- Everyone else has probably already taken it. It would be strange if you didn’t,” Cecilia responded warmly, but Tilia’s gaze became sharp.
Their relationship wasn't particularly good or bad. They exchanged pleasantries, but both knew that each other's smiles were not sincere. And yet, here is Cecilia, offering something valuable on exam day.
“True,” Cecilia said, shrugging casually as if sensing the suspicion on Tilia’s face. “I sincerely want you to take first place this time.”
-…I?
“Yes,” Cecilia answered firmly, her expression determined, “I really hope you defeat Ilex Davenport.”
-...
-You're the only one who can defeat 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 in the last exam. Cheating will be caught, so don't even think about it. Let's begin!
At the command of the teaching assistant, the hands of the students sitting in the lecture hall began to move quickly. Tilia, who was sitting in the second row, opened her exam paper with urgency, her expression serious as she looked over the questions. After a quick assessment, she made her decision and began answering the questions on the last page.
While most of the students stared blankly at the exam questions and their faces filled with despair, Tilia's pen quickly skimmed over the answer sheet, her confidence evident.
And sitting three seats away from her, another pair of eyes was closely watching her. However, unlike before, the blue eyes fixed on Tilia now had a cold, calculating look.
Cecilia watched Tilia fill out her answer sheet, her lips curling into an icy smile.
"No matter how hard I try to ignore it..."
Cecilia tapped her pen on the table, her eyes narrowing in irritation.
“...It just keeps bothering me.”
There was a soft sound of paper tearing as Cecilia's pen drew a red line across her exam paper.
***
"Not bad. There are a few answers I'm not sure of, but overall I think I did a good job."
In the quiet courtyard, where the sun began to set, Tilia reviewed her exam answers with relief.
“I avoided failure, so I hope to get a high score. Perhaps if others fail, examiners will be more generous in marking essays.”
With this slightly selfish thought in her head, Tilia carefully folded her exam paper and stuffed it into her bag. Now that the most difficult exams were behind her, she could finally relax a little.
Of course, she couldn't afford to let her guard down completely.
I'll have to treat Judy to something nice tonight.
As she rose from the cold stone steps with a light heart, she felt something strange in her left pocket.
Did I put something in there?
With a puzzled expression on her face, she reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a small bottle no larger than her palm.
It was the bottle of holy water that Cecilia had given her before the rhetoric exam, the same one that she did not drink.
“Didn’t they walk so close to each other recently?”
Tilia tilted her head, remembering the secret rendezvous she had witnessed at dawn last week.
“Did they break up?”
The look on Cecilia's face when she said she wanted Ilex Davenport to fail was not a lie.
“She really seemed to have a grudge against him...”
Thinking about Ilex and Cecilia, Tilia shrugged.
Well, it's none of my business.
It would be more surprising if Ilex Davenport was ever in a serious relationship with anyone. Tilia shook her head, remembering the unpleasant rumors about him that circulated around the academy.
It looks like Cecilia has finally gotten burned by this scoundrel too. This is why you should never deal with guys who are only good for their looks.
Sympathizing 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 bright orange hue.
At that moment, she remembered the words that one of Cecilia's friends whispered:
“True. Everyone else is practically galloping forward, so I can’t be the only one running barefoot.”
Tilia's green eyes deepened even more as she looked at the small bottle.
“Run barefoot, yes...”
The delicate pink ribbon tied around the neck of the bottle was made of expensive silk. It was certainly more expensive than the tie Tilia wore around her neck.
“This must be great. You don’t have to fight for everything.”
Tuition and entrance fees for the Royal Academy of Acansis were astronomical, equal to several years of a commoner's life.
Of course, these fees only covered the essentials. Expenses for extracurricular activities, internships and hostel fees were charged separately. Even nobles with great wealth found this burdensome.
The only reason Tilia was able to get into such an elite school was because of the full scholarship offered to the top three students. Without this, she would never have crossed the threshold of the academy.
The setting rays of the sun, as if in a last effort, painted the surroundings in bright colors. Golden light streamed between the trees, casting a warm glow on Tilia's white face.
She looked at the small bottle in her hand and her green eyes softened as a thought popped into her head.
“If I drink this, will I be able to get a little closer to them?”
For the past few years, Tilia has lived like a barefoot runner, always fighting to keep up. The pressure of remaining in the top three was felt every day and overwhelmed her.
It would be a lie to say that she did not envy those who could sit comfortably in their carriages without worrying about anything in the world.
“If I drink this, will it make me feel better?”
While the luxurious bottle glistened in her hand, seducing her, Tilia's expression remained blank as she pulled the cap.
In one swift movement, the sunset-colored liquid splashed from the bottle onto the warm stone steps below.
Drip drip
Three months' living expenses ended up on sun-heated stones.
"Of course it's enviable."
But as she watched the holy water pour out, there was not the slightest hint of regret on Tilia's face.
"But I'm not going to waste my life being jealous."
She knew that she would never be able to defeat those who rode in the carriages. No matter how hard she tries, she will never be able to arrive at the same place as them.
So Tilia had two options.
Either become their entertainment while they ride in the carriage, or...
“Strengthen your legs to run faster.”
Tilia always chose the latter. And to this day she has never regretted this decision.
Although she was not the best student, Tilia Ambrose was a consistent runner-up. At the Royal Acansis Academy, it had become a given that the top two students were always Ilex Davenport and Tilia Ambrose.
Tilia was satisfied with this. It wasn't a lie to say that she didn't mind, although part of her still felt disappointed. Her goals were always more realistic than reaching the top.
“Besides, who knows if Cecelia Clayton gave me anything legal?”
For reasons Tilia couldn't understand, Cecilia always seemed to be subtly trying to undermine her authority, finding ways to belittle her at every opportunity.
Cecilia dominated in every area except grades, so why did she always want to put Tilia down?
"Well, I guess some people just don't like others for no reason."
Tilia most likely became one of these people for Cecilia.
Shrugging, she let go of the bottle and tossed it into a nearby trash can.
Ring. There was a sound of breaking glass as the bottle collided with something that was already inside.
I wonder how Judy did on the exam.
Not at all bothered by what had happened, Tilia walked down the stairs, thinking about her roommate.
By then it was completely dark, and the warm light of day had given way to cool darkness.
As the remaining heat slowly dissipated onto the stone steps, the liquid that accumulated there began to reflect the darkening sky.
Buzz. The striped bee, attracted by the scene, flew down and landed, folding its wings and extending its tiny proboscis to drink the spilled holy water.
The smell soon attracted others.
Ants with pitch-black antennae, centipedes with countless legs, and even more bees followed their companions to the scene.
As the gas lamps began to flicker in the growing darkness, a strange sight unfolded under the steps where Tilia sat. Attracted by the strange smell, the insects gathered together to form a writhing black mass.