Tilia quickly scanned the area, exiting through the entrance opposite where Gregory Myers was guarding her.
Behind the main building where the exam was held, there was a path leading to the Faculty of Humanities building with a small lake nearby. The manicured trees and gazebos scattered throughout were frequented by men who always seemed to be waiting for an opportunity. If she could get there, surely someone would satisfy her needs.
Breathing heavily, Tilia moved forward with desperation in her heart.
***
However.
The path along which she was hurrying was completely empty.
"Why…?"
Looking at the quiet forest and empty benches, Tilia realized that the entire academy was still in the middle of the exam period. Even the most carefree students were busy with the notorious exams. Most of them were probably in the library, classes, or in their dorms studying for exams.
Tilia clenched her teeth, forcing herself not to cry; she felt like she was falling down again. Even in the midst of all this, she felt the side effects continue to progress as her body became more and more heated. She shuddered as a new kind of desire she had never felt before seemed to scratch at her insides.
"Please, someone, anyone..."
Backed into a corner, Tilia was even contemplating the worst-case scenario of Gregory Myers when she noticed a pair of long legs stretched out on a bench in the shade of a nearby tree.
It was a man.
Her eyes sparkled when she saw the man's shoes - expensive, high-quality men's shoes. Like a person who gets lost in the desert and sees an oasis, Tilia rushed to the bench.
It was late spring, on the verge of summer. The sun hung high in the sky, glaring down on the world. The warmth from the sunlight warmed her black hair and the air felt thick and hot, but she didn't even notice it as she ran. Compared to the fever emanating from her own body, the temperature outside seemed cool.
"Save me."
This phrase repeated in her head over and over again.
“Please just help me somehow.”
Seized with desperate desire, Tilia rushed to the bench. But as soon as she realized who was lying there, her legs suddenly stopped. Her worn shoes swayed on the fresh grass.
"No".
Reasoning that she thought had been completely destroyed burst through a narrow crack in her mind.
“Not that scum of Akansis!”
“Why not?”
But almost immediately her instincts overpowered this rational thought.
“Think about it, Tilia. There is no one better than Ilex Davenport."
Her lustful instincts, awakened by the holy water, surfaced and spoke in a sweet voice.
“Ilex Davenport dragged another girl into his dorm yesterday. What's her name? She's a new student, I think."
“He's the kind of guy who will easily agree if you ask him to sleep with you. This is the first necessary condition."
A seductive voice echoed in Tilia's ears, whispering sweetly.
“Look who's here! Isn’t this the young lord who was just confessed to again?”
“He's had enough women that you won't mean much to him. The second condition is also met.”
Tilia watched the wind blow through the man's blond hair and listened to the seductive whispers.
"And third, he has a better face than Gregory Myers... Don't you already know the answer to that question?"
Her instincts giggled and whispered slyly.
“There is no comparison. Think carefully. If you're going to do it anyway, wouldn't it be better to do it with a guy who's at least good-looking?”
Her sanity had long since disappeared without offering any resistance.
Like a puppet on strings, Tilia staggered towards the bench where he lay. The sunlight that burned her head disappeared behind the leaves of the tree.
Her pale feet stepped into the shadows that marked his domain. However, the man on the bench, who must have noticed her presence, did not move. Wiping the sweat from her palms on her skirt, Tilia called his name.
- Ilex Davenport.
Even after hearing his name, the man did not move.
- Do you... want to sleep with me?
At her second sentence his polished boot twitched slightly.
Tilia watched as he slowly lowered the book that was covering his face and felt her palms become damp again.
As his face opened, Tilia felt her hands behind her back become sticky again.
“See? “I told you, it’s better to sleep with a handsome guy,” the voice of her instincts giggled, becoming louder and quieter, like a ringing in her ears.
Tousled blond hair framed a well-defined nose, perfectly balanced, and his sleepy eyes had a dreamy, almost otherworldly look. His pale gray eyes slowly slid over Tilia, as if trying to understand who had made such a request.
Wherever his gaze fell, it seemed as if flowers of heat were blooming. Her legs twisted involuntarily, and sticky saliva filled her mouth. It seemed as if she was already standing naked in front of him.
Finally, as his gaze returned to her face, Ilex's beautiful face slowly tilted to the right.
- You.
But the words that came out of his red lips were not at all what she expected.
- Do you know me?
Tilia, lost in her chaotic thoughts, froze as if she had been doused with cold water.
Reality has finally hit. Reasoning that had been dulled by desire surged forward in her mind.
Ilex Davenport propped himself up on his elbow, partially sitting. Although he was reclining on the bench, his gaze was imperious, like that of a man who never looked up from below.
Even without the tie, his shirt was still high-end, custom-made, and the shoes he casually wore were made from the skin of some rare creature Tilia didn't even know.
Every inch of his body exuded a casual, effortless elegance—the elegance of those who had never run barefoot.
How does she look compared to him?
Tilia could tell what state she must be in from his eyes. Her skirt, wrinkled from wiping her sweaty hands, must have become dirty. Her hair, tangled and wet with sweat. Her face is flushed, blotchy and disheveled. Her drunken eyes are undoubtedly unfocused and shameful.
Realizing what a huge chasm separated them, Tilia involuntarily took a step back.
Now she remembered. Ilex Davenport didn't sleep with just "any" woman.
Memories of the freshman girl he had rejected on the stairs flooded her mind, and the sharp pain of shame and regret hit her like a blow to the head.
What did she just say?
What was she going to do with Ilex Davenport?
As Tilia took another hesitant step back, her legs were shaking uncontrollably. Ilex spoke again.
- Tilia Ambrose.
Hearing him call her name, she raised her head.
- I asked, do you know me?
Fascinated, Tilia stared at Ilex, who looked at her with a slight frown. Unlike her, standing under the scorching sun, Ilex sat comfortably in the cool shade.
As she watched the breeze tickle his cheek, a voice whispered in her ear:
“How are you different from Ilex?”
It was not the voice of reason or instinct.
"He's a human being just like you."
It was a whisper of her inferiority.
The same whisper that always tormented her heart choked her on dark nights. A resentment that grew, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it.
“Drag him down to where you are.”
- Tilia Ambrose?
Take off his expensive clothes and wouldn't he be just like her? No matter how magnificent he seemed, in the end he was just another man doomed to fall due to his desires.
Tilia stared with envy at the man who probably owned the largest carriage in the academy and probably some of the best horses in the kingdom.
- You look bad.
- I'm fine.
Finally, Tilia spoke, extending forward her hand, which was hidden behind her back.
- I'm fine.
If he found himself in the same situation as her, he too would be a mess, out of breath and craving someone. And now, more than anything else, she wanted to see him like this.
She wanted to see him, just like her, wallow in the mud.
Putting on a fake smile, Tilia slowly took one step after another towards him. The harsh sunlight finally left her black hair and a dark, soothing shadow enveloped her.
- More importantly, Ilex Davenport.
Tilia smiled seductively, hoping that her appearance would seduce him.
- What do you think?
She was determined to drag this radiant figure into the same quagmire in which she herself was floundering.
Even if it was just a brief moment of pleasure.
Even if it was just a few hours of fleeting sleep.
- Do you... want to sleep with me?
She was going to see him fall into the abyss just like her.
-...
But there was no response from Davenport.
He simply looked at the worried Tilia, silently observing her as if she were some rare animal.