Iris 3

One day, a letter arrived.

《Iris, are you doing well? His Majesty donated generously to the orphanage recently. Thanks to that, Rendi’s treatment has begun. The children are all wearing new clothes and eating meat every day. They all miss you. Serina sleeps by your bed every night. She believes you’ll come back. Yesterday, she told the kids, “Unnie will become rich and come get us.” – Carina》

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

Director… Serina… Rendi…

Everyone is doing well.

I held the letter close to my chest.

Your Majesty, thank you…

Yes, I must see this through.

For the children.

To repay His Majesty.

Betty patted my shoulder.

“Are you okay? Do you miss home?”

“Yes, a little. But I’m fine. The work here is helping them.”

Betty smiled warmly and wiped away my tears.

“We’re all here for each other. You’re not alone, Iris.”

As we entered our third week, we grew closer.

The initial anxiety and tension eased a bit.

The routine of waking up, cleaning, dining together, and tending to the lair became natural.

Lily taught me how to handle weapons.

“You look too naive. You need to get stronger.”

That’s what she said.

Dallen taught me how to read people’s expressions.

“If you can read your opponent’s face, you can survive.”

That was his advice.

Walter began teaching me about common sense and etiquette, calling it history, and Betty taught me how to cook.

Everyone helped me in their own way.

…

Before I knew it, a month had passed.

Life in the lair was now completely familiar.

Lycoris’s room was no longer a scary place for me.

On the contrary, it became my favorite spot.

The fantastical crystal bed, the red flowers, and the beautiful view from the window…

Everything felt magical.

“Will she come today?”

We exchanged the same question every day.

And the same answer came back every day.

“Of course.”

As time passed, the fear turned into curiosity.

What do Frostia and Lycoris really look like?

Are they as terrifying as the rumors say?

Or are they different from what we know?

One night, Lily asked me,

“What’s your wish?”

Under the starry sky, on the spire of the lair, we sat together.

“A wish?”

“Yes, your true desire.”

I thought for a moment.

“I want to live with the children. In a house where everyone can be happy. No more hunger, no more cold.”

Lily smiled softly.

“Then you need to survive.”

“Yes…”

“I think you’ll survive. There’s something special in your eyes.”

Lily’s words warmed my heart.

Surviving here.

That was my only goal.

…

And finally, that day arrived.

The peaceful morning was suddenly shattered.

“Frostia has arrived! Everyone, get ready!”

The guard’s shout caused the entire lair to stir.

Everyone moved quickly, as we had practiced.

My heart pounded, and my breath quickened.

“Iris, it’s okay. We’re all here,”

Clara said, grabbing my shoulder.

Her hand was trembling too.

“Don’t worry, just do as we practiced.”

Walter’s words didn’t help much.

Clara and I held baskets of white petals and stood at the front gate.

Our task was to scatter the petals and create a path.

I clutched the basket tightly with trembling hands.

Suddenly, the entire lair darkened.

It was as if night had fallen.

I slowly looked up at the sky.

My breath caught.

In the sky was a silver dragon of a size I couldn’t have imagined.

Its scale was unbelievable.

Its shadow could cover the entire lair.

The silver scales shimmered dazzlingly in the sunlight, and a single flap of its wings created a strong gust of wind.

That’s…

Frostia…?

A being that could only exist in myths stood before me.

The dragon landed in the garden.

Instantly, the temperature dropped sharply.

The water in the ice garden froze in an instant, and frost covered the ground.

The cold aura surrounding the dragon caused the phenomenon.

Then, a bright light enveloped the dragon’s body.

When the light faded, the most beautiful woman stood there.

Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, and her white eyes shone coldly.

She had pale, icy skin and an elegant figure, dressed in a silver-embroidered dress.

Her beauty transcended that of humans.

And behind her…

There was a girl in a black dress.

Her crimson eyes pierced through me, and her black hair, tinged with crimson at the ends, was striking.

Could she be Lycoris?

She looked much younger than I expected.

Similar in age to Rendi.

But her gaze held an intense energy that no child would possess.

And there were more behind her.

The first to catch my eye was a child sitting on a giant wasp.

A wasp…

Its body, as if carved from ice, and its blade-like stinger exuded an intimidating presence.

Normally, I would have screamed and run away, but I had no such luxury now.

The child on the wasp wore a black cloak.

Flaming red hair like fire and big, round eyes were striking.

Her eyes sparkled as if real flames danced within.

“Mom! It’s so cool!”

The child’s clear voice rang out.

Mom…?

Calling the girl in black, who looked Rendi’s age, “mom”?

Could my ears be playing tricks on me?

But the girl in black smiled and replied,

“Heh-heh. The king did well!”

I couldn’t understand.

How could a girl who looked younger than me be the mother of that child?

Ah, right…

They were monsters.

Monsters in human form.

Beings entirely different from us.

Yet, that child… was so cute.

Flaming hair, a cloak, and that innocent smile…

It was hard to believe she was a monster’s child.

She looked like a fairy.

A blue butterfly fluttered in the air, and a strange, floating orb-like creature was also present.

In the distance, a woman with crimson eyes gave off a dangerous aura.

She was muttering “Oh my, oh my” as she scanned the lair.

Could she be Nis?

And there were two who appeared human.

One looked like an archer, the other like a magician.

“Prepare…”

Walter whispered.

He signaled with his hand, and all the servants bowed deeply.

“We welcome the glorious arrival of the great Frostia!”

We all shouted in unison.

My voice trembled, but it was drowned out by the others.

The silver-haired woman looked at us with a surprised expression.

The girl in black smiled happily.

She looked around with satisfaction, as if proud, and glanced at Frostia.

Frostia gazed at us with icy eyes.

My heart pounded.

“What’s all…”

Frostia’s voice was like a cold wind.

Her white eyes showed surprise and dismay before filling with deep admiration.

She looked around the lair, her icy expression softening.

Then she looked at the girl behind her.

Her gaze was filled with affection.

Dragons feel emotions just like humans…

And the girl in black must be Lycoris.

I couldn’t hide my surprise.

Unlike the terrifying ice dragon from the rumors, Frostia’s gaze toward someone was so human-like.

Her complex emotions were no different from ours.

In that moment, the fear pressing on my chest began to melt.

Then Lycoris looked around the lair and sparkled with excitement.

“But… it’s really shabby…?”

She muttered softly, but in the silent tension, her words rang clear.

Shabby…?

A word I’d never heard before.

Perhaps noble language?

Or monster slang?

It was unfamiliar, but the joy and excitement in her voice came through clearly.

Lycoris skipped into the lair, her black dress fluttering.

Behind her, the child on the wasp performed acrobatics in the air.

The sight, a mix of fear and wonder, was mesmerizing.

“Lycoris, wait!”

The man who seemed like a magician chased after her, but it was too late.

The black dress had already disappeared around the corner.

Frostia smiled and walked slowly.

Frost formed wherever she stepped.

I clutched the basket of flowers tightly.

I needed to create the flower path…

But my legs wouldn’t move.

Clara, standing beside me, seemed in the same state.

Then the child on the wasp stopped in front of me.

She looked at me with curious eyes.

The flames dancing in her pupils were fascinating.

“Unnie! So cool!”

She smiled at me.

Her innocent smile made me smile unconsciously.

Her appearance was so pure, I forgot she was a monster’s child.

“Thank you.”

Gathering courage, Clara and I began to scatter the white petals.

Frostia looked at us with a subtle expression, but didn’t mind much.

‘Good…’

I wiped my chest and let out a sigh of relief.

That’s how I had my first encounter with legendary beings.

Amid the white petals swirling in the wind, Frostia’s icy footprints and the hem of her silver dress passed by.

As I walked the flower path, I realized something.

The path I now walked was the threshold from which there was no return.