Iris's New Life in Crystal Elysium
The white-haired elderly butler assigned rooms one by one, calling out names. His name was Walter. He was the kind old man with the warm voice I'd first met on interview day.
"Iris, you've been assigned to the room at the far end of the east wing on the second floor."
All my belongings amounted to a single small bundle. A few worn outfits, soap prepared by Director Karina, and the little cloth doll Serina had made for me—that was everything.
When I stood before the door to the room the butler had guided me to, my heart pounded fiercely.
Turning the knob, 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 massive bed sat beneath the soft sunlight streaming through the window, accompanied by a wardrobe, a desk, and even a private bathroom. The floor was carpeted in something plush, and pale crystals adorned the walls.
"This is... way too luxurious."
Back at the orphanage, thirty of us crammed into one room. But here? This huge space, all to myself.
The garden view beyond the window was breathtaking, like a painting come to life.
I sat lightly on the bed and gasped—it was so soft and cushy. Touching the sheets, they felt like the silk I'd only ever heard rumors about at the market.
The bathroom boasted a grand tub stocked with fragrant soaps and shampoos.
I wish Serina and Rendi could live in a place like this...
Serina's hands always chapped and hurt in winter. Rendi had suffered frostbitten toes. In a warm room like this, they'd be over the moon.
With a sigh, I unpacked my bundle. My pathetic little possessions looked so out of place amid all this splendor that I couldn't help but laugh.
An hour later, Walter summoned everyone back to the first-floor hall.
"Now, we will assign your duties."
Glancing around at the gathered servants—about twenty in all—tension etched every face.
"Iris, you've been assigned as Lady Ricoris's exclusive maid."
My heart plummeted.
Ricoris... the star of all those rumors.
"Y-yes... Understood."
I managed a reply in a trembling voice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the maid standing in front of me grimace, worry clouding her gaze.
Walter continued divvying up tasks. Betty to the kitchen, Clara to Lady Frostia's room, the others to the gardens and hallways.
"Lady Ricoris's room is at the far end of the east wing on the third floor. Iris, your role is to tend to all of her needs."
My throat went dry, but I forced a calm nod.
My footsteps toward Ricoris's room felt like they weighed a thousand pounds each.
The rumors I'd dug up after the interview were nightmarish.
"Ricoris tried to eat the prince, but His Highness knelt and begged for his life—barely survived..."
"No way... For real?"
"You didn't know? When she gets mad, she drains every last drop of blood from anything alive...! But she looks like an innocent little girl, so you drop your guard."
Even hearing all that, I couldn't picture what she was truly like.
At Ricoris's door, my hands shook so badly I could barely grip the knob. I drew a deep breath and eased it open.
"Th-this is..."
I stood there, utterly stupefied. This wasn't a bedroom—it was a palace.
The entire space shimmered in silver and crimson. Glowing crystals studded the walls, red flowers blooming vibrantly between them. A colossal chandelier dangled from the ceiling, festooned with thousands of tiny crystals that twinkled like stars gathered from the night sky.
At the center loomed a bed draped in red silk, grander and more opulent than anything I'd ever dreamed.
Flanking it was a silver table bearing a vase of crimson blooms. The floor gleamed with flawless crystal—transparent as ice, yet radiating a subtle warmth underfoot. The contradictory sensation only heightened the otherworldly aura.
Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view straight out of a fairy tale.
"Hello?"
The voice from behind startled me; I whipped around. It was Clara, the other maid. She seemed older than me, her bright blonde hair neatly pinned up.
"A place like this... I've never seen anything like it."
"I was shocked speechless my first time too. It's far more lavish than the king's own bedchamber!"
"You've seen the king's bedchamber?"
Clara gave a faint smile.
"I worked in the royal palace. But this? It doesn't even compare. This is the domain of gods."
Her words only deepened my unease. A being who dwelled in splendor surpassing the king's...
"Um, what about that room?"
I pointed to another door at the corridor's end, shrouded in a similarly enigmatic air—beyond Frostia and Ricoris's quarters.
"Oh, that's the most special guest room."
"Special... guest room?"
"Rumor has it... it's for Nis."
A name I'd never heard.
"Who's Nis...?"
Clara glanced around furtively and whispered,
"Lady Nis rules the Desmeer labyrinth. She's Lady Frostia's friend. She showed up with her at the reception halls of those two empires—didn't you hear?"
"Y-yes... Another dragon?"
"No, from what I hear... she's a colossal serpent. They call her Uroboros too."
"Urobo... what?"
"It's hush-hush, but... it symbolizes an evil god. No wonder the cultists are in a frenzy. Some say she's even more terrifying than Lady Frostia."
My breath caught. Frostia, Ricoris, and now Nis. Could I really survive in a world with beings like these?
Tremors started at my fingertips. My heart raced, cold sweat trickling down my spine.
"...go."
Clara's words barely registered.
"Iris?"
"Y-yes? Sorry, I missed that."
"Everyone's gathering in the dining hall. Dinner time."
...
The dining hall was far cozier than I'd imagined. A fire crackled in the hearth, and the long table groaned under abundant dishes.
We all sat around a round table.
"From today on, you'll be working together. Take this time to get to know one another," Walter said.
"I came here because of debts. My father left behind so much..."
Betty spoke first, tears welling in her plump cheeks.
"My mother's gravely ill, and the medicine's so expensive... I thought the pay here could save her..."
One by one, others shared their tales. Most had been driven by poverty or debt. But a few had different stories.
A sharp-eyed woman in the corner spoke up.
"I came from prison."
All eyes turned to her.
"Killed a slave trader. No regrets. I was just waiting to rot in there when they offered this."
Her name was Lily. A cat beastkin, with long, pointed ears atop her head and vertically slit pupils like a feline's.
Another man chimed in from prison too. A former royal sculptor, nabbed for counterfeiting.
"My skills were too good, see? Copied the royal coins so perfectly, they couldn't tell fake from real. Prison? This is paradise by comparison."
Daren, with his piercing gaze and bushy beard.
Gathering my courage, I spoke quietly.
"I'm... from the orphanage. I came so the kids there can have better lives."
They all stared at me in shock.
"How old are you?" Betty asked.
"Twelve."
"Twelve!? Gods, that's too young..."
Betty cried out in astonishment. Expressions around the table shifted—the orphanage bit, and my age, hit them hard.
"No, really, I'm okay. I was the big sister there. I can cook porridge, clean, do laundry and sewing, even brewing... all sorts of things."
Betty squeezed my hand tight.
"We'll look after you. No worries."
Her words warmed my chest. For the first time, the fear of this place eased a little.
After that, the servants doted on me extra. Walter taught etiquette and manners; Betty always slipped me tasty snacks. Lily even offered to move her room next to mine.
"You'll be scared alone. Better with me right next door."
Their kindness gradually made life here feel... bearable.
...
A week passed.
"Lady Frostia and Lady Ricoris still show no sign of coming," Clara remarked in the corridor after morning cleaning.
"Yeah... thank goodness."
A sigh of relief escaped me unbidden.
My first daily chore was cleaning Ricoris's room. Unused as it was, there wasn't much to do—but I changed the flowers afresh and swapped the bedsheets every day.
"But... will they really come?"
Clara chuckled.
"Of course. All this is for them, after all."
My heart grew heavy once more. Right... they'd come eventually. And when that day arrived...
...
Two weeks in, Clara handed me a small box.
"Here—a gift."
"Huh? What is it?"
Inside lay a light purple dress. Silk, exquisitely made, impossibly soft to the touch.
"This... looks too expensive. I can't accept it."
Clara smiled warmly.
"Bought it for you. You'll get a vacation someday. Your clothes are all so threadbare."
"But... it doesn't suit someone like me."
"Doesn't suit you? Nonsense! A pretty girl like you saying that means us older sisters have nothing to wear."
My cheeks burned.
"Aw, just try it on. It'll look perfect."
At her urging, I slipped into the dress. Before the mirror stood a stranger—a girl who was me, yet not. After years in rags, a real dress transformed me.
Tears welled up. I'd never worn anything so beautiful. Neither Karina, nor Serina, nor the other kids had ever seen me like this.
"Iris? Why the tears? Don't like it?"
Clara asked, concerned.
"No... I love it. I'm just... so happy to meet people this kind."
As I finished speaking, tears streamed down my cheeks. Clara fumbled to wipe them, but I hugged her first.
"Thank you so much, Clara sis."
She hugged me back, a faintly sad smile on her face.
"Don't cry. Only good things from here on out."