Chapter 102: Iris (1)

I remember the day I first came to the orphanage.

Was I six years old?

I don’t remember my parents’ faces, only hunger and cold.

That’s when Director Karina took my hand.

“This is your home now, Iris.”

Six years have passed, and now I’m twelve, the oldest girl at the orphanage.

…

“Mmm…”

As I awoke from a hazy dream, the cold dawn air of late autumn brushed against my cheek.

Through a crack in the window, a few crimson leaves drifted in with the wind and settled on the floor.

Soon, winter would come, and snow would blow through this gap, forming a small pile.

The orphanage’s windows were old, with many gaps.

Dark, long hair framed my face.

If there were a mirror, my sharp jawline and the largest, bluest eyes in the orphanage would be staring back at me, as always.

The director said my eyes held the sky, but all I saw were tired-looking eyes.

I got out of bed and wrapped a worn blanket around my shoulders.

The blanket was covered in mended patches, but it was still warm.

I fiddled with the loose threads with my fingers and rubbed my still-sleepy eyes.

The sleeping quarters was a large room shared with the other children, but now they were all sound asleep.

Eight small beds lined the walls, and the younger children were sleeping in groups of three or four.

“Iris, are you up already?”

Director Karina, who was checking on a few children in the corner of the room, asked softly.

The gray hair tucked behind her ear and the wrinkles around her tired eyes were clear even in the faint candlelight.

“Yes, I’ll go prepare breakfast.”

I left the room, muffling my footsteps.

The old floor of the corridor was as cold as ice.

The stairs creaked, but I was already used to it and knew which steps to avoid to not make a sound.

I went downstairs, avoiding the third, fifth, and eighth steps.

The orphanage was an old three-story building that used to be a grain warehouse.

Wind blew through the gaps between the bricks, and when it rained, water always pooled in the corner of the second-floor room.

The surrounding area was a slum with a mixed smell of stream water and laundry, but to us, this was our only home.

When I arrived at the kitchen, the early morning sunlight was streaming through the small window.

The faint shafts of light made the dust particles dance.

The orphanage’s kitchen was always shabby, but strangely, it was my favorite, most comfortable place.

An old wooden table, wobbly chairs, and a fireplace with an old pot were all this space had.

I took out ingredients from the jars of barley and carrots and started making porridge.

There were only two carrots, and I also added the last small onion.

It was far from enough for thirty children to eat a meal, but there was no other way.

‘If I don’t feed them at least this much, Rendy’s illness will never get better…’

Rendy was a boy of about ten, and recently his hair had been breaking off, and he complained of dizziness.

The director said it was because of malnutrition.

Something about a lack of protein…

Just as the porridge began to bubble, I heard small footsteps.

“Unni, can I help you?”

A seven-year-old girl, Serina, entered the kitchen in her pajamas.

Her blonde hair was pushed to one side due to her sleeping habits.

Serina was the most energetic child in the orphanage, and she had come here after her parents died of an epidemic.

She was a charming child with always-clear eyes and pretty dimples.

“Thank you, Serina. Can you prepare the bowls?”

Serina smiled brightly and arranged the wooden bowls.

Every time this child smiled, the orphanage seemed to get a little brighter.

The sight of her carrying the bowls with her small hands always warmed my heart.

“One, two, three.”

Serina always counted three times as she set out the bowls.

Watching her, a smile spread across my face.

“Unni, are you going to work again today?”

Serina asked as she placed the bowls.

On her small fingers, a scar from when she had broken a bowl before was still visible.

“Yes, I’m going to the brewery in the afternoon. I might be able to get more than yesterday.”

Serina’s eyes filled with worry.

My tired reflection was clearly visible in her transparent eyes.

“But you look so tired. Are you okay?”

Serina’s clear eyes looking into my face pained my heart.

I was sorry to make her worry at such a young age.

“I’m fine. I’m strong, you know.”

I tried to smile brightly, but honestly, I was tired.

Waking up every dawn to prepare the children’s meals, cleaning, and doing laundry…

Working at the brewery or the market in the afternoon wasn’t easy.

The brewery work was especially hard.

Carrying heavy beer barrels, wiping up spilled beer on the floor, and avoiding drunk customers…

“Hey everyone, wake up! It’s breakfast!”

As I walked down the corridor and shouted, bustling noises began to come from each room.

The creaking of beds, the sound of footsteps, and yawns all mixed together.

The children came out one by one, disheveled, and gathered in the dining room.

They pushed each other with sleepy eyes and lined up to receive their bowls.

“I put in a little more carrot today. Isn’t it delicious?”

I said as I handed out the bowls to the children.

I gave to the younger children first, and the older ones received theirs later.

That was the rule of the orphanage.

The younger children ate first, and the older, stronger ones ate later.

My bowl always had whatever was left at the very end.

…

In the afternoon, I headed to the market.

I tied on my apron and tied my hair back tightly with a hair tie.

This made it more comfortable to work at the brewery.

It would be a disaster if my hair touched the beer barrels.

The market was as bustling as ever.

It was filled with various smells and sounds.

The smell of grilling meat, fresh bread, fruit…

I felt hungry, but I just passed by.

If I bought something to eat, it would be the same as taking away the children’s share.

On my way to the brewery, I saw people gathered in front of the central market bulletin board.

It wasn’t a common sight.

Usually, the bulletin board was filled with things like wanted posters or missing person notices.

“What’s going on?”

My curiosity piqued, I slowly approached.

People were pointing at a golden-colored paper and murmuring.

I squeezed through a gap and looked at the notice closely.

[Recruiting servants for Crystal Elysium. Monthly salary of 3 gold coins.]

My eyes widened.

3 gold coins?

That was money I would have to work for six months at the brewery to earn!

My heart began to beat faster.

I listened to the people’s conversation.

“That’s three times the salary of a noble’s servant!”

“But it’s for Frostia and Licorice…”

“Is it worth risking your life?”

“It’s practically a suicide mission…”

I was puzzled.

A suicide mission?

And Frostia? Licorice?

I had never heard those names before.

“Excuse me, what are Frostia and Licorice?”

When I asked, people looked at me with surprised expressions.

They looked at me as if I had asked, ‘what is the sky?’

“What? You don’t know Licorice… or even Frostia?”

A middle-aged man said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

His face was full of worry.

“Frostia is the ice dragon, the ruler of the Sia Kalt Great Labyrinth. She’s the one who created the vast ice region between the Heshet Empire and the Dianth Empire.”

“And Licorice is…”

Another woman looked around and lowered her voice.

As if she were telling a dangerous secret.

“She’s Frostia’s subordinate, a monster born from a flower. They say she only eats human blood…”

I was dumbfounded.

Do such things really exist?

A dragon and a plant monster?

It felt like a story from a fairy tale I had heard as a child.

But 3 gold coins…

With that money, I could cure Rendy’s illness and buy meat for the children.

I could also buy Serina a new dress…

I memorized the notice.

I decided not to tell the director.

She would surely stop me.

I decided to tell her I was going to work at a new brewery and secretly go for the interview.

…

On the day of the interview, I wore my cleanest clothes.

A gray dress that was old but had no holes, and the red ribbon the director had given me for my birthday in my hair.

I combed my hair neatly and washed my face clean. I even scraped out the dirt from under my fingernails.

Crystal Elysium was truly amazing.

It wasn’t even finished yet, but it was magnificent.

It was more like a giant work of art than a castle.

High spires made of crystal soared as if to pierce the sky, and a garden full of white flowers spread out around it.

The sunlight reflected off the crystals, casting a rainbow-colored glow.

It looked just like the fairy kingdom the director had told me about as a child, brought to life.

I was so dazzled that I stopped for a moment, and goosebumps rose all over my body.

“Is this the right place…”

I muttered timidly and approached the entrance.

A huge crystal door blocked my way.

My reflection in the door was distorted.

My shabby clothes made me look even more pathetic.

At the empty reception desk, only an old butler with white hair stood.

He was dressed all in black, and his eyes were full of wrinkles.

He looked at me with calm eyes.

‘Are there so few people?’

‘Because of that rumor?’

“Are you here for the interview, young lady?”

The old man’s voice was surprisingly warm.

“Yes, but… where are the other applicants?”

The butler just smiled and pointed to the large door.

“Please go inside.”

When the door opened, my jaw dropped.

The room inside was more magnificent than anything I had ever seen in my life.

A sparkling crystal chandelier, silver-decorated walls, an ice-like translucent floor…

My reflection on the floor was vividly clear.

The light from the chandelier created dancing shadows on the walls.

And there were two men there.

One was a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance, and the other was an old grandfather.

Both men wore splendid clothes decorated with gold and jewels.

I had never seen such clothes before, and I couldn’t even imagine how much they cost.

“Such a young child…?”

The middle-aged man said in a surprised voice.

His eyes were full of bewilderment.

“How old are you, young lady?”

“T-twelve years old, your honor.”

I bowed politely.

They must be high nobles.

This was the first time I had seen such people in person.

My legs were trembling, so I bowed in a strange posture.

“Hoho… This is King Adelheit III of the Genaith Kingdom. I am the chancellor who assists His Majesty.”

The grandfather said in a gentle voice.

For a moment, I thought my heart had stopped.

A king? His Majesty!?

Did I hear wrong?

I knelt and bowed my head.

In an instant, cold sweat ran down my body, and my heart pounded as if it would burst.

“Your Majesty! I’m sorry! I have been rude, please spare my life!”

How could I not recognize the king? What have I done?

I remembered a story I had heard in the slums long ago.

A villager who didn’t recognize the king was executed…

They would surely call the guards and drag me away immediately…

“What…? No, get up. Nothing of the sort will happen.”

There was bewilderment in the king’s voice.

When I raised my head, the king and the chancellor were looking at each other with troubled expressions.

In the king’s eyes, there was something like… pity.

“Ahem… Don’t worry and answer comfortably. First, what is your name?”

“Ah, my name is Iris, Your Majesty.”

My voice was still trembling.

He told me to answer comfortably, but how many people could speak calmly in front of a king.

“Yes, Iris. You are brave. But do you know what kind of place this is?”

“Crystal Elysium… you’re hiring servants…”

His expression suddenly became serious.

He fiddled with his beard with his fingertips and let out a deep breath.

“This castle is a lair for a dragon. It’s for Frostia, the ruler of the Sia Kalt Great Labyrinth, and her subordinate, Licorice.”

A chill ran down my spine.

I remembered the story I had heard at the market.

They actually exist?

The king looked out the window for a moment and sighed.

“The world is changing… An era has come where human kingdoms alone can no longer respond to all threats. Powers that we cannot control directly are emerging…”

The king continued, looking around cautiously.

“First, Licorice is… well, she has a fiery temper… and is a powerful monster. She has the power to destroy the royal castle in an instant.”

I saw the king’s hand trembling slightly.

He was afraid too.

And he muttered softly.

“This child looks just like I did when I first saw Licorice…”

“Your Majesty?”

I asked in confusion.

The king cleared his throat once and continued with a serious expression.

“Anyway, you must never make her angry.”

The king continued.

“And Frostia is an ice dragon. In the past, she single-handedly destroyed the Rosterian Kingdom and has now created a land of eternal ice at the border of the Heshet and Dianth Empires.”

‘So it really happened…’

The stories I heard at the market were true.

There was no exaggeration in those rumors.

It felt like a story from a fairy tale had become real.

“And if you work here, you have an important duty.”

The king explained.

“Every time Frostia comes to the lair, you must shout, ‘We welcome the radiant descent of the great Lady Frostia.’ You must remember this.”

“It’s also important to offer crystal water in the ice garden and create a path with white flowers.”

The chancellor added.

‘What…?’

The tasks I had to do were strange.

Is this a dragon’s preference…

Is doing such things ultimately to avoid the dragon’s wrath?

I swallowed dryly.

My hands were trembling, but I mustered my courage, thinking of the children.

Serina and Rendy, and the other children…

“I’ll do it. But, if… I die, can you give the compensation to the orphanage?”

The king and the chancellor exchanged glances.

A look of sadness flickered across the king’s face.

Their expressions were filled with pity.

“Where is the orphanage?”

“In the southern district, next to the old bakery. Director Karina is there.”

The king nodded.

“Yes, I promise.”

“I have one more request.”

I mustered my last bit of courage.

“Even if I die, please don’t tell the orphanage. Just say I went missing…”

A light flashed in the king’s eyes for a moment.

In his gaze, there was a mixture of pity and some other emotion.

He nodded to the chancellor.

“I will do so. And… be careful not to die.”