Iris 3 - A Letter from Home
One day, a letter arrived.
Iris, how have you been? His Highness recently made a huge donation to the orphanage. Thanks to that, we've started treating Rendi's illness. All the kids have new clothes now, and we can eat meat every day. Everyone misses you so much. Serina tries to sleep by your bed every night. She truly believes you'll come back. Yesterday, she was telling the other kids, "Big sis is gonna get rich and come pick us all up!"
— Karina
Hot tears streamed down my cheeks.
Director... Serina... Rendi... Everyone's doing well.
I clutched the letter to my chest.
Your Highness, thank you... Yes, I have to make this work. For the kids. To repay His Highness.
Betty patted my shoulder.
"You okay? Missing home?"
"Yeah, a little. But I'm fine. This job is helping them, after all."
Betty smiled warmly and wiped my tears.
"We're all here for each other. You're not alone, Iris."
As we entered the third week, we grew even closer. The initial anxiety and tension eased bit by bit. Our daily routine—waking up each morning to clean, sharing meals, tending the lair—settled in naturally.
Lily taught me the basics of handling weapons.
"You look too innocent. You need to toughen up a bit."
That was her reasoning. Daren showed me how to read people's expressions.
"If you can read your opponent's face, you can survive."
His advice. Walter praised my grasp of etiquette and common knowledge, then began teaching me history. Betty taught me cooking. Everyone helped me in their own way.
...
Before I knew it, a month had passed. Life in the lair felt completely familiar now. Ricoris's room was no longer a place of fear for me. In fact, it had become my favorite spot. The fantastical crystal bed, the red flowers, the stunning view from the window... It all felt like magic.
"She won't come today either, right?"
We exchanged the same question every day. And the same answer came back every time.
"Obviously not."
As time went on, my fear slowly turned to curiosity. What were Frostia and Ricoris really like? Were they as terrifying as the rumors said? Or something entirely different from what we imagined?
One night, Lily asked me,
"If you had one wish, what would it be?"
We were sitting together atop the lair's spire, under a sky full of stars.
"A wish?"
"Yeah, a wish. Something you truly want."
I thought for a moment.
"I want to live with the kids. In a home where we're all happy. No more hunger, no more cold."
Lily smiled softly.
"Then you gotta survive for that."
"Yeah..."
"I think you will. There's something special in your eyes."
Her words warmed my heart. Surviving this place—that was my one and only goal.
...
And finally, the day came.
The peaceful morning shattered in an instant.
"Lady Frostia has arrived! Everyone, prepare!"
The guard's shout sent the entire lair into a frenzy. We all moved swiftly, just as we'd practiced. My heart pounded like it would burst, my breath coming in short gasps.
"Iris, it's okay. We're all in this together."
Clara gripped my shoulder. Her hand was trembling too.
"Don't worry—just do as we practiced."
Walter's words didn't help much either.
Clara and I stood at the entrance, baskets of white petals in hand. Our job was to scatter them and make a path. I gripped my basket with shaking hands.
Suddenly, the entire lair went dark. Like night had fallen, shadows blanketed everything. I slowly looked up at the sky.
My breath caught.
A silver dragon of unimaginable size filled the heavens. Its sheer scale was unbelievable—its shadow alone could engulf the whole lair. Silver scales gleamed blindingly in the sunlight, and a single flap of its wings whipped up a fierce gale.
That's... Frostia...?
A being straight out of myth stood before my eyes.
The ice dragon descended into the garden. The temperature plummeted instantly. The garden's water froze solid, frost blooming across the ground. It was the chill radiating from the dragon's body.
Then, a brilliant light enveloped the dragon's form. When it faded, the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen stood there. Silver hair fluttered in the wind, her pale eyes gleaming coldly. Her skin was like ice, her figure elegantly graceful, clad in a dress embroidered with silver thread. She transcended human beauty.
And behind her...
A girl in a black dress. Crimson eyes that pierced right through me, black hair tipped with blood-red. That must be Ricoris. She looked much younger than I'd imagined—about Rendi's age. But those eyes held an intensity no child could possess.
Yet, surprisingly, there were even more behind her. A child perched atop a massive hornet caught my eye first.
A hornet? Its enormous body looked carved from ice, its stinger like a blade, exuding menace. Normally, I'd have screamed and run, but right now, I didn't have the luxury.
Riding it was a little girl in a black cloak. Flame-red hair like flickering fire, round and wide eyes. Actual flames danced in her pupils.
"Mommy! This place is suuuper pretty!"
Her clear, childish voice rang out.
Mommy...? Calling the black-dress girl in a voice like Rendi's age mommy? Was I hearing things?
But the black-dress girl laughed and replied,
"Right? Hehe. The king did a great job!"
Honestly, it made no sense. How could a girl who looked younger than me be that child's mom?
Ah, right... They're monsters. Monsters in human form. Beings utterly unlike us.
But strangely, that little girl... was adorable. Her fiery hair, tiny cloaked body, innocent smile... Monster child? Hard to believe. To me, she looked like a fairy.
A blue butterfly floated in the air, along with a strange orb-like thing hovering nearby. Farther back stood a beautiful woman with blood-red eyes, radiating danger. She scanned the lair slowly, murmuring "Oh my, oh my."
Is she Nis...?
And there were two who looked human. One like an archer, the other a mage.
"Prepare yourselves..."
Walter whispered. He gave the signal with a gesture, and all the servants bowed deeply.
"We welcome the radiant descent of the great Lady Frostia!"
We shouted in unison. My voice shook, but it was probably drowned out.
The silver-haired woman gazed at us in surprise. The black-dress girl behind her smiled contentedly. She looked around with satisfaction, glancing at Frostia like she was showing off.
Frostia surveyed us with icy eyes. My heart thundered.
"What in the world is..."
Frostia's voice was like a cold wind. Surprise and bewilderment flashed in her pale eyes, soon softening into deep emotion. I could see her icy expression melt as she took in the lair. Then she looked at the girl behind her, affection in her gaze.
Even dragons feel emotions like humans...
And that black-dress girl must be Ricoris. I couldn't hide my shock. Unlike the terrifying ice dragon of rumors, Frostia's gaze on others was so human. Complex emotions swirled in her eyes— no different from ours.
In that moment, the fear crushing my chest began to thaw.
Then Ricoris's eyes sparkled as she looked around the lair.
"But... this place is friggin' awesome...?"
Her quiet mutter carried clearly in the hushed silence.
Friggin' awesome...? I'd never heard the word before. Noble speech? Monster slang? It was unfamiliar, but the joy and excitement in it came through loud and clear.
Ricoris skipped inside. The fiery child on the hornet followed, doing aerial flips. The sight, a mix of terror and wonder, held me rapt.
"Lady Ricoris, wait! Not yet..."
The mage-looking man hurried after her, but it was too late. Her black dress vanished around the corner.
Frostia smiled faintly and walked forward slowly. Frost formed wherever she stepped. I clutched my flower basket with trembling hands.
I need to make the flower path...
But my feet wouldn't move. Clara beside me seemed frozen too.
Then the girl on the hornet stopped right in front of me. She looked at me with wide, curious eyes. The flames dancing in them were mesmerizing.
"Sis! So pwetty!"
She beamed at me. Her innocent smile made me smile back without thinking. I forgot she was a monster child—it was that pure.
"Thank you."
Emboldened, Clara and I began scattering the white petals to form the path. Frostia gave us a subtle glance but didn't seem to mind.
Thank goodness...
I sighed in relief, hand on my chest.
And so, I met the mythical beings for the first time. As white petals scattered on the wind, Frostia's frosty footprints and silver dress hem brushed past. Following her inside, it hit me.
This flower path I walked was a boundary I could never cross back over.