“Iris? Iris?”
“Iris looks pale. She has a bruise. It looks like someone hit her.”
“Who would hit Iris?”
Eight house fairies were in disarray on Iris’s bed, spinning in confusion. The bed was a mess, with all eight of them not knowing what to do. Sidrain quietly observed their actions, checking if any of them were behaving strangely.
No one was. The house fairies were all restless, even if he didn’t understand what they were saying. Some of them were already shedding tears.
“Leiden, Leiden. Ask her why this happened.”
“Right, ask! Ask! Ask who did this to Iris!”
Leiden, ignoring the other house fairies, was looking down at Iris’s face. The creator of his existence lay there with a pale face, as if it were death. Was this a death? The thought terrified her suddenly. In Leiden’s world, Iris was everything, and that was natural. What would happen to her if Iris died? Neither death nor survival seemed welcoming.
“Si… Sidrain!”
A little house fairy called out the king’s name without fear. The king’s knights were ready to draw their swords, but Sidrain quickly raised his hand to stop them. He then lowered his head to meet Leiden’s gaze.
“Yes, Leiden.”
“Iris. The end. Is she okay?”
This man doesn’t lie.
Leiden was convinced without any evidence. Sidrain En Letair, the man who was the king of this land, was exceptionally talented and wanted Iris. He was never the type to lie about Iris’s condition, especially when it concerned the well-being of house fairies.
“She’s fine now.”
“Why, why? Who did this to her?”
“It’s a person named Kurtlan En Samain. Iris probably didn’t listen to his words.”
Leiden had never heard of Kurtlan En Samain. The fairy blinks her eyes. Tears welled up in the poor house fairy’s eyes.
“Why didn’t Iris listen to Samain? Is Iris weak?”
Leiden’s face, as she asked whether Iris had to be weak to endure such treatment, looked so fragile that it seemed it could crumble at any moment. Sidrain reached out a finger, gently wiping away the tears from Leiden’s face, and answered carefully.
“Because Samain is a scoundrel.”
However, tears continued to flow from Leiden’s eyes.
“Iris. She’s strong.”
“I know.”
“Iris. She’s kind.”
“I know.”
“Leiden, Iris. Always good. Iris never did anything bad to Leiden.”
Leiden’s small body slumped to the side. It was when Sidrain frowned. The house fairies suddenly began to fall one by one, like night revelers collapsing here and there, starting with Leiden and then another. Here and there, they all fell onto the bed.
House fairies dislike negative emotions. They were creatures that couldn’t bear them.
“Is she dead?” Esteban En Charlotte, the captain of the guard, asked. Sidrain, with a pale face, replied to his question.
“I hope not. If she were dead, the punishment for my lady would be severe.”
Fortunately for Sidrain, the Royal Court Magician who had flown to his side (literally) assured him that the house fairies were not dead. He then picked up each of the house fairies and laid them by the queen’s side. Eight house fairies lay still on the left and right sides of the queen, as if they were dead.
“House fairies were designed to experience only positive emotions. In reality, they have no structure to withstand such complex emotions, but Iris Elaine is truly exceptional. You’ve created highly delicate creatures capable of experiencing a wide range of emotions. They have their limits in dealing with negative emotions, purely due to biological constraints.”
“Do they have to lie down here?”
“House fairies experience the greatest happiness when they are with their creator. Serving their creator is not their duty but their joy. So, it’s best to keep them by the creator’s side. These house fairies are currently in a state of shock.”
Suddenly, Sidrain imagined Iris and these eight fairies living together. Their lives would have been peaceful and quiet, except for Rosemary. If it weren’t for Rosemary, and if it weren’t for him, there was no reason for them all to lie here with faces as lifeless as the dead.
“My lady.”
Sidrain gently touched Iris’s cheek.
“Will you still be by my side when you wake up?”
What should he do if Iris changed her mind and decided to live as Iris Elaine? Should he join forces with the Mattop and fight for it? A fierce battle would ensue over custody of the child. En Letair, officially, the king does not recognize illegitimate children. Especially in the absence of an heir to the throne, the issue of recognizing a child born to a woman who is not the queen will be complex and contentious. Moreover, the Mattop will not readily give up the child. The child has already protected Iris in her fetal state. The child can already use magic. There are plenty of reasons why the Mattop will not give in.
If Iris were to leave, what should he use to hold her back? Iris has no interest in jewelry or money. She is even more indifferent to power. The only thing that captures Iris’s interest is magic.
Only love.
Should she be so dependent on that one love?
“I couldn’t even protect you. You eventually revealed where you were. My lady, is this the moment when I finally understand how strong your love for me is? So when I do understand how strong your love is, it also means realizing that there’s only so much I can give.”
“Sid?”
Iris opened her eyes slightly.
Why is this woman like this? Sidrain couldn’t help but smile. Why does she call his name and open her eyes perfectly at the moment he needs her most? She has reaffirmed his destiny countless times.
“Sid?”
“Yeah, Ris. I’m here.”
Sidrain kneeled down to the queen.
“How…?”
“Samain fled but Mutarion caught him, and they’re on their way here. They’ll arrive by next week. Our child is perfectly fine, and—”
Listening to Sidrain’s words, Iris weakly raised her head.
“Sid…?”
“Me?”
“Did you… eat?”
For a moment, Sidrain couldn’t say a word. Iris opened her eyes slightly, trying to focus, and asked again.
“Sleep…?”
When Sidrain remained silent, Iris sighed. She then tried to pull him closer by wetting the sheets, but when she looked at the house fairies, she furrowed her brows.
“My house fairies, why…?”
It had come suddenly. Sidrain casually replied.
“I brought them from the workshop. I thought it might take too long.”
Fortunately, Iris easily accepted his explanation. She seemed to think that Sidrain’s actions were an act of kindness.
“Oh, they fainted. Over there, would you move them?”
When Iris pointed to the other side, Sidrain moved four house fairies from the right to the left. The house fairies lay in two rows. On the right side, Vis-a-vis Iris, Sidrain was pulled in.
“Iris, sleep for a little.”
Sidrain was taken aback. Iris, who was still under the influence of the medication, suddenly tried to pull him in to sleep. Her strength was less than that of a five-year-old child, but Sidrain was dragged to her right in a clumsy manner.
“No, I’m not sleepy, Ris,” Sidrain said as he was pulled in, shaking his head. He didn’t want to sleep. Sleep didn’t come to him at all.
“Yeah…”
However, Iris, who was half-sitting, clung to Sidrain. Sidrain had no choice but to lie down next to her. He offered her his arm as a pillow and held her close. It was comforting to smell her scent, but he really didn’t want to sleep. He didn’t want to eat either. He still didn’t feel like giving something of himself to her. But…
“The moon will avoid your shadow. The night whispers to you. Sleep.” Iris whispered the spell rapidly, mustering the last of her strength. It was such a faint voice that Sidrain leaned in to ask again.
“What did you say, Ris?”
Iris had reached her limit. She fell asleep again, and soon Sidrain was swallowed up by the same dream.
“Iris? Iris?”
“Iris looks pale. She has a bruise. It looks like someone hit her.”
“Who would hit Iris?”
Eight house fairies were in disarray on Iris’s bed, spinning in confusion. The bed was a mess, with all eight of them not knowing what to do. Sidrain quietly observed their actions, checking if any of them were behaving strangely.
No one was. The house fairies were all restless, even if he didn’t understand what they were saying. Some of them were already shedding tears.
“Leiden, Leiden. Ask her why this happened.”
“Right, ask! Ask! Ask who did this to Iris!”
Leiden, ignoring the other house fairies, was looking down at Iris’s face. The creator of his existence lay there with a pale face, as if it were death. Was this a death? The thought terrified her suddenly. In Leiden’s world, Iris was everything, and that was natural. What would happen to her if Iris died? Neither death nor survival seemed welcoming.
“Si… Sidrain!”
A little house fairy called out the king’s name without fear. The king’s knights were ready to draw their swords, but Sidrain quickly raised his hand to stop them. He then lowered his head to meet Leiden’s gaze.
“Yes, Leiden.”
“Iris. The end. Is she okay?”
This man doesn’t lie.
Leiden was convinced without any evidence. Sidrain En Letair, the man who was the king of this land, was exceptionally talented and wanted Iris. He was never the type to lie about Iris’s condition, especially when it concerned the well-being of house fairies.
“She’s fine now.”
“Why, why? Who did this to her?”
“It’s a person named Kurtlan En Samain. Iris probably didn’t listen to his words.”
Leiden had never heard of Kurtlan En Samain. The fairy blinks her eyes. Tears welled up in the poor house fairy’s eyes.
“Why didn’t Iris listen to Samain? Is Iris weak?”
Leiden’s face, as she asked whether Iris had to be weak to endure such treatment, looked so fragile that it seemed it could crumble at any moment. Sidrain reached out a finger, gently wiping away the tears from Leiden’s face, and answered carefully.
“Because Samain is a scoundrel.”
However, tears continued to flow from Leiden’s eyes.
“Iris. She’s strong.”
“I know.”
“Iris. She’s kind.”
“I know.”
“Leiden, Iris. Always good. Iris never did anything bad to Leiden.”
Leiden’s small body slumped to the side. It was when Sidrain frowned. The house fairies suddenly began to fall one by one, like night revelers collapsing here and there, starting with Leiden and then another. Here and there, they all fell onto the bed.
House fairies dislike negative emotions. They were creatures that couldn’t bear them.
“Is she dead?” Esteban En Charlotte, the captain of the guard, asked. Sidrain, with a pale face, replied to his question.
“I hope not. If she were dead, the punishment for my lady would be severe.”
Fortunately for Sidrain, the Royal Court Magician who had flown to his side (literally) assured him that the house fairies were not dead. He then picked up each of the house fairies and laid them by the queen’s side. Eight house fairies lay still on the left and right sides of the queen, as if they were dead.
“House fairies were designed to experience only positive emotions. In reality, they have no structure to withstand such complex emotions, but Iris Elaine is truly exceptional. You’ve created highly delicate creatures capable of experiencing a wide range of emotions. They have their limits in dealing with negative emotions, purely due to biological constraints.”
“Do they have to lie down here?”
“House fairies experience the greatest happiness when they are with their creator. Serving their creator is not their duty but their joy. So, it’s best to keep them by the creator’s side. These house fairies are currently in a state of shock.”
Suddenly, Sidrain imagined Iris and these eight fairies living together. Their lives would have been peaceful and quiet, except for Rosemary. If it weren’t for Rosemary, and if it weren’t for him, there was no reason for them all to lie here with faces as lifeless as the dead.
“My lady.”
Sidrain gently touched Iris’s cheek.
“Will you still be by my side when you wake up?”
What should he do if Iris changed her mind and decided to live as Iris Elaine? Should he join forces with the Mattop and fight for it? A fierce battle would ensue over custody of the child. En Letair, officially, the king does not recognize illegitimate children. Especially in the absence of an heir to the throne, the issue of recognizing a child born to a woman who is not the queen will be complex and contentious. Moreover, the Mattop will not readily give up the child. The child has already protected Iris in her fetal state. The child can already use magic. There are plenty of reasons why the Mattop will not give in.
If Iris were to leave, what should he use to hold her back? Iris has no interest in jewelry or money. She is even more indifferent to power. The only thing that captures Iris’s interest is magic.
Only love.
Should she be so dependent on that one love?
“I couldn’t even protect you. You eventually revealed where you were. My lady, is this the moment when I finally understand how strong your love for me is? So when I do understand how strong your love is, it also means realizing that there’s only so much I can give.”
“Sid?”
Iris opened her eyes slightly.
Why is this woman like this? Sidrain couldn’t help but smile. Why does she call his name and open her eyes perfectly at the moment he needs her most? She has reaffirmed his destiny countless times.
“Sid?”
“Yeah, Ris. I’m here.”
Sidrain kneeled down to the queen.
“How…?”
“Samain fled but Mutarion caught him, and they’re on their way here. They’ll arrive by next week. Our child is perfectly fine, and—”
Listening to Sidrain’s words, Iris weakly raised her head.
“Sid…?”
“Me?”
“Did you… eat?”
For a moment, Sidrain couldn’t say a word. Iris opened her eyes slightly, trying to focus, and asked again.
“Sleep…?”
When Sidrain remained silent, Iris sighed. She then tried to pull him closer by wetting the sheets, but when she looked at the house fairies, she furrowed her brows.
“My house fairies, why…?”
It had come suddenly. Sidrain casually replied.
“I brought them from the workshop. I thought it might take too long.”
Fortunately, Iris easily accepted his explanation. She seemed to think that Sidrain’s actions were an act of kindness.
“Oh, they fainted. Over there, would you move them?”
When Iris pointed to the other side, Sidrain moved four house fairies from the right to the left. The house fairies lay in two rows. On the right side, Vis-a-vis Iris, Sidrain was pulled in.
“Iris, sleep for a little.”
Sidrain was taken aback. Iris, who was still under the influence of the medication, suddenly tried to pull him in to sleep. Her strength was less than that of a five-year-old child, but Sidrain was dragged to her right in a clumsy manner.
“No, I’m not sleepy, Ris,” Sidrain said as he was pulled in, shaking his head. He didn’t want to sleep. Sleep didn’t come to him at all.
“Yeah…”
However, Iris, who was half-sitting, clung to Sidrain. Sidrain had no choice but to lie down next to her. He offered her his arm as a pillow and held her close. It was comforting to smell her scent, but he really didn’t want to sleep. He didn’t want to eat either. He still didn’t feel like giving something of himself to her. But…
“The moon will avoid your shadow. The night whispers to you. Sleep.” Iris whispered the spell rapidly, mustering the last of her strength. It was such a faint voice that Sidrain leaned in to ask again.
“What did you say, Ris?”
Iris had reached her limit. She fell asleep again, and soon Sidrain was swallowed up by the same dream.
