Chapter 103: Iris (2)

An elderly butler with white hair called out names one by one, assigning rooms.

His name was Walter.

He was the same old man with the warm voice I had first met on the day of my interview.

“Miss Iris, you will be assigned to the room at the eastern end of the second floor.”

My belongings were nothing more than a small bundle.

A few old clothes, a bar of soap the director had prepared, and a small cloth doll Serina had made were all I had.

When I stood before the room the butler had guided me to, my heart pounded.

I turned the doorknob, and the door opened smoothly.

“Is this… really my room?”

My mouth fell open on its own.

The room was larger than the entire orphanage.

A large bed was placed under the soft sunlight streaming through the window, and it was equipped with a wardrobe, a desk, and even a bathroom.

The floor was covered with a soft carpet, and the walls were decorated with pale crystals.

“This is… too luxurious.”

At the orphanage, thirty of us shared one room, but here, I was to use such a large room all by myself.

When I sat down lightly on the bed, I was surprised by how plush it was.

I touched the bedsheets with my hand; they felt like the silk I had only heard rumors about in the market.

The bathroom had a large bathtub and was filled with fragrant soaps and shampoos.

‘How wonderful it would be if Serina and Lendy could live in a place like this…’

Serina’s hands always grew rough and painful in the winter.

Lendy suffered from frozen toes, but in a warm room like this, how happy they would both be.

With a sigh, I unpacked my bundle.

I had to laugh at how my shabby belongings contrasted with this splendid room.

An hour later, Walter the butler called everyone to the first-floor hall again.

“From now on, I will assign each of you your duties.”

Looking around the hall, about twenty servants had gathered.

Tension was written on everyone’s face.

“Miss Iris, you have been assigned as the exclusive maid to Lady Licorice.”

My heart sank.

Licorice… the subject of all those rumors.

“Yes… I understand.”

I answered with a trembling voice.

I saw the expression of the maid standing in front of me contort.

A worried light flickered in her eyes.

Walter continued to assign tasks.

Betty was assigned to the kitchen, Clara to Frostia’s room, and others were tasked with the garden and hallways.

“Lady Licorice’s room is at the eastern end of the third floor. It will be your duty, Miss Iris, to attend to all of Lady Licorice’s needs.”

My throat was dry, but I managed to nod calmly.

My steps felt as heavy as lead as I headed towards Licorice’s room.

The rumors I had investigated after the interview were horrific.

“They say Licorice tried to devour the prince, and His Highness had to get on his knees and beg for him to be spared…”

“Good heavens… could that be true?”

“Didn’t you know? They say that when Licorice gets angry, she drains every last drop of blood from any living thing…! And the worst part is, she looks like a little girl, so you can’t help but let your guard down!”

Even hearing such rumors, I couldn’t imagine what kind of being she truly was.

When I arrived in front of Licorice’s room, my hands trembled so much I could hardly grasp the doorknob.

I took a deep breath and carefully opened the door.

“This… this is…”

I was dumbfounded.

This wasn’t a room; it was a palace.

The entire room was decorated in silver and red.

Glowing crystals were embedded in the walls, and between them, red flowers were in full bloom.

The enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling was adorned with thousands of small crystals.

The way it sparkled in the light was as if all the stars in the night sky had been gathered together.

In the center of the room sat a bed covered in red silk.

It was larger and more magnificent than any bed I had ever imagined.

Next to it was a silver table, upon which sat a vase filled with red flowers.

The floor was made of smooth crystal.

It was as transparent as ice, but when I stepped on it, a subtle warmth spread through my feet.

The contradictory sensation made it feel all the more mystical.

The windows stretched from floor to ceiling, and the view from them was as beautiful as a painting.

“Excuse me?”

Startled by a voice from behind, I turned around.

It was the maid named Clara.

She looked older than me, with her bright blonde hair tied back neatly.

“I’ve… never seen a place like this before.”

“I was shocked when I first saw it too. This is far more splendid than the king’s bedchamber!”

“Have you seen the king’s bedchamber?”

Clara smiled faintly.

“I used to work in the royal castle. But this… it’s beyond comparison. This place is truly the domain of the gods.”

Her words made me even more anxious.

A being who lives in a room more splendid than a king’s.

“Excuse me, whose room is this?”

I pointed to another room at the end of the hall.

Besides Frostia’s and Licorice’s rooms, this one also had a mysterious aura.

“Ah, that’s the most special of the guest rooms.”

“A special… guest room?”

“According to the rumors… it’s a room for Nis.”

It was a name I had never heard before.

“Nis… who is that?”

Clara glanced around before lowering her voice.

“Nis… no, Lord Nis is the ruler of the Desmere Great Labyrinth. They say he is a friend of Lady Frostia. Didn’t you know he appeared with Lady Frostia at the meeting point of the two empires?”

“No… Is he another dragon?”

“No, from what I’ve heard… he has the form of a giant snake. They also call him Ouroboros.”

“Ourobo… what?”

“This is a real secret… but they say he symbolizes an evil god. That’s why the followers of the evil god were so ecstatic this time… There are even rumors that he’s a more terrifying being than Lady Frostia.”

I felt my breath catch in my throat.

Frostia, Licorice, and now a being named Nis.

Could I really survive among such beings?

A tremor started from my fingertips.

My heart was still racing, and cold sweat trickled down my back.

“…Let’s go.”

Clara’s words didn’t register.

“Iris?”

“Yes? I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“We’re all gathering in the dining hall. It’s time for dinner.”

The dining hall was much cozier than I had imagined.

A fire crackled in the hearth, and a long table was laden with a lavish spread of food.

Everyone sat around a round table.

“From today, you will all be working together. Please take this time to get to know one another,” Walter said.

“I came here because of debt. My father left behind so much…” Betty began, tears welling up in her plump cheeks.

“My mother is gravely ill, and her medicine is so expensive… I thought with the salary here, I could save her…”

One by one, the others began to share their stories.

Most had come here because of poverty and debt.

But a few were here for different reasons.

A woman with sharp eyes, sitting in a corner, spoke up.

“I came from prison.”

All eyes turned to her.

“I killed a s*ave trader. But I don’t regret it. I was just waiting to die in prison when they offered me this place.”

Her name was Lily.

She was a cat beastkin, with long, pointed cat ears on top of her head.

Her pupils were also sharp and vertical, like a cat’s.

Another man said he also came from prison.

He was originally a royal sculptor but was caught for counterfeiting currency.

“My skills are a bit too good, you see… I replicated the royal currency so perfectly that they couldn’t even tell it from the real thing. But hey, this place is heaven compared to prison.”

His name was Daren.

He was a man with a sharp gaze and a thick beard.

Having listened quietly, I gathered my courage and spoke.

“I… came from an orphanage. I came here so that the children could have a better life.”

At my words, everyone looked at me with surprised eyes.

“You… how old are you?” Betty asked.

“Twelve.”

“Twelve!? Good heavens, at such a young age…” Betty exclaimed in shock.

The expressions of the people at the table changed.

The fact that I was from an orphanage and was only twelve seemed to have shocked them.

“No, I’m alright. I was the eldest sister at the orphanage. I’m good at making porridge, cleaning, laundry, sewing, and… brewing… I can do many other things too.”

Betty squeezed my hand tightly.

“We’ll take good care of you. Don’t worry.”

Her words warmed my heart.

For the first time, the fear I felt in this place began to subside a little.

After that, the servants took extra special care of me.

Walter taught me common knowledge and etiquette, and Betty always saved tasty snacks for me.

Lily offered to move her bedroom next to mine.

“You’ll be scared if you’re alone. I think it’s better if I’m next door.”

Their warm consideration slowly made my life here more comfortable.

A week passed.

“Lady Frostia and Lady Licorice still don’t seem to have any intention of coming,” Clara said when we met in the hallway after morning cleaning.

“Yes, that’s a relief.”

A sigh of relief escaped me without my noticing.

The first thing I did every morning was clean Licorice’s room.

Since the room had never been used, there wasn’t much to clean, but I still replaced the flowers with fresh ones and changed the bedsheets every day.

“But… will they really come?”

Clara smiled.

“Of course. All of this is for them.”

My heart grew heavy again.

Yes, one day they would come.

And when that day came…

Two weeks later, Clara handed me a small box.

“Here, it’s a gift.”

“For me? What is it?”

When I opened the box, a lavender dress lay inside.

It was a beautiful dress made of silk.

It was soft to the touch.

“This… looks too expensive. I can’t accept it.”

Clara smiled warmly.

“I bought it for you. You’ll get a day off eventually. Your clothes are quite worn out.”

“But… something like this doesn’t suit me.”

“What are you talking about, doesn’t suit you? If a pretty girl like you says that, it means us older sisters have nothing to wear.”

Her words made my face turn red.

“Come on, try it on. I’m sure it will look great on you.”

At Clara’s urging, I tried on the dress.

When I stood in front of the mirror, a strange girl stared back at me.

The girl was me, but she didn’t look like me.

Having only worn ragged clothes until now, wearing a proper dress for the first time made me look different.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

It was the first time I had worn such a pretty dress.

The director, Serina, and the other children had never seen me look so pretty.

“Iris? Why are you crying? Don’t you like it?” Clara asked worriedly.

“No… I love it so much. It’s just… I’m so happy to have met such kind people.”

As soon as I finished speaking, tears streamed down my cheeks.

Clara, flustered, tried to wipe my tears away, but I hugged her tightly first.

“Thank you so much, Clara-unni.”

Clara hugged me back.
A slightly sad smile graced her face.

“Don’t cry. From now on, only good things will happen.”