As the first rays of dawn danced across her countenance, Iris’ eyes fluttered open, round with surprise.
“How did Sid know about that?” she murmured, her voice thick with confusion.
Sidrain gently pushed a plate of succulent steak towards her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Despite her delicate frame, Iris had undoubtedly led a difficult life of toil and fruit-based sustenance. The thought of her struggling to eat and sleep, all while paying off debts to the spirits, caused Sidrain’s heart to ache with empathy.
“Why did you do that? Even if you hadn’t, the victory would have been mine,” he wondered, his voice filled with genuine curiosity.
Iris paused in her cutting of the steak, her gaze locking onto Sidrain’s. The steak was delicious, its flavor a symphony on her tongue, yet its sweetness could not ease her troubled mind. The list of traitors, with the name of her beloved teacher amongst them, weighed heavily on her heart.
“Ris,” Sidrain murmured, sensing her distress. Gently, he pulled her towards him, cradling her in his arms as she sat in her chair. “There’s something you’re not telling me. Is it that you don’t want to talk about it, or can’t you talk about it?”
Iris grappled with the question, her mind awhirl with uncertainty. Was it that she didn’t want to reveal the list, or was it that she couldn’t bring herself to do so? Despite her teacher’s insistence that it was okay to show it, why did she hesitate so? It felt as though not showing the list was her final bastion. If she did reveal it, it was as if she would never see her teacher again.
“Stupid,” Iris muttered, her voice firm with determination.
She had made up her mind.
<Come out, Leiden.>
In response to Iris’s beckoning call, a small portal opened upon the table, and from within, a house fairy emerged, fluttering amidst the blooming flowers.
Leiden, startled by the sight of the killer from the previous day, let out a silent scream of terror and cringed in fear. Iris rolled her eyes in annoyance and scowled.
<How rude, what are you doing?> she reprimanded.
<Rude…,> Leiden stammered, tears welling in his eyes. <You know what happened to us yesterday!>
But Iris interrupted before he could continue, turning towards Sidrain with a warm smile. “I’ll introduce you. This is Leiden, my house fairy. My first creation, a living being,” she said, gesturing towards the small house fairy with affection in her voice.
Sidrain nodded ambiguously, sensing her sentiment. “Ah, first living being. …A significant other, I assume?” he asked.
“Yes,” Iris replied, her voice tinged with bashful embarrassment. Sidrain smiled along, and offered his hand in greeting.
“Nice to meet you, Leiden the house fairy,” he said.
It was as if they had just met for the first time, and Leiden blinked in disbelief. He still vividly remembered the cruel deeds he had been forced to commit the day before, but the person who had made him do those things was now smiling so pleasantly, as if nothing had happened.
“<Hey, Iris!>”
“<Yeah?>”
That man seems strange!
As Iris cast looked back at him, she glimpsed a blade of flame materializing from her peripheral vision. The sight of the burning sword was a chilling one, and Leiden’s small courage crumbled in its wake.
“<…No, it’s nothing… just…>” he muttered. Iris’ eyes flicked back and forth to Leiden with a hint of suspicion.
“This is Sidrain, of the Letaire Empire,” she introduced, her voice tinged with awkwardness. “He is the king of this country.”
“Oh, I see…”
“Take the envelope I left you with,” said Iris. When she looked back at Sidrain, he had put Testalia back in his chest. “Sid, are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine… what?” Sidrain replied. Did she catch on?
Sidrain noticed Iris’ reaction. Iris explained with an awkward smile.
“There are many people who are uncomfortable around spirits,” Iris explained, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “Small things in the shape of humans. They are not dolls, and upon closer inspection, they are very different from humans. Especially in the case of house spirits, they are not born naturally, so they feel more artificial and often cause aversion.”
Sidrain chuckled heartily, “Ah, I’m fine. I myself carry a sword in my heart.” He wrapped his arms around Iris, pulling her close in a warm embrace. Leiden, who had been standing nearby, was now face to face with Sidrain due to the wind blowing from behind Iris.
Sidrain’s eyes met Leiden’s, a silent message passing between them, “Act well, okay?” Leiden nodded his head forcefully, as if to assure the king that he would.
As the first rays of dawn danced across her countenance, Iris’ eyes fluttered open, round with surprise.
“How did Sid know about that?” she murmured, her voice thick with confusion.
Sidrain gently pushed a plate of succulent steak towards her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Despite her delicate frame, Iris had undoubtedly led a difficult life of toil and fruit-based sustenance. The thought of her struggling to eat and sleep, all while paying off debts to the spirits, caused Sidrain’s heart to ache with empathy.
“Why did you do that? Even if you hadn’t, the victory would have been mine,” he wondered, his voice filled with genuine curiosity.
Iris paused in her cutting of the steak, her gaze locking onto Sidrain’s. The steak was delicious, its flavor a symphony on her tongue, yet its sweetness could not ease her troubled mind. The list of traitors, with the name of her beloved teacher amongst them, weighed heavily on her heart.
“Ris,” Sidrain murmured, sensing her distress. Gently, he pulled her towards him, cradling her in his arms as she sat in her chair. “There’s something you’re not telling me. Is it that you don’t want to talk about it, or can’t you talk about it?”
Iris grappled with the question, her mind awhirl with uncertainty. Was it that she didn’t want to reveal the list, or was it that she couldn’t bring herself to do so? Despite her teacher’s insistence that it was okay to show it, why did she hesitate so? It felt as though not showing the list was her final bastion. If she did reveal it, it was as if she would never see her teacher again.
“Stupid,” Iris muttered, her voice firm with determination.
She had made up her mind.
<Come out, Leiden.>
In response to Iris’s beckoning call, a small portal opened upon the table, and from within, a house fairy emerged, fluttering amidst the blooming flowers.
Leiden, startled by the sight of the killer from the previous day, let out a silent scream of terror and cringed in fear. Iris rolled her eyes in annoyance and scowled.
<How rude, what are you doing?> she reprimanded.
<Rude…,> Leiden stammered, tears welling in his eyes. <You know what happened to us yesterday!>
But Iris interrupted before he could continue, turning towards Sidrain with a warm smile. “I’ll introduce you. This is Leiden, my house fairy. My first creation, a living being,” she said, gesturing towards the small house fairy with affection in her voice.
Sidrain nodded ambiguously, sensing her sentiment. “Ah, first living being. …A significant other, I assume?” he asked.
“Yes,” Iris replied, her voice tinged with bashful embarrassment. Sidrain smiled along, and offered his hand in greeting.
“Nice to meet you, Leiden the house fairy,” he said.
It was as if they had just met for the first time, and Leiden blinked in disbelief. He still vividly remembered the cruel deeds he had been forced to commit the day before, but the person who had made him do those things was now smiling so pleasantly, as if nothing had happened.
“<Hey, Iris!>”
“<Yeah?>”
That man seems strange!
As Iris cast looked back at him, she glimpsed a blade of flame materializing from her peripheral vision. The sight of the burning sword was a chilling one, and Leiden’s small courage crumbled in its wake.
“<…No, it’s nothing… just…>” he muttered. Iris’ eyes flicked back and forth to Leiden with a hint of suspicion.
“This is Sidrain, of the Letaire Empire,” she introduced, her voice tinged with awkwardness. “He is the king of this country.”
“Oh, I see…”
“Take the envelope I left you with,” said Iris. When she looked back at Sidrain, he had put Testalia back in his chest. “Sid, are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine… what?” Sidrain replied. Did she catch on?
Sidrain noticed Iris’ reaction. Iris explained with an awkward smile.
“There are many people who are uncomfortable around spirits,” Iris explained, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “Small things in the shape of humans. They are not dolls, and upon closer inspection, they are very different from humans. Especially in the case of house spirits, they are not born naturally, so they feel more artificial and often cause aversion.”
Sidrain chuckled heartily, “Ah, I’m fine. I myself carry a sword in my heart.” He wrapped his arms around Iris, pulling her close in a warm embrace. Leiden, who had been standing nearby, was now face to face with Sidrain due to the wind blowing from behind Iris.
Sidrain’s eyes met Leiden’s, a silent message passing between them, “Act well, okay?” Leiden nodded his head forcefully, as if to assure the king that he would.
