As always, the day turned out to be boring.
Snowflakes, which would soon become slush and turn the earth into a dirty mess, were neatly piled on top of each other, as if they were not afraid to melt and disappear.
Everything around was covered in white, but the girl with blue-black hair stood out like ink accidentally spilled on paper.
Ilex, who was lazily walking towards the dormitory, naturally turned his head in her direction.
Despite the extreme cold, the girl was not wearing proper winter clothing.
Her bare white fingertips and knuckles were red, as if they were inflamed.
Who is she?
Suddenly feeling curious, Ilex tilted his head slightly to get a better look at the girl's face.
Everything was white, black and red. Her face, framed by hair dark as night, was white as falling snow, and the lips she bit were as red as if stained with blood.
However, the reason why Ilex's pupils dilated, even if just a little, was not due to her striking beauty.
The girl's eyes were as red as her lips.
Why?
The moment he realized she was crying, Ilex slowly turned his head to see what she was looking at.
The notice board in front of her was filled with one large notice: a report card.
Ahh.
Seeing her biting her lips in frustration while looking at the report card, Ilex's eyebrows twitched slightly.
She must have failed.
This was the end of his brief curiosity. Having come to a conclusion, Ilex continued to walk further.
Before that first impression could fade, the man learned the name of the girl who was crying in front of the report card.
Tilia Ambrose. The eldest daughter of the impoverished family of Baron Ambrose.
However, contrary to his assumption, according to his estimates, she was in second place.
Then why was she crying?
As this question occurred to him, the loafers nearby began talking about her again.
- She's George Ambrose's sister.
- George Ambrose? Oh, this idiot? It's hard to believe that someone like her has a brother like her.
- Well, his appearance is not bad. It's just that his brains are as empty as his pockets.
It seemed like the girl's brother was such a disgrace that even these lowlifes looked down on him. The guys, gathered like vultures, continued to chat with a grin.
- Poor Tilia Ambrose. What a shame to be born with such a brother.
“It’s not just her brother—her father is even worse.” She'll probably be sold to some rich old pervert. But before that, if she would just give me the night... Hey, Ilex, where are you going?
- It stinks.
- Hm?
- Really, none of the women you were with spoke? Your breath smells like rotten eggs.
Leaving behind the idiot, who was now embarrassedly sniffing his own breath, Ilex walked away.
Not that he particularly disliked listening to them mock Tilia Ambrose.
These people just really stank. The stench was so disgusting and disgusting that he could not stand it.
Was it because he found out about her? Or because her appearance was particularly attractive?
After learning her name, Ilex discovered that Tilia Ambrose often caught his eye.
But he dismissed it as a mere coincidence. He never gave her more than a passing glance.
Even after hearing about her sad circumstances, he didn't feel much interest.
There were always many beautiful women with tragic pasts, so many that they practically tripped over each other.
But then, by chance, he learned her secret.
That's when he really started to take an interest in Tilia Ambrose.
***
The Clayton family's daughter, Cecilia Clayton, whom his family appointed as his bride, was an unbearably annoying woman.
She was well aware that their betrothal was nothing more than a formal union between noble houses, devoid of any deep meaning.
And yet she acted as if this was a real marriage.
She constantly demanded attention, showed obsessive possessiveness and interfered with little things. Even when he swore at her and pushed her away, she stubbornly clung to him.
That day was just another occasion where he ran into the depths of the library to escape the annoying Cecilia.
Leaning back on the windowsill, hidden in the corner, Ilex heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Those who visited the library to find reference books or study usually stopped near the outer sections of the archives. There was no real reason to go so deep into an area that only kept books related to languages.
Was she following me all the way here?
Just as the face of a sickening woman appeared before Ilex's eyes and he was about to stand up and curse, a white face suddenly appeared between the bookshelves, like a frightened deer running out into the hunting grounds.
"...Tilia Ambrose?"
Ilex's eyes widened at the unexpected sight.
The area where he was sprawled was barely covered by bookshelves, creating a blind spot where Tilia couldn't see him.
Like a wary wild animal, she quickly looked around, then, not noticing Ilex, she cautiously stepped forward.
What is she looking for?
At this moment he felt embarrassed to make himself known. Ilex watched the uninvited guest indifferently.
After browsing through the bookshelves for a while, Tilia finally seemed to have found what she was looking for. Reaching out her white hand, she pulled a book from the shelf.
"...Ontaroan phrasebook?"
Seeing the thick book in her hands, Ilex's eyebrows raised slightly.
If it had been just a trivial book in the Ontario language, his eyes would not have lingered on it.
However, what Tilia pulled out was a book on Ontario business vocabulary. Not a phrase book for everyday communication, not a book on introductory grammar - but a book on business vocabulary.
Why is she looking for something like this?
Not suspecting that she was being silently watched, Tilia carefully selected more books with similar content.
Soon her arms were filled with a huge stack of books, large and small.
Like a squirrel collecting acorns, the girl who came just as silently disappeared.
After hesitating for a moment, Ilex slowly stood up. Then, moving leisurely, he approached the place where she stood.
The space left after the books were removed seemed strangely empty, like the place where a wisdom tooth had been removed.
Ilex quietly placed his fingers on the empty space, staring at it for a moment. A faint layer of dust clung to his fingertips, leaving an imprint similar to a fingerprint.
***
It didn't take long for Ilex to understand why Tilia Ambrose had picked up a book of Ontario business vocabulary.
It wasn't hard to find out. Anyone could piece it all together just by observing her actions a little.
Tilia Ambrose wanted to work as a consular officer in Ontario.
Standing on the second floor balcony of the lecture building, Ilex watched her walk confidently with a book under her arm, and came to his conclusion.
It couldn't be anything else. Just looking at the list of books she borrowed every two weeks, the external lecture seminars she attended, and the leaflets she secretly took with her, everything was obvious.
And when he saw her studying the affairs of the Acansis nobles in the foreign civil service, and taking a special interest in a symposium with a speaker from Ontario, his hunch turned into a certainty.
- Tilia Ambrose wants to leave Acansis and work as a consular officer in Ontario...
Having muttered these words out loud, Ilex involuntarily let out a chuckle.
Just as he figured out her ambitions, it wasn't hard to guess what led her to this dream.
Unhappy family situation. An incompetent father who was constantly planning to sell her, and a brother who was so worthless that even re-education was impossible.
And among this chaos - a particularly smart woman who was looking for salvation, dreaming of escaping to another country.
- Is she naive or just stupid?
Looking at Tilia Ambrose's confident stride and the way her night-black hair fluttered, his grin widened.
She may be smart enough to find the rat's loophole, but not astute enough to realize that the loophole is actually blocked.
Baron Ambrose will never let go of his only lifeline - his daughter Tilia Ambrose. Even if she runs away to another country, he will find a way to bring her back under the guise of paternal authority.
It was quite possible. Dozens of outdated laws still existed in the Acansis Kingdom to help people like him.
Does she really think she can escape?
Clicking his tongue, Ilex watched as the female figure diminished in the distance.
The ending was already predetermined. Her fate was decided - she would be cut up and sold like meat at the market.
And yet, completely unaware of her doomed future, the little girl walked around clutching books in her hands, stubbornly pursuing a hope that was never destined to come true.
It was stupid beyond belief.