depths of the library to escape the tiresome Cecilia.

Reclining on the window seat tucked away in a corner, Ilex heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

Those who visited the library to find reference books or study usually stayed near the outer sections of the archives. There was no real reason to venture this deep into the area that housed only language-related books.

Had she followed me all the way here?

Just as the nauseating woman’s face surfaced in Ilex’s mind and he was about to rise and curse, a white face suddenly appeared between the bookshelves, like a startled deer leaping out in a hunting ground.

‘…Tilia Ambrose?’

Ilex’s eyes widened at the unexpected sight.

The place where he was lying was just barely obscured by the bookshelves, creating a blind spot where Tilia couldn’t see him.

Like a wary wild animal, she glanced around briefly, then, failing to notice Ilex, carefully stepped forward.

What is she looking for?

At this point, it felt awkward to make his presence known. Ilex watched the unwelcome visitor with an indifferent expression.

After browsing through the bookshelves for a while, Tilia finally seemed to find what she was searching for. Reaching out her pale hand, she pulled a book from the shelf.

‘…An Ontaroan conversation book?’

Seeing the thick book in her hands, Ilex’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

If it had been just a trivial Ontaroan language book, his gaze wouldn’t have lingered on her.

However, what Tilia had pulled out was an Ontaroan business vocabulary book. Not a casual conversation book, nor an introductory grammar book—a business vocabulary book.

Why is she looking for something like that?

Unaware that she was being silently observed, Tilia diligently picked out more books of similar nature.

Before long, her arms were filled with a towering stack of books, large and small.

Just like a squirrel gathering acorns, the woman who had entered quietly disappeared just as silently.

After hesitating for a moment, Ilex slowly got up. Then, moving leisurely, he approached the spot where she had stood.

The gap left where the books had been removed felt oddly empty, like the space where a wisdom tooth had been extracted.

Ilex quietly placed his fingers on the vacant spot, staring at it for a moment. A faint layer of dust clung to his fingertips, leaving an imprint like a fingerprint.

***

It didn’t take long for Ilex to figure out why Tilia Ambrose had borrowed a business vocabulary book in Ontaroan.

It wasn’t difficult to discern. Anyone could piece it together with just a little observation of her actions.

Tilia Ambrose wanted to work as a consular officer in Ontaroa.

Standing on the second-floor balcony of the lecture building, Ilex watched her walk confidently with a book tucked under her arm and came to his conclusion.

It couldn’t be anything else. Just by looking at the list of books she borrowed biweekly, the external lecturer seminars she attended, and the flyers she discreetly took with her, it was obvious.

Seeing her research cases of Arkansis nobles working in foreign civil service and her particular interest in a past symposium featuring a speaker from Ontaroa, his guess turned into certainty.

“Tilia Ambrose wants to leave Arkansis and work as a consular officer in Ontaroa…”

Murmuring the words aloud, Ilex unconsciously let out a small scoff.

Just as he had figured out her ambitions, it wasn’t hard to deduce what had led her to that dream.

A miserable family situation. An incompetent father who constantly schemed to sell her off and a brother so utterly worthless that even recycling would be impossible.

And within that chaos, a particularly intelligent woman who had sought her escape by dreaming of fleeing to another country.

“Is she naive or just stupid?”

Watching Tilia Ambrose striding confidently, her night-black hair billowing behind her, his smirk deepened.

She might be smart enough to find a rat hole, but not insightful enough to realize that the hole was actually blocked.

Baron Ambrose would never let go of the only lifeline he had—his daughter, Tilia Ambrose. Even if she fled to another country, he would find a way to drag her back under the guise of paternal authority.

It was entirely possible. Dozens of outdated laws in the Arkansis Kingdom still existed to aid men like him.

Does she really think she can escape?

Clicking his tongue, Ilex watched the woman’s figure grow smaller in the distance.

The ending was already set. Her fate was sealed—she would be butchered and sold off like meat in the market.

And yet, completely unaware of her doomed future, the small woman walked around clutching books, stubbornly chasing a hope that would never be realized.

It was foolish beyond words.