Side Story "The Butterfly Lives"
I once spent a whole night awake thinking about what expression she would make if I kissed her?
***
- If you think about it, Ilex will start attending the academy next year.
Duke Edmund Davenport raised the topic during breakfast on Sunday morning.
As always, Ilex lazily twirled his fork with a bored expression on his face before raising his head indifferently. His gray-blue eyes met his father's face, which had a calm expression, as if he was speaking without thinking.
- So it’s time already? I wonder what exceptional scores my younger brother will get to get into the academy.
Sitting next to his father was Gilbert Davenport, who had already finished his plate and smiled friendly, adding:
- Well, since he is my brother, admission is a matter of course. I'm confident he'll arrive with a single-digit rating. What a shame, if only there was a physical fitness test included. Ilex, you have the physique to easily pass the physical standards of the Knight Academy.
At these words, a slight smirk appeared on Duke Davenport's lips. Gilbert, who looked like his father, also maintained a gentle smile.
In response, Ilex curled his lips into a wry smile.
He already knew. That it was these two who prevented him from entering the knightly academy.
Last month, Ilex Davenport received a rejection letter from the Royal Knight's Academy.
He performed excellently in all areas - fitness, physique and fundamental skills assessment, but was judged ineligible due to his attitude scores.
With the same satisfied expression on his face that he had on the day he received the refusal letter, Edmund Davenport scolded him.
“Well, once you are accepted into the Royal Akansis Academy, be diligent in your studies.” Don't indulge in useless dreams of becoming a knight
- Listen to your father, Ilex. Honestly, I was glad when you finally received your rejection notice from the Knight Academy.
Even without seeing it, he knew. If he had opened the admissions desk drawer, he would probably have found inside a thick envelope from the Davenport family.
“How could I, your older brother, watch you choose such a dangerous path when I should be helping in the family business?”
Help in family business. Duty of an older brother.
Having muttered these words to himself, Ilex's lips curled again.
Gilbert sounded like he was genuinely worried about his little brother, but Ilex knew he wasn't.
The real reason why Gilbert prevented him from entering the knightly academy was not concern. It was that he couldn't watch Ilex find his own path and live a full life.
A worthy heir to a ducal house embroiled in succession conflicts would have welcomed his younger brother's decision to devote himself to knighthood.
If this had been in the past, when territorial disputes were common, things might have been different. But with the advancement of industrial technology, there was no clearer way to indicate that a person was not interested in inheriting a title than to choose the path of a knight.
And yet Gilbert, who was not even the heir of a knightly family, went so far as to convince his father to prevent Ilex's admission.
He couldn't help but realize that there was a petty malice behind it.
Ilex stared with disgust at Gilbert's ever-smiling face.
The truth was simple. His older brother simply couldn't bear the thought of him living a full life. He feared that if Ilex followed his true calling and succeeded as a knight, he might gain recognition and honor.
Although this had absolutely nothing to do with the succession to the throne of the duchy, which had already been decided in Gilbert's favor.
The second son, was to remain inferior to him, was to be insignificant, and was never to shine brighter than the proud heir of the family.
“I’m glad you don’t have to go down such a difficult and dangerous path, little brother.” I'm also glad that you will study at the same academy where I studied.
As always, Gilbert smiled warmly, his expression mirroring their father's.
“Besides, as I mentioned earlier, I’m looking forward to the results of your entrance exams.”
- Right. The exam must be coming soon.
Edmund Davenport, whose voice was full of mirth, popped a piece of bloody meat into his mouth.
- Do your best. Since your brother entered the Royal Academy with a fairly high ranking, you should at least make sure that your scores won't be a disgrace.
In the background, Ilex could barely hear the sound of his mother, Serafina, lazily poking her salad with a fork. A bored sigh accompanied the noise, as if she was waiting for this farce to finally end.
- …You are right.
Between his mother's indifference and his father's anger, Ilex fell silent for a moment, and then slowly smiled at his older brother.
If they wanted to have fun, he had to give them something.
“I should work hard so as not to be a disgrace to my brother.”
A slight crease appeared on Gilbert's forehead, as if he felt something, but Ilex did not pay attention to it.
There was no need for this. He was no longer a child desperate for his parents' attention, and he was no longer at the age to be afraid of being locked in a barn.
***
The entrance exam to the Royal Academy of Acansis, known as the most prestigious institution on the continent, was surprisingly disappointing.
Most of the problems could be solved by simply studying the past entrance exam questions, working backwards through the theories and analyzing the trends of the test. Of course, there were some questions that even this method couldn't solve, but he wasn't too worried - if he couldn't solve them, then the other applicants most likely couldn't either.
After all, the entrance exam to the Royal Academy was graded on a relative scale. It wasn't about solving problems that others couldn't solve; it was about not missing the ones that everyone else got right.
After conducting strategic research, he eventually achieved the desired rank.
First place.
Although the exam itself was boring, watching my father and brother's faces as they read the score report was quite funny. He even wondered why he hadn't done something like this before.
But this entertainment lasted only about a week - no more. While it was nice to see Duke Davenport and his beloved heir scrunch their faces in disappointment, the joy was fleeting.
After all, he knew that this was nothing more than a momentary act of rebellion.
- Riot, huh.
Lying on the bench, his hands behind his head, Ilex muttered this word under his breath, lazily twitching his long legs.
Regardless of his abilities and qualifications, the dukedom should have belonged to Gilbert, the eldest son.
This sequence was predetermined long ago.
Ever since the current Duke of Davenport, Edmund Davenport, began to experience a deep inferiority complex towards his younger brother, who was superior to him in every way.
Ever since he began to see in his second son, who bore a striking resemblance to that same brother, echoes of the brother he had lost at a young age in a crew accident.
The issue of succession to the throne had already been decided, planned and was just waiting for execution.
No matter how outstanding Ilex proves to be, this truth will never change. No words could change his position.
So what's the point of straining to prove something? Even if he showed his worth, all he would get in return was his father's disapproving glances and his brother's jealous interference.
Ilex did not dislike his current position, which allowed him to enjoy the privileges of a wealthy family while remaining somewhat removed from its responsibilities.
A rich inheritance, Davenport's undisputed status, and the moderate freedom available to a non-heir.
All this was quite satisfactory. It would be stupid to throw it all away in a fit of childish disobedience.
Eventually, he would have to be used as bargaining chip in the marriage market, but such was the nature of noble life in Acansis. This is what his father did, this is what his brother will do, and he himself will not be an exception.
It was simply the price for enjoying the wealth and power of a noble son. If anything, it was a cheap price.
So it wasn't a bad life.
It was a well-calculated deal in which he had nothing to lose.
Except for the boredom that arose from time to time. And the inexplicable emptiness that sometimes crept up on him.
“...Maybe I should quit studying?”
Although he had no particular complaints, there were times when he became unbearably irritated.
One of the many reckless things he did to vent this frustration was to enroll in the Royal Academy.
He did this purely to spite his father and brother, and although it was a fun rebellion, school life quickly turned into another shackles.
Skipping classes had grown into completely ignoring exams, and now he was lounging on the bench, lazily swinging his leg.
Even the sight of cotton wool clouds floating across the sky seemed boring.
“Maybe I should really quit...”
His goal has already been achieved. He had seen enough of the angry faces of Edmund and Gilbert Davenport.
The excuse of living in a hostel was useful - it meant he wouldn't have to partake in the dreaded Sunday breakfast tradition, but beyond that everything else became tiresome.
Strange rumors, undoubtedly spread by Cecilia Clayton. Guys who clung to him, pretending to be friendly.
Although he had not paid much attention to it before, suddenly everything seemed so disgustingly trivial and meaningless to him.
“Yes, I should quit.”
After some thought, Ilex made a decision.
Just not right away. If he dropped out on a whim, he would undoubtedly be forced into marriage, so he needed to enjoy his freedom a little longer before that happened.
***
Boring. This word became a constant refrain in Ilex's life.
And then, one winter day, when the world was covered in thick snow, he saw this girl.