A Butterfly Through the Mist - Chapter 8

“Everyone else has probably taken it. It’d be strange if you didn’t,” Cecilia replied warmly, but Tilia’s gaze sharpened.

Their relationship wasn’t particularly good or bad. They exchanged pleasantries, but both knew the other’s smile wasn’t genuine. And yet, here Cecilia was, offering something valuable on the day of the exam.

“Really,” Cecilia said, shrugging casually as if she could sense the suspicion on Tilia’s face. “I genuinely want you to take the top spot this time.”

“…Me?”

“Yes,” Cecilia responded firmly, her expression resolute. “I really hope you beat Ilex Davenport.”

“……”

“You’re the only one who can beat him right now. So, go ahead,” she said with a wide, almost sinister smile. “I hope you drink this and make him experience a huge failure.”

***

“The rules are the same as they were in the last exam. Cheating will be caught, so don’t even think about it. Let’s begin!”

At the teaching assistant’s command, the hands of the students seated in the lecture hall moved rapidly. Tilia, seated in the second row, flipped open her exam sheet with urgency, her expression serious as she scanned the questions. After a quick assessment, she made up her mind and began answering the questions on the last page first.

While most students stared blankly at their exams, faces filled with despair, Tilia’s pen raced across the answer sheet, her confidence evident.

And seated three seats away from her, another pair of eyes watched her intently. Unlike before, however, the blue eyes fixed on Tilia now held a cold, calculating gaze.

Cecilia watched as Tilia filled her answer sheet, her lips curling into a frosty smile.

‘No matter how much I try to ignore it…’

Cecilia tapped her desk with her pen, her eyes narrowing with irritation.

‘…It just keeps bothering me.’

A soft rip sounded as Cecilia’s pen drew a red line across her own exam paper.

***

‘Not bad. There are a few answers I’m uncertain about, but overall, I think I did well.’

In the quiet courtyard, as the sun began to set, Tilia reviewed her exam answers with a relieved expression.

‘I avoided failure, so I hope I get a high score. Maybe if the others didn’t do well, the examiners will be more generous with the essay grading.’

With that slightly selfish thought in mind, Tilia folded her exam sheet neatly and tucked it into her bag. Now that the toughest exams were behind her, she could finally relax a little.

Of course, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down completely.

Tonight, I’ll have to treat Judy to something nice.

As she stood up from the cold stone steps with a light heart, she felt something odd in her left pocket.

Did I put something in there?

With a puzzled expression, she reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a small bottle, no bigger than the palm of her hand.

It was the bottle of holy water Cecilia had given her before the rhetoric exam, the one she hadn’t drunk.

‘Weren’t they walking together so closely before?’

Tilia tilted her head as she recalled the secret rendezvous she had witnessed last week at dawn.

‘Did they break up?’

The look on Cecilia’s face when she had said she wanted Ilex Davenport to fail hadn’t been a lie.

‘She really seemed to have malice toward him…’

As she thought of both Ilex and Cecilia, Tilia shrugged.

Well, it’s none of my business.

It would have been more surprising if Ilex Davenport had ever been in a serious relationship with anyone. Tilia shook her head, thinking of the unsavory rumors about him that circulated around the academy.

Looks like Cecilia finally got burned by that scumbag too. This is why you should never deal with guys who are only good for their looks.

Sympathizing briefly with Cecilia’s anger, Tilia turned her attention back to the small bottle in her hand. In the light of the setting sun, the once-clear liquid inside now glowed a brilliant shade of orange.

At that moment, she recalled something one of Cecilia’s followers had whispered:

“True. Everyone else is practically racing ahead on horseback, so I can’t be the only one running barefoot.”

Tilia’s green eyes deepened as she stared at the small bottle.

‘Running barefoot, huh…’

The delicate pink ribbon tied around the bottle’s neck was made of expensive silk. It was certainly more costly than the tie Tilia was wearing around her own neck.

‘Must be nice. Not having to struggle for everything.’

The tuition and entrance fees for the Royal Academy of Arkansis were astronomical, equivalent to several years of a commoner’s living expenses.

Of course, those fees only covered the basics. The costs of extracurricular activities, practical training, and dormitory fees were charged separately. Even nobles with considerable wealth found it burdensome.

The only reason Tilia had been able to attend such an elite institution was because of the full scholarship offered to the top three students. Without that, she never would have set foot in the academy.

The last rays of the sun, as if in a final burst of effort, painted the surroundings in vibrant hues. The golden light streamed between the trees, casting a warm glow on Tilia’s pale face.

She gazed at the small bottle in her hand, her green eyes softening as a thought crossed her mind.

If I drink this, could I get a little closer to them?

For the past few years, Tilia had lived her life like a barefoot runner, always fighting to keep up. The pressure of staying in the top three weighed on her daily, crushing her.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t envious of those who could sit comfortably in their carriages without a care in the world.

If I drink this, will things get easier?

As the luxurious-looking bottle gleamed in her hand, tempting her, Tilia’s expression remained blank as she pulled the cork out.

In one swift motion, the sunset-colored liquid inside sloshed out of the bottle and onto the warm stone steps below.

Drip.

Three months’ worth of her living expenses spilled onto the sun-warmed stones.

‘Sure, it’s enviable.’

But as she watched the holy water spill out, there wasn’t the slightest hint of regret on Tilia’s face.

‘But I’m not going to spend my life being envious.’

She knew she could never beat those who rode in carriages. No matter how hard she worked, she could never arrive at the same destination as them.

So Tilia had two options left.

Either become their entertainment while riding in their carriage, or…

‘Strengthen my legs so I can run faster.’

Tilia’s choice had always been the latter. And so far, she had never regretted that decision.

Though she wasn’t the top student, Tilia Ambrose had consistently placed second. At the Royal Academy of Arkansis, it had become a given that the top two students would always be Ilex Davenport and Tilia Ambrose.

Tilia was satisfied with that. It wasn’t a lie to say she didn’t mind, even though there was a part of her that still felt disappointed. Her goals had always been more realistic than reaching for the top.

‘Besides, who knows if Cecilia Clayton even gave me something legit?’

For reasons Tilia couldn’t quite understand, Cecilia always seemed to subtly undermine her, finding ways to bring her down whenever possible.

Cecilia dominated in every area except for grades, so why did she always have to belittle Tilia?

‘Well, I guess some people just dislike others for no reason.’

Tilia had likely just become one of those people for Cecilia.

With a shrug, she let go of the bottle, tossing it into a nearby trash can.

Clang. The sound of glass breaking echoed, as the bottle collided with something already inside.

I wonder how Judy did on her exam.

Completely unconcerned by what had just transpired, Tilia descended the steps, her thoughts turning to her roommate.

By then, night had fully fallen, and the warm light of day had given way to the cool darkness.

As the remaining warmth slowly dissipated from the stone steps, the liquid pooled there began to reflect the darkening sky.

Buzz. A striped bee, attracted to the scene, flew down and landed, folding its wings as it extended its tiny mouth to sip the spilled holy water.

The scent soon attracted others.

Ants with jet-black antennae, centipedes with countless legs, and more bees followed their companions to the scene.

As the gas lamps began to flicker on in the approaching darkness, an unusual sight unfolded beneath the steps where Tilia had been sitting. Drawn by the strange scent, the insects gathered, forming a writhing, black mass.