ã€ŠMoonlight Ballã€‹


 Chapter 1

    It was a bright sunny day, and it felt like it was going to be a pleasant morning. Iris ine decided to clean, which was unlike her, and she couldn¡¯t figure out why she was in the mood to do so. Maybe it was because the sky was so clear, the air was clean and the world outside was filled with pleasant sounds. She woke up in the morning and suddenly decided that she wanted to clean up the ce, and had opened all the windows, and got stuck into some chores.

    House fairies stood on the table and tilted their heads in confusion as Iris didn¡¯t normally do the housework; the house was kept neat by eight of them usually. The sheets were always fluffy and smelled like sunshine. The fragrant tea scent always awoke Iris from sleep, and the morning sun, prating the curtains was always soft and gentle. There was nothing Iris needed to touch.

    ¡°Your cleaning is perfect, but,¡± Iris looked into the vial and turned to the house fairies, ¡°I still have to clean up the vials. I always tell you to clean the vials too.¡± She smiled and thanked them anyway, and the house fairies smiled back proudly with their different faces.

    ¡°There always seems to be more and more every time. Thest time you cleaned the vials was two hundred and twenty-two days ago! And it was over four hundred days before that!¡± Irisined, in a slightly annoyed tone.

    The babbling house fairies flinched their shoulders at the fierceness in her eyes and then they scattered, mumbling that they suddenly remembered things they had to do.

    Iris began checking thebels of the vials again. It was a mess.<i>What¡¯s even written on there?</i>She tried to see what she¡¯d written down with her bad handwriting, by holding thebel in the sunlight. A house fairy pped and sat on her shoulder. It was Leiden, the first house fairy created by Iris. Leiden was first created when Iris learned life-creation magic when she was in the Magic Tower. He was also the creature with the most magical powers.

    ¡°What can I do for you, Leiden?¡± She asked him softly.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He blurted out.

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± She knew that he knew that every time she cleaned the house there would be a bad visitor. ¡°It¡¯s not like that today.¡± Iris put down the bottle of medicine she was looking into and didn¡¯t say anything for a while. Then she continued in a rather low voice. ¡°It¡¯s such a nice day and it reminds me of the day I met my teacher.¡±

    *

    Iris ine was twenty-eight years old this year, but her life has been tough. She was born as a count¡¯s maid, in an empire where the treatment of illegitimate children was harsh, and she lived a life like a maidservant. The first time her life changed dramatically was in the spring when she turned twelve. Two burning wagons arrived at the mansion she was serving. The ming carriages were, as everyone knew, a symbol of the Magic Tower.

    The Count¡¯s family were very nervous when the wagon of the Magic Tower appeared. It was an honor for the family to have someone that knew how to use magic. If the eldest son, the first, their heir, entered the Magic Tower and bore the spirit of the wizard, the family would continue to have a prosperous life. It didn¡¯t matter actually, whether it was the second or a third son either. It would be a little unfortunate if it was the youngest daughter, but still, a woman that knew how to use magic was always in demand in the marriage market. There was nothing to lose either way. It was then that the Count gathered the four siblings; the eldest, the second son and third sons, and the youngest daughter, and hurried down to meet the messenger of the Magic Tower.

    ¡°The teacher has gone to see the apprentice.¡± The man standing in front of the wagon said calmly. The man, with a red hood covered around his eyes, must be a follower of the Magic Tower. The man continued, ¡°I heard that the followers strengthen their magical power by diminishing their senses as much as possible. They don¡¯t hug, shake hands, eat delicious food, or listen to good music until they have some freedom to be able to deal with their magical powers. They focus their senses solely on magic.¡±

    The Count was puzzled by the man¡¯s attitude. The followers of the Magic Tower were not polite to the aristocracy. They were individual beings who werepletely separated from ss society. But the Count was still offended because he had nevertheless secretly expected them to be polite to him. He couldn¡¯t show it though because their respective counterparts were limited to the higher members of the Magic Tower royalty. They showed courtesy to royals, not because their opponents were royalty, but rather, because royals were born with magic.

    ¡°What do you mean, an apprentice? All my children are here?¡± said the Count with a look of confusion on his weather-worn face.

    The follower was silent for a moment. But it wasn¡¯t long before he answered. ¡°There must be no apprentices here.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t see the eyes of the man because of his deep hood, but he could hear by his voice that he was frowning. The Count was bewildered as he asked, ¡°Where is the apprentice if none of my children are chosen? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to find one anywhere!¡±

 Chapter 2

    Most magic apprentices came from nobles or royalty. When twenty-one sacred blood ns settled on this continent, they all held the same position. But, gradually they bred with the natives of the continent, created a country, and scattered all over. Magic came only from those sacred blood ns and most of them became royalty, but the bloodline gradually thinned out. However, it did not reach themon people somehow and generally stopped at the aristocracy.

    Iris was doing theundry in theundromat when she heard the Count shouting. She was washing her half-sister¡¯s clothing with a bruised and painful face. Her half-sister always made sure Iris did theundry. Then, she liked to hit Iris, and nitpick at her. Every time Iris fell to her knees and was beaten, she apologized saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. I¡¯m sorry, miss.¡±

    Iris did theundry expressionlessly because she knew she¡¯d be beaten no matter what she did. She just did as much as she could but regardless of her efforts, the beating inevitably happened. It had be a routine. Iris thumped her temple with her small fists because her head was throbbing from the painful knocks to her head. Then, out of the blue, someone grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°It hurts more if you hit yourself like that,¡± said an unfamiliar voice.

    Iris raised her head and looked up at her wrist as she opened her eyes widely. The man was standing on the side of aundry stream. In other words, he was floating above the water! The man smiled softly as Iris blinked morbidly.

    ¡°Hello, my student.¡± He jovially said. ¡°I¡¯m ine and I¡¯m going to be your teacher.¡±

    ine was over forty at the time. With the face of a generous gentleman, he smiled kindly at little Iris. Iris¡¯s headache stopped at once when he hummed an unknown word to a tune. Iris shook her eyes and she burst intoughter.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He gently asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Iris, Sir.¡± She replied hesitantly, confused by this sudden turn of events.

    ¡°You can call me ¡®teacher¡¯. You will be my disciple.¡±

    Not sure what a disciple was, Iris, didn¡¯t reply. ine took theundry from her other hand and threw the basket across the room and then picked her up; her small body was easily lifted by an adult¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Iris screamed! And ineforted her by saying she would be fine.

    ¡°Stop doing these chores. It¡¯s no longer your job.¡±

    ¡°But my step-sister!¡± she protested.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± demanded the Count as he suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He was enraged, his face blood-red and Iris shivered, anticipating a whipping. As she flinched, ine patted her skinny back and stared at the Count.

    ¡°And who might you be?¡± ine asked sternly.

    ¡°I am the owner of this estate!¡± He yelled, spittle flying out of his mouth.

    Iris couldn¡¯t even look at the Count because his tone was so brutal. She wriggled about, desperately wanting ine to let go of her. She felt like she had to kneel on the floor and beg forgiveness from the Count. But ine would not release her and kept a firm grip on her as he approached the Count.

    ¡°My name is ine,¡± he responded, calmly.

    The Count¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ine was rumored to be the next owner of the Magic Tower. He was even more stunned when ine said, without hesitating, ¡°I am here to find the apprentice. Under thew of magic protection, Iris now enters under the protection of the Magic Tower. I am ine, the great wizard. From now on, the name of Iris will legally be Iris ine. Do you understand?¡± He bellowed in a loud authoritative voice.

    The great wizards of the Magic Tower studied and created a vast amount of magic. It was the presence of disciples that was essential in the process of creatingrge-scale magic. The creatures assisted the hemp wizards to create magic, by pouring some of their magic into the various processes. When a potentially good apprentice appeared, the wizards scrambled to recruit them. And now that the next owner of the Magic Tower had visited, he could only guess how great the enchantment of the manifestations would be. But, it was not one of his children, it was the half-wit maid?!

    It was difficult to understand. The Count himself had the blood of a royal, but the girl¡¯s mother was just a maid! He didn¡¯t know how having a child led to stupidity, but the Count always called Iris¡¯s mother stupid. The reason being, she¡¯d had a child overnight! The Count had postponed his personal affairs after being med for that.

    The Count shook his head. ¡°She can¡¯t be the apprentice. She¡¯s a maid, no, she¡¯s just a girl!¡±

    ¡°So, the Count is insulting me then. Are you saying that I¡¯m such an ignorant wizard that I can¡¯t read the power of divine blood?¡± ine asked in an ice-cold voice.

    The Count shook his head again, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant at all.¡± He hurried to change his words to ones of honor, and continued, ¡°It¡¯s just that the girl¡¯s blood is so thin that it¡¯s hard to believe she can have magic and I¡¯m just worried that she could damage the Magic Tower.¡±

    ¡°She has good magic and it is powerful! She has a quality of blood that I haven¡¯t seen in twenty years, so therefore you need not concern yourself. The Magic Tower is never wrong!¡±

 Chapter 3

    The Magic Tower was never wrong. It was a famous quote known to everyone across thend. It was no exaggeration to say that those words represented the Magic Tower. The Count couldn¡¯t argue; he had nothing further to say.

    Iris remembered that day vividly; a crystal clear, blue cloudless sky and the arms of an adult man she¡¯d hugged for the first time in her life, with big hands thatforted her. In his arms, she¡¯d climbed straight into the carriage. She never protested for a moment, and she didn¡¯t want to say no. She didn¡¯t know where she was going, but it didn¡¯t matter.She just wanted to get away from the half-brothers who hit her, half-brothers who bullied her, and the repeated harsh beatings every day. Iris had held ine tightly and not once bothered to ask where he was taking her.

    Even in the carriage, ine held Iris the entire time. He patted her as if he knew the hardships she had suffered. When they entered a vige in the evening, Iris reluctantly left thefort of his arms. ine grinned and lifted Iris¡¯s chin. ¡°That¡¯s a good impression. You have a face that will be loved by Rusna.¡±

    ¡°Rusna?¡± asked Iris.

    ¡°She is the goddess of mana and guardian of the Magic Tower.¡± ine put importance on impressions. Heter reportedly decided to ept Iris as a disciple after seeing her face. No matter how good the quality of mana is, no matter how much mana you have, you need to look good.

    ine became like a father to Iris. He was a teacher, and he was also her best friend; he was everything to her.

    At the sound of the chime at the front door, Iris escaped the shback. Her house was on the third floor. The third floor consisted of warehouses and workshops; the second floor consisted of bedrooms, and the kitchen, living room, and study were on the first floor. People who came to her house, like the milkman, the food man, and the postman, arrived at an appointed time, and now was not the time for anyone toe.

    Leiden sighed, still sitting on Iris¡¯s shoulder. He¡¯d predicted this would happen, that a bad visitor would arrive.

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Leiden,¡± Iris smirked as she went down to the first floor.

    Leiden pped his wings and circled in the air a few times, waiting to see who the visitor was.

    <i>Surely that can¡¯t be true. Will there be any unpleasant guests because I cleaned up a little?</i>Until then, she hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the house elf¡¯s hunch.

    Iris casually opened the door and was confronted by a woman of dazzling beauty! The woman was more beautiful than anyone she has ever seen. She was tall and had thin arms like a willow tree, and her fingers were elegant and long. Her chest was very voluptuous, and her waist was so narrow that it looked like she had a hard time breathing. The woman, who appeared in a riding suit, had half-braided thick wavy blonde hair. She was wearing a short-brimmed hat, and the face below it was splendid. God seemed to have put in a lot of effort to create her.

    Her eyebrows looked like they¡¯d been carefully drawn on her round forehead. The tip of her nose lifted into a smooth curve and both her eyes were a mixture of many different kinds of blue, dazzling blue eyes that she¡¯d never seen the likes of, as well as perfect-sized thick lips set on a sharp jawline. Her neckline stretched out like a deer; she was extraordinary looking. ording to ine¡¯s standards, she was a perfect ¡®Impression ssification¡¯.

    ¡°What brings you¡­¡± Before she could say ¡®here¡¯, the woman interrupted her in a beautiful voice that Iris had never heard before.

    ¡°Who is Iris ine? I¡¯m here to make a request.¡±

    At that moment, the wind suddenly picked up; it was ominous.

    Iris learned her whole life experience from ine. She was a true believer of ine¡¯s ¡®Impression ssification¡¯. She nced up at the magnificent face of the woman who was taller than her with a perplexed look, reaffirming the beauty of her. Leiden was right, today was the day when a bad visitor hade knocking.

    Iris said something she always said when such a guest came. ¡°My teacher is not here.¡±

    Iris had a pretty young-looking face, and Iris ine was a renowned wizard and disciple of the great wizard ine. There were many times when people looked at her gentle appearance and didn¡¯t realize that she was Iris ine. So when she said this, most of the guests went away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait,¡± said the beautiful woman as she pushed past Iris into the room and then raised her eyebrows andmented bluntly, ¡°What a pigsty!¡± She was more polite in other people¡¯s houses she¡¯d been in.

    Iris bumped into the door frame and rubbed her tingling shoulder as she looked at the woman from behind. She was in great shape. Her hips were close to her slender waist and her legs were perfectly shaped. She was amazed that she had such a sensational figure and looked so elegant.<i>Who the hell is she?</i>she wondered.

    ¡°Would you like some tea?¡± Iris kindly offered.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d want to drink tea inside of a pigsty? Why don¡¯t you clean up this ce first?¡± she rudely replied.

    Iris wished she would go away, but she couldn¡¯t even tell her to leave because she was just a disciple. Iris looked at her and pretended to dust the sofa roughly. She frowned as if she didn¡¯t like Iris¡¯s attitude, but she sat down, apparently unwilling to stand.

 Chapter 4

    The sound of the old grandfather clock prated the silence making Iris acutely aware of how slow time seemed to be passing, and the face of the divine beauty got ugly.

    ¡°I did tell you to go,¡± Iris said as she watched thedy simmer. But at the same time, she was curious. Judging by the way she spoke and acted, she looked like an important person. And, the still way that she sat in the chair was as perfect as that of someone in a portrait. Iris could see that she was trained to sit like that.<i>Probably a noblewoman,</i>she guessed.

    Iris recalled her half-sister, who she could vaguely remember. At that time, she had been envious of her younger sister, but when she thought about it now, she realized that she had had her troubles too. As a young and only girl, the Count had educated her sister so that she would be fully prepared to marry a man at any time when she was old enough. It meant a lot to marry off your daughter in this society. You could send her to a partner and ask the enemy for a truce, or you could send her to just show her off. Iris wondered what had been her fate.

    When the clock chimed loudly at precisely six o¡¯clock, the woman couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and jumped up and asked demandingly, ¡°Didn¡¯t your teacher tell you when he¡¯de back?¡±

    Iris bowed her head politely. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything to me.¡±

    ¡°Why is he out on a day like today?¡± she angrily snapped. It seemed that she was on the verge of hitting Iris and she flinched automatically, meekly replying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    The woman bit her cherry red lips and shook her fist in a threatening way, but then suddenly swung around and yelled instead, ¡°What a useless wizard!¡±

    <i>She¡¯s finally leaving. My legs are killing me!</i>As Iris was about to sigh in relief, the woman stared at her with a frightening look.

    ¡°You!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± The woman was visibly rattled as Iris answered with her eyes wide open.

    The woman squinted her eyes at Iris, scrutinizing her face which seemed familiar and suspicious. Iris bowed her head more obediently and looked up at the woman with only her eyes raised. For a wizard, the woman snorted with an unduly servile attitude.

    ¡°No way!¡±

    She was right to doubt it. Iris lowered her eyes and the woman strode out the door. She was like a fairy even though she was stomping with anger. As expected, people had it easy if they were born pretty. The door opened and Iris was amazed at the effect of her appearance.

    Men were seen in the eyes of Iris, dressed in in clothes but looking like soldiers. As soon as the men saw the women, they bowed with respect, and she¡¯d reach out naturally. Then, a man escorted her and picked up her carriage. The carriage disappeared, and she left without saying anything. Iris scratched her head while staring after the carriage.

    It was kind of rare to have such a pretty face in a royal family. Royals generally gave an impression that they could muddle through life, differently to gambling addicts and alcoholics whose faces showed that they were going through life in a really serious manner.

    Iris had rarely seen nobles, let alone royalty. Being the best disciple of ine, the great wizard, she should have seen many royals and nobles, but Iris¡¯s nickname was Iris ine ¡®the hermit¡¯ because she didn¡¯t like to meet people.

    Iris was already twenty-three when ine realized the problems of his apprentice. She was a genius and free in the Magic Tower. Iris was sopetent that he didn¡¯t notice any problems with his apprentice. He was very proud of his best student and never dreamed that she would have a problem. He just thought she wanted to show off her entricity and talents when she sent out a living doll, not herself, to meet people.

    It was only when Iris turned twenty-three that the problem arose. The vacancy of the royal wizard became an opportunity for Iris. It was a heavy task for a twenty-three-year-old. ine knew she¡¯d take the position. But, she rightly refused the position and the teacher faced the problem of discipleship for the first time.

    ¡°Why did you refuse?¡± asked ine.

    After thinking for three days, Iris answered his question simply, ¡°I have to go out of the Magic Tower and meet people, so I won¡¯t be able to stay with you anymore.¡±

    After much thought, ine gave Iris his workshop. But she all of a sudden refused, saying she would neither leave the Magic Tower nor her teacher¡¯s side.

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry that you refused to serve as the royal wizard, Iris. But you are right, you can¡¯t stay with me forever. A human is an independent being and must stand alone at some point. And you have to interact with others. You need to learn that.¡±

    Iris cried and clung to her teacher that day. But the teacher was adamant.

    ¡°I love you, Iris. But as the person responsible for your upbringing, I must raise you as an independent individual. My best friend, my most perfectpanion, my feelings for sending you away are also tearing me apart. But I have an obligation. It is my duty to make your life as healthy as your body.¡±

    That¡¯s why Iris had set up a workshop that she could afford. Her livelihood came from epting the requests of his clients sent from the tower, and Iris¡¯s social skills improved.

    As Iris left the house, Sammy from the fruit store next door spoke to her. ¡°Hi, Iris. Don¡¯t you need fruit today?¡±

 Chapter 5

    ¡°No thank you. I won¡¯t need any today,¡± she politely replied.

    ¡°My father misses the days when you used to study magic about fruit.¡±

    At that time, Iris bought so much fruit that people thought it would be better for her to buy Sammy¡¯s whole fruit store. That¡¯s when she¡¯d be friends with Sammy. As she received dozens of boxes of fruit from him every day, they talked often, and she became well acquainted with him.

    ¡°If that happens again, I¡¯ll certainly buy your fruit, Sammy.¡±

    At Iris¡¯s words, Sammy replied while rubbing his freckled nose, ¡°Of course!¡± And then he lowered his voice and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a little discount.¡±

    Iris opened her eyes widely and smiled gently at Sammy. At times like this, she thought of her teacher who told her to go out and experience this. She knew it was the opportunity for a great experience, but she also wanted to be by her teacher¡¯s side. She just wanted to talk about magic with him. Without her teacher, without her best friend, without her father, she felt lonely.

    Iris was trudging down the street, appreciating the golden sunset when out of nowhere, a burly arm stretched out from a back alley and snatched her. A dagger touched her neck and she didn¡¯t have time to scream.

    ¡°Iris ine,¡± whispered a man in a hoarse voice. ¡°My master is looking for you.¡±

    As Iris twisted her body, the tip of the pointed dagger pricked her neck and she felt the warm blood trickling down.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better not spit a word of magic.¡± The man was sincere; Iris barely nodded.

    ¡°Ha, so you were Iris ine?!¡± screeched the beautiful woman who had pushed past her so roughly earlier that morning.

    <i>Smack!</i>The sound was harsh. Her cheek felt like it was on fire and she was in pain to the point of tears; Iris blinked rapidly. There were a few more smacks across her face, it hurt so much that she wanted to rub them, but Iris¡¯s arms were tied back to the man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°How dare you!¡±

    The beautiful woman seemed so angry. She thought the woman had left, but she hadn¡¯t. She¡¯d been waiting nearby her home, and her henchman had intended to kidnap her in front of her house. It seemed that he knew the very person who was the student of ine.

    ¡°How dare you lock me up in a pigsty like that for hours!¡± She continued.

    Another harsh smack reddened her face. It felt like a fire had broken out on her cheeks. The woman, who was now trembling with rage, pped her again with all her might and then leaned back as if she were exhausted.

    <i>Are you a royal?</i>Iris took a nce inside the carriage, feeling her throbbing cheeks swelling. It seemed like she was a real royal. ine¡¯s method of distinguishing ¡®impressions¡¯ was never wrong. Iris just couldn¡¯t believe she was a royal.<i>Is this a sign that the royal family is about to go down?</i><i>Or is she just a coteral line?</i>

    Iris was throwing her head around and the woman gave a coldmand, ¡°I can¡¯t forgive you. Get rid of her!¡±

    Iris¡¯s fast-paced head ground to a halt. It was because the words, ¡°get rid of her,¡± caught her off-guard. It meant to kill her. Iris opened her eyes wide and stared at the woman as she lifted one lip andughed. The noble smile resembled a goddess.

    ¡°How dare you insult me, it is a sin that cannot be repaid with death, but ept it because my heart is big.¡±

    The man who tied Iris¡¯s arm gravely said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll pull over and take care of her.¡± He seemed to be cleaning up animal carcasses. It didn¡¯t seem like they were treating her like a living person.

    Then the woman said ¡°No, do it in front of me. Right now!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± The man muttered almost apologetically. The sound of the sword being pulled out of its holster sounded much louder than it was. Her heart thumped.

    <i>Am I going to die?</i>It was unimaginable.<i>I¡¯m getting killed for that?</i>

    ¡°Repay me with death.¡± The woman spoke arrogantly, like the goddess of death herself and the man¡¯s sword lifted high. At that moment, Iris began shouting unknowingly, at high speed, ¡°I, Iris ine, request the Earth Fairy.¡±

    ¡°Keep her mouth shut!¡± The woman hastily said as the ancientnguage flowed off of Iris¡¯s tongue. The man¡¯s hand closed around her mouth; she bit his palm hard and he screamed as she tore the flesh apart.

    ¡°The earth is alive, the soul in it, the breathing. Show me the evidence!¡± The ground shook violently. A scream echoed out of the wagon. Iris closed her eyes tightly. Even if the wagon was overturned and damaged, it would be much more likely that she¡¯d survive as opposed to being stabbed to death. The wagon rocked. Iris, the man, and the noblewoman rolled around together; their screams, which were rolling around like balls, grew louder as the wagon crashed.

    Iris didn¡¯t realize it, but the carriage was crossing the river at the time and she caused an earthquake on the bridge which then copsed, and the wagon crashed into the river. The good news was that it was only them on the bridge because they were deliberately moving out of sight for some reason. The unfortunate thing was that the river where their wagon fell, with an enormous ssh, was very deep and water began pouring into the wagon in an instant.

 Chapter 6

    Iris felt disoriented as she pulled herself up and tried to gather her thoughts. What had happened to her? She recalled being dragged into a carriage, almost killed, then she¡¯d caused an earthquake and the wagon had fallen into the water, but then what happened? She felt like there was a river in her head. Feeling dizzy now, her head ached, and she felt chilly and nauseous all at the same time.

    ¡°Where are you, Leiden?¡± Iris called for her first house elf.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± he responded, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a good reason for this.¡±

    The door flew open with a loud bang. Iris looked up startled and was further surprised by the fancy handcrafted door she saw for the first time. Only then did it sink in that she was in apletely unknown ce. Where was she? This wasn¡¯t her room. It was a colorful, tastefully decorated spacious room with countless brightly embroidered flowers adorning the walls as if she sat in a flower shop.<i>Whose room is it?</i>Iris was wondering when a man appeared. He was very tall and had a solid muscr body. She noticed his fiery red hair, which was impressive, immediately. She could feel the magic in the man¡¯s blood.<i>He¡¯s got a lot of magic,</i>she thought<i>.</i>But he didn¡¯t seem to be dealing with mana properly. If he had known how to handle mana, he could not have let it scatter like that.

    Staring at the man strolling towards her, Iris thought it was a pity that if he had learned magic, he could have used it well.

    The man¡¯s big hand pped Iris mercilessly across the face. Her body copsed sideways from the massive blow.

    ¡°I thought you were crazy!¡± The man was so angry that he seemed to have lost control of his emotions. In a more frightening voice, he continued. ¡°I think I underestimated how crazy you are now. You¡¯re going crazy to go find Iris ine and kill her. She¡¯s an ine. She is the only disciple who ine gave the castle to as soon as he met her, you know. She¡¯s almost the head of the pce wizard! Do you know how difficult this will get when ine finds out about this?¡±

    Iris stared nkly at the man who was running wild, saying marrying a woman like herself was the biggest mistake he¡¯d made in his life. But Iris didn¡¯t have a husband and she had never seen this man before. She couldn¡¯t understand why he had dragged her to a luxurious ce that she was unfamiliar with, then pped her and got angry. The man suddenly shut up and Iris sat where she¡¯d copsed, not daring to say a word. It wasn¡¯t long before he turned his head strangely.

    ¡°Pce doctor,¡± Hh said through clenched teeth.

    The pce doctor answered his call carefully, ¡°Yes, Your Honor.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this woman?¡± He demanded to know.

    Iris blinked, feeling her swollen cheeks. The man who said marrying her was the biggest mistake in his life was an astonishingly handsome man. ording to ine¡¯s ¡®Impression ssification¡¯, it is the face that will be the winner of life. On the one hand, he is decadent and on the other hand, a handsome man who is as imposing as the main character of a myth. He was crossing his arms, looking down at Iris with a sharp, cutting gaze, and asking the pce doctor for an answer. The pce doctor next to the man answered in an obsequious tone. ¡°She must have been shocked by the cold of the early spring river.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about this wild woman?¡±

    Iris looked up at the face of the man who insulted her. She didn¡¯t know him at all. There¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t remember such an astonishing face. She has never seen such a perfect man.

    <i>Teacher, you¡¯ll be surprised if you see his face. This face is so perfect. But why does this perfect-faced man say I¡¯m his wife and that he hates me?</i>

    Iris tried to open her mouth and the man raised his chin. ¡°What else are you trying to do now?¡± he growled. ¡°How many times are you going to discredit me with your stupid words?¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± She asked in utter confusion. Suddenly, the door mmed open and a white-faced man barged in.

    ¡°Your Highness, ine, the Great Wizard has arrived.¡±

    The man stormed down the hall, holding Iris by the wrist. ¡°Let go, it hurts!¡± She yelled in agony. Iris tried in vain to remove her wrist from the man¡¯s tight grasp.

    ¡°You started this, so of course you have to take care of it,¡± he replied in a cold voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m walking, so let me go!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You¡¯re either going to run away or you¡¯re going to pull a stunt. But you¡¯ll never get away.¡±

    <i>Were they talking about her teacher, ine?</i>Iris couldn¡¯t understand the current situation and frowned as she was dragged roughly. It was regrettable that she couldn¡¯t raise her mana properly because her head hurt. If it weren¡¯t for falling into the river, she would¡¯ve made this breathtakingly handsome man¡¯s face muddy!

    <i>Why isn¡¯t the spell working?</i>Iris frowned and turned her head, glimpsing her face reflecting in the spotless marble pirs of the hallway.

    The ¡°winner of life¡± was heading somewhere, dragging the ¡°face of life to hell¡±. She was looking with a very surprised face at the eyes reflecting at her. She was speechless every time she passed a pir and saw this face; wavy blond hair, a shiny appearance, and theposition of features that were certain to destroy life. The woman who had pped her in the face, the woman who had tried to kill her, kept looking back at her with wide-open dazzling blue eyes¡­

 Chapter 7

    Iris was bewildered and tilted her head to one side. In the next pir, the reflection¡¯s head was tilted to one side too.

    <i>It¡¯s me, but why do I have that face?</i>Iris tried to get her throbbing brain to function.<i>How on earth did this happen?</i>

    Then it dawned on her that many wizards had numerous tattoos on their bodies, as did she, and for the spell to be invoked immediately, she carved out the spells in a ce where she could not see herself. One of them was the ¡®Movement of the Soul¡¯ spell.

    When a person died, it meant that the body and soul died at the same time. In other words, even if the body was dying, if the soul was taken out, it could dy the death of the body. Of course, when the body was dead, the soul connected to the body would not be safe, but it certainly worked better than dying. Bleeding in one ce would be better than bleeding in two ces. In the event of a threat to the body, Iris¡¯s body was automatically supposed to invoke the movement spell of the soul. The spell was created purely for one reason, and Iris hadpletely forgotten that she had it.

    She thought for a moment about the spell,<i>So, I¡¯m in another person¡¯s body?</i><i>The woman of magnificent beauty!</i>

    ording to ine¡¯s ¡®Impression ssification¡¯, she was the owner of a ¡®perfect face to ruin someone¡¯s life.¡¯ The gravity of this hit her hard and her legs buckled beneath her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother me, Rosemary!¡± The man held her with irritation.

    <i>Rosemary, is that her name?</i>she wondered. The man dragging her must be the husband of this woman, Rosemary.<i>They called him ¡®Your Highness¡¯, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a royal.</i>Iris tried to clear her mind, but it was difficult for her to recall what to do because she was not interested in royalty. The king, queen, prince, princess, and whoever else?

    Who¡¯s Rosemary? Whose name was this? Before they knew it, they were at a huge, striking door as Iris still struggled to squeeze out a faint memory.

    ¡°His Majesty and the Queen will pass!¡± shouted the servants.

    The huge door opened silently and a hall appeared in front of them. In the center, stood members of the tower, wearing red hoods, and the person in front was the one Iris knew immediately.

    ¡°The Wizard ine wishes to see the King, and¡­¡± ine¡¯s voice was hoarse. He continued in a tone as if he were pulling a sword, ¡°the Queen.¡±

    ine¡¯s disciples, the followers, knelt in unison as he served the manners of the Magic Tower. Iris had never seen him like this since she¡¯d met ine and he was looking at her expressionless. Then, she saw pure hatred well up in his gray sad eyes, and astonished by the intense, eerie gaze, Iris unknowingly backed away.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to inform you,¡± ine struggled to hold hisposure and looked Iris directly in the eyes and continued, ¡°that Iris ine, my disciple, friend, adopted daughter, and adviser, was found dead this morning in the Harance River, Your Grace.¡±

    The fiery fire of hatred was about to seep out of the teacher¡¯s eyes and grab Iris¡¯s neck. The air was so heavy that it was hard to breathe; Iris took another step back.

    <i>No, teacher! I¡¯m here. I¡¯m not dead!</i>

    But she dare not say that. Knowing that the man next to her was the King and the owner of her body was the Queen, she had to watch her words. The Magic Tower and the royal family had always been politically unfriendly. She didn¡¯t how the royal family would react if they learned that ine¡¯s soul was in the Queen¡¯s body. She couldn¡¯t tell ine right now.

    Iris looked carefully at the side of the man clutching her wrist. He had a statue-like appearance, and he didn¡¯t seem to feel that much human emotion. ming red hair, lips that showed firm will, royal red eyes, and a high nose. The King and Queen were a treasured couple and were proud of their looks. And his massive hands were scary. Having been pped by both of them, Iris sarcastically thought that they made a perfect couple; they were both equally cruel and arrogant. They didn¡¯t even seem to view other people as human. If she gets caught, it¡¯ll be hard to see the good.

    ¡°Iris did not deserve to die like this! She had natural magic and great talent, and she was cautious and gentle when it came to other people. She had no reason to die like this!¡± ine bellowed angrily.

    ¡°What are you saying against the King now? Be polite, ine!¡±

    The guards pointed their swords; the sound of their movement was threatening. Iris jumped forward without realizing it because the men in ck armor were about to kill their teacher.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± King Sidrain asked loudly.

    Iris stood in front of ine.

    Everyone looked at Iris with dumbfounded eyes. Everyone was worried that the queen really had a mental problem, and the king already thought his wife was crazy. She stood in front of him and blocked his way. The person that felt that this situation was ridiculous was ine. He knew this Queen quite well. Iris didn¡¯t know, but ine and the Queen were cousins. ine had known her since she was a child and had called her ¡®mad Rosemary¡¯.

 Chapter 8

    Rosemary acted as if anything could be done because of her pretty looks and noble pedigree, but ine never condoned it. She hated ine very much and avoided him as if he were a bug. She couldn¡¯t stand in his way.

    <i>What in the hell happened?</i><i>Why does Rosemary¡¯s body, which doesn¡¯t have any magic, feel like it has spirit magic?</i>thought ine.

    Then Rosemary looked back at him, her dazzling blue eyes weren¡¯t always so full of pride. Her eyes looked like they were purely concerned about him and he could sense that she was shaking because of fear that something would happen to him. Her eyes were overflowing with admiration for him and he could see that she would give her life for his. ine had many followers and disciples, but there was only one who had shown such pure affection for him, and he remembered her name right away, Iris.

    A child who had foretold from the moment he first met her that she would be his most powerful and pure friend. Neither age nor gender could separate their friendship. ine was going to kill Rosemary when he had found out that Iris had died. His heart was torn to pieces when Iris, who didn¡¯t even know what was going on at the hands of the lunatic Rosemary, died. He couldn¡¯t possibly forgive Rosemary. He didn¡¯t mind being a traitor.<i>But, there¡¯s no Rosemary. Iris is in there.</i>There¡¯s no way he had it wrong. ine was convinced. No matter what Iris looked like now, he wasn¡¯t mistaken. She was his only child and friend; it could never have been someone else.

    As ine reached out, the chief urgently shouted. ¡°Stop it!¡± Numerous swords were heard cutting through the air, but ine did not step back. He hugged Rosemary, or Iris, with a thankful heart.

    ¡°Rosemary, do you know how worried uncle was about you, Queen?¡± And he told them about the rtionship.

    The moment he hugged her, Iris knew. The teacher had figured out it was her! How did he know that? It had taken time for her to figure out that she was in another body. How could the teacher have noticed so quickly? Iris hugged him back with tears in her eyes. It was her teacher whom she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. She¡¯d always been part of his life, although she had lived apart from him for years, she had never forgotten him. She was lonely and missed him, and finally, they were reunited.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Choking back her tears, Iris could barely answer.

    The teacher¡¯s words taught her two things at that moment: First, he knew who Iris was; secondly, it should not be promulgated. She had no choice but to pretend to be Rosemary. She was relieved because there was only one person in the world that she looked up to and she knew that everything was going to be okay.

    Bewildered, King Sidrain looked at the uncle and niece hugging each other with suspicion. As far as he knew, Rosemary hated her uncle, the respected Great Wizard ine. It was not enough for him to only express his dislike for her, he¡¯d also nicknamed her ¡®mad Rosemary¡¯ because of her vulgarity. The two of them were opposite. ¡®Rosemary will rot if you touch the tip of her finger¡¯, he¡¯d say. ine didn¡¯t hide his hatred of Rosemary.

    ine was a tough vitriolic as opposed to a nice face. Born in a noble family, he lived with a golden spoon or diamond spoon in his mouth from an early age and was a self-indulgent human being. Iris ine was the only daughter that he cherished, and she was the person with whom he professed to be the only friend that he shared his heart with. The King thought therefore that ine would havee running to kill Rosemary agonizingly.

    Sidrain turned his head and looked at the chief, and the chief of staff quickly lowered his head and shrugged his shoulders, silently acknowledging that he had no idea what was going on either.

    ¡°Sir ine, didn¡¯t you have something to say?¡± Sidrain asked with his arms crossed.

    ine patted Rosemary and raised his head, grinning as he said: ¡°There is a strange rumor about my disciple being murdered, Your Grace. My disciple is a child who had no reason to be killed and I would like to investigate to restore her honor. So I¡¯m here to ask you to cooperate with the City¡¯s Security Bureau.¡±

    The atmosphere in the room had changedpletely. A while ago, he was determined to drop a bomb andmit murder, but now ine was his usual self. No one could exin his change of heart. Was he impressed that Rosemary stood in his way? It waspletely absurd!

    Sidrain admitted obediently that Rosemary couldn¡¯t stand blocking someone¡¯s sword; this selfish wild cat!

 Chapter 9

    ¡°I¡¯ve already heard the news of the incident regarding Miss Iris ine. I don¡¯t know how to console your sorrow.¡± said the King, weary of this whole situation.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡± ine bowed and his disciples followed suit. Iris almost fell to her knees, but she somehow managed to keep herposure. She was Queen Rosemary, and no longer Iris and she had to get her act together.<i>I can do it.</i>She decided that she could do anything now because her teacher was in front of her.

    It wasn¡¯t long before ine looked down at Iris. He was tall and Rosemary was much shorter, and he frowned at her swollen cheek. The tant handprints seemed to have been made by the King. The person in this body was not Rosemary, it was Iris. Had it been Iris, she would¡¯ve no doubt thrown a vase at the King if he¡¯d pped her. Iris must¡¯ve been bewildered after being hit because she wouldn¡¯t have known why he¡¯d done that, and it saddened ine tremendously to think of her suffering. Furthermore, knowing that Iris was now trapped inside of the crazy Rosemary¡¯s body, he was bitterly concerned about her. But he still wanted to say one thing to Rosemary.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m d you are safe and¡­¡± For a moment ine stopped talking as tears built up and he had to swallow hard to keep them from spilling out of his gray eyes. He was remembering Iris, his daughter, and how she¡¯d grown up and be his closest friend. They were true friends in every sense of the word. He¡¯d been in despair when he thought he¡¯d lost her. ¡°I¡¯m truly pleased.¡± That was all he could say further.

    Iris could understand exactly what ine was thinking. They¡¯d be perfect partners and had created the magic forms they wanted, and beautiful and wonderful things used to unfold in their hands.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you look like,¡± ine whispered.

    Iris grinned at ine¡¯s words and replied, ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±

    Sidrain frowned, looking at them with deeper suspicion.<i>Now isn¡¯t that peculiar?</i>

    The servant, who received Sidrain¡¯s attention, looked at the Queen and the Great Wizard without bowing this time. It wasn¡¯t long before he spoke to Sidrain and said, ¡°I¡¯ll find out what¡¯s going on.¡±

    Perhaps ine, the Great Wizard, was among the Queen¡¯s numerous partners with whom she had affairs. If so, it would be an opportunity to discourage the momentum of the Magic Tower. The King was anxious to abandon her, so if he could discourage the tower, he would be able to get rid of her once and for all.

    The eyes of the servant became watchful. ine and Iris, who¡¯d stepped down from the King¡¯s presence, headed towards the Queen¡¯s room. They walked in silence and Iris glimpsed the women in uniform following them. There were two types of uniforms, one neat dress, and the other more formal, but they all looked like soldiers.

    Rosemary was apanied by men earlier, if it was a woman who was meant to serve her, who were the men who had served her earlier? Iris became curious, but she couldn¡¯t answer that question right now and decided to figure it outter.

    When they arrived at the room belonging to the Queen, he bowed to Iris with the symbol of the tower and asked, ¡°May I have a private meeting, Your Majesty?¡±

    News of the visit between ine and Queen Rosemary had spread quickly and everyone in the court knew of it, so people thought Rosemary would curse at that moment. But instead, she answered with a big smile because she was Iris, not Rosemary, ¡°Of course, Uncle.¡±

    ¡°From which direction did the sune up today?¡± ine joked.

    Both the maids and the guards were shocked, but they did not show it. All at once, they bowed politely and walked away. ine¡¯s disciples also stepped down and they were finally alone. Iris started to say the word ¡®teacher¡¯ but ine quickly covered her mouth with his hands and put his arm around her.

    Slowly, as Iris opened her eyes in confusion, ine whispered in her ear, ¡°People are listening to us.¡±

    Iris stood dead still and kept quiet.<i>People are listening to us?</i>

    ine hugged her and patted her as he looked around uneasily. His warm, big handsforted her and she knew everything was okay now and she slowly exhaled.

    ine talked casually like an ordinary uncle, ¡°I was surprised to hear that you almost drowned in the river.¡± And at the same time, he wrote the word<i>¡®tonight¡¯</i>with his finger across Iris¡¯s back. She nodded in recognition as he looked down at her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have surprised you,¡± Iris replied, mindful of the people that might be listening outside the door. She knew that she had to say something.

    ¡°Iris was a very good child, My Queen.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Irisughed her head off in the middle of saying this. She liked it when her teacher praised her, more than anything else in the world and she¡¯d always tried to be someone he could praise. It was time for her to smile and rejoice.

    Looking at her face, ine said, ¡°Yes. I can never forgive the person who did this to my precious Iris.¡± ine paused for a moment as his fingers wrote more letters on Iris¡¯ back,<i>¡®Don¡¯t go to sleep. Wait for me¡¯.</i>

    Iris nodded again in acknowledgment. Suddenly, ine squeezed her shoulders while she was thinking about waiting for him without sleeping. He spoke seriously as she raised her head, and her shoulders hurt terribly. ¡°I will never forgive that person. I swear to Rusna, that whoever did this will pay the price!¡±

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Teacher,¡± Iris uttered in an extremely quiet voice.

    ine shook his head. He had no intention of hearing the dissuasion of his young daughter. ¡°We¡¯ll see what happens and everyone involved in this will pay the price!¡± He reaffirmed, sounding truly angry.

    Iris remained in bed for the remainder of the day, under the guise of being sick. Fortunately, her excuse for being sick worked and nobody bothered her. Truth be told, everyone was grateful to avoid her because of Queen Rosemary¡¯s personality, which was fierce. The maids walked carefully with their heels up, and everyone hid or lowered their heads when the Queen appeared, afraid of making eye contact.

    <i>Was the queen happy with the way they behaved around her?</i>Iris wondered.

    Iris sat in her pajamas in bed waiting for her teacher and gazed at the woman in the mirror in the distance. She was so beautiful in the moonlight that she didn¡¯t even look like a human being. The moonlit enhanced her white wless skin and her dazzling blue eyes seemed to contain all the secrets of the world.

    Iris climbed out of bed and walked slowly towards the mirror. She looked at the woman reflecting at her and raised her hand. The woman in the mirror copied her, and the two hands touched, with the mirror between them.

    Why did such a beautiful woman behave so harshly?

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± ine asked, and she turned towards his voiceing from behind her. Iris did not hesitate anymore. She ran and jumped into the arms of her father and teacher.

    ¡°Teacher!¡± She squealed with delight.

    ¡°Iris!¡± ine hugged her as if he¡¯d never let her go again. It was a bit awkward to hug Rosemary¡¯s body though, but he wanted to hug her tighter knowing that Iris was in it.<i>Oh my God. Of all the bodies</i>,<i>why did you go into Rosemary¡¯s body</i>? ine felt so sorry for Iris when he thought about her future.

    ¡°Teacher, how did you know? How did you know it was me?¡± Iris asked him what she was most curious about. It had taken a long time for even her to figure out what had happened to her, but the reverent teacher immediately understood the situation. How did he do that? ine smiled broadly at Iris for a moment.

    Soon, everyone would find out why the Queen was acting strange if she continued to behave like Iris. Rosemary was not like Iris at all. She was always extravagant and didn¡¯t want to be unnoticed. How could Iris live as Rosemary? Iris hated to stand out more than anything else. ine had to deal with this, but first, there was something he needed to ask, ¡°How did you end up meeting with the Queen?¡± What reason did Iris meet the queen? It was difficult for ine to understand.

    Iris was unaware, but ine never let go of his only daughter and disciple entirely. He set up a workshop in a ce with good security, and even if the process was difficult, he only chose a request that would not have a big political issue for her. ine knew all the details of all the requests that Iris made because she was onlymissioned through the Magic Tower. No matter how hard he thought about it, Iris and Rosemary shouldn¡¯t have had a reason toe into contact.

    ¡°She said she came to make a request.¡±

    ¡°Request?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Iris replied meekly.

    ¡°Through the Magic Tower?¡±

    At ine¡¯s sharp question, Iris briefly thought about something and shook her head. ¡°Of course, I assumed it would be through the Magic Tower. No visitorse to see me unless it¡¯s through the Magic Tower. But I didn¡¯t look at the Tower¡¯s requests.¡±

    ¡°Why did you do that? Didn¡¯t I ask you to<i>always</i>check the request forms?¡± ine asked sternly.

    Iris shook her head, ¡°I was going to say no to her.¡±

    She¡¯d lied from the beginning saying that she was a disciple of Iris ine with the intention of refusing the Queen¡¯s request. So there was no reason to ask for a request form because she had no intention of hearing the queen¡¯s request at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look into this. I need to find out how the Queen knew you. We¡¯d better approach this from the tower. Also, now that you don¡¯t have tattoos, it¡¯s going to be quite difficult for you to use your magic. Take this.¡± ine handed Iris a bracelet carved out of solid ivory. ¡°Unless you look closely, you wouldn¡¯t know, but there are many letters written on it. It¡¯s not as good as getting a tattoo on the body, but while you have it on your body, it will assist you to use magic.¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­.¡± Iris¡¯s face was distorted because it was so obvious that her teacher must have made it quickly for her. She tried to embrace her teacher again, wanting to thank him, but he unexpectedly pushed her to bed and the ivory bracelet nged as it fell on the stone floor. Iris plopped down on the bed.

    ¡°Someone¡¯sing! See you tomorrow night!¡± he whispered. Before ine¡¯s body vanished into the air, he instructed her quickly, ¡°Never let it be known that you are Iris. The Queen has many enemies. Don¡¯t trust anyone but me, all right?!¡± ine¡¯s bodypletely disappeared in the dark without giving her a chance to answer.

    It was Sidrain, a strong red-haired man, who barged through the door after banging on it. He strode along with a very unpleasant and irritable-looking face. He growled as he grabbed Iris¡¯s wrist. Her eyes shot open in surprise at him because he¡¯de in the middle of the night.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°I despise doing this with you once a month,¡± Sidrain said gravely.

    <i>What does that mean?</i>

    ¡°But it¡¯s up to you and me to make a sessor. If you act likest month, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    <i>What is he talking about?</i>

    ¡°It¡¯s the only thing you do that¡¯s queenly anyway.¡±

    <i>What on earth is he talking about?</i>

    Then, Sidrain picked her up and dropped her body roughly on the bed.

    Iris was raised in a Magic Tower full of men and women, but she had lived a life of magic and had been protected by ine. This was the first time that she found herself in a situation like this. She stared at the man on top of her, feeling like she was underneath a wild animal rather than a human being; chills ran down her spine.

    In a t tone, the man said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s make an heir, Your Majesty.¡±

    The man¡¯s lips touched the back of her neck and then their teeth shed, she felt appalled. Was he biting her? Tense beyondprehension, Iris stiffened herself. The next thing that touched her was a warm lump of flesh and Iris miserably realized that it was a human tongue. Did he just lick her neck with his tongue? Why? She didn¡¯t understand, why was he licking her neck? It felt dirty and nauseated her.<i>No!</i>She was terrified. She had never felt this way about a man. To Iris, men and women were the same to her since she barely engaged with people and always stood far away from them if she was in their presence. She had never even shaken hands, nor hugged anyone other than her teacher. Iris rarely even talked to anyone unless it was about something rted to magic; this was foreign to her.<i>I¡¯m scared, teacher!</i>

    He¡¯d said that it was the queen¡¯s job, but Iris didn¡¯t understand what he meant and she couldn¡¯t breathe. She didn¡¯t know what was happening and there was no one she could ask. She just had to endure this, yet all she wanted to do was push him away. She closed her eyes tightly because she was going crazy and she desperately wanted it to be over soon. How much longer was he going to lick her neck? She felt repulsed by all of this.

    ¡°Rosemary, open your eyes,¡± Sidrain said bluntly.

    <i>Please hurry up!</i>Iris could barely open her eyes because of the way the man spoke to her, she squinted at him, feeling her eyshes shaking. He had a mysterious face, so handsome yet he didn¡¯t look entirely human, he looked frightening. Rather than admire his beauty, Iris didn¡¯t want to look up at his face, especially in this situation, but she couldn¡¯t help but look. The man¡¯s voice had the power of coercion.

    ¡°You¡¯re not breathing right now.¡± Sidrain pointed out to her. When he said this, Iris realized that she had stopped breathing and she sucked in a deep breath.

    Sidrain was confused about Rosemary¡¯s behavior today, from the moment he¡¯d pped her he¡¯d noticed something peculiar about her demeanor. Now, Rosemary moved into a mermaid pose and looked up at him, which baffled him further, it was as if the person underneath him wasn¡¯t Rosemary at all. People admired her beauty, but Sidrain no longer noticed; that¡¯s how much he despised her. Having said that, today she did look pretty and seemed somewhat innocent.

    ¡°Do we have to do more?¡± Rosemary questioned, her whispering voice was abject.

    <i>What did we do?</i>Sidrain wanted to ask. Licking her neck was all he¡¯d done, but that wouldn¡¯t make a child. Rosemary should know better since she was the number one flirt in court society. Ten fingers weren¡¯t enough to count the number of men she had flirted with!<i>No, let¡¯s not fall for this act.</i>Sidrain raised an eyebrow, ¡°You don¡¯t want to spread your legs for your husband, but you¡¯re doing that for all the other men? To be fair, I¡¯m more disgusted to do this with you than any other woman in the country.¡±

    <i>Why spread my legs? Do I have to spread my legs?</i>Iris tried not to but twitched her eyelids like a sick person.<i>Why do I have to spread my legs? Why do I have to spread my legs in front of someone else?</i>She couldn¡¯t understand, but this man seemed to know why. And the Queen probably had to do such things. This man didn¡¯t want to do it either, but he seemed to do it out of an obligation, so it seemed like it was a very important thing that needed to be done.

 Chapter 12

    <i>Oh, Ruthna,</i>Iris called out in her mind as she looked up at the man, trying to gain herposure.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just not do it today? Maybe the, uh, the day after tomorrow,¡± Iris pleaded softly.<i>If the teacheres tomorrow night, I can ask what this is and think about my response.</i>¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll do it the day after tomorrow. So, not today, please. I¡¯m not feeling well. And¡­¡± Iris stuttered and desperately sort words to get herself out of this unfamiliar situation. ¡°There may also be, uh, illness, some illness. Like skin disease, since the Harance river¡¯s water isn¡¯t very clean. If you lick me, it might cause a big problem. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll ask the doctor again.¡± Iris held her hands together as if she was praying, ¡°The day after tomorrow. Not for long. We can do it again the day after tomorrow. I mean, please.¡±<i>Ruthna, help me!</i>

    Before she knew it, she was pleading with the guardian goddess Ruthna, not the man in front of her. ording to ine¡¯s ¡®Impression method¡¯, her face was loved by Ruthna. She had a face so beautiful that it screwed people¡¯s lives up.

    Sidrain looked down at the praying Queen in great bewilderment. Rosemary, who was speaking gibberish, saying the Harance river was not good for his body, was news to him. She looked crazy as usual, but it seemed like a different level of crazy.<i>The day after tomorrow?</i>Sidrain raised an eyebrow, puzzled by all of this. That¡¯s how much Rosemary hated him. Last month, Rosemary told Sidrain to offer her 20 thousand ri¡¯s a month if he wanted to have intercourse with her, she truly was a crazy woman. If she didn¡¯t want to have a rtionship with the King, she shouldn¡¯t have be the Queen in the first ce! The young King¡¯s ministry, which the people were looking at, was always politically attacked because there was no sessor, but she tried to intimidate Sidrain with this by requesting to get paid to have intimate rtions with her husband! Was she a whore? Last month they¡¯d had a serious marital fight, but even then, Rosemary hadn¡¯t asked to have intercourse the next day, or the day after that. She followed the instructions on the doctor¡¯s note, which highlighted the most likely day for her to fall pregnant, therefore there was no reason to do it on a day when the probability of pregnancy dropped. Requesting to do it the day after tomorrow made no sense to him.

    Lost in thought, Sidrain looked at Rosemary and the image of a young Iris ovepped her face. What an annoying little girl she¡¯d been. She hadn¡¯t shaken hands, nor spoken and only gave her name to him at the end of their time together. The only person who¡¯d ever done that to him, the then Crown Prince, was that girl, during a brief encounter thatsted half a day. Perhaps that girl young girl didn¡¯t even remember him.

    Iris looked at people as if they were monsters, with an ordinary look on her face that didn¡¯t match her appearance, but he always remembered that young girl who hid in the back of his mind. As he got older though, he thought about her less and less.

    Sidrain¡¯s thoughts were all over the ce, Iris ine, did she truly die? Really¡­ dead? Drowned in the cold Harance River? Sidrain was actually in no mood to hug any woman today, even more so not Rosemary, the woman he hated the most in the world and the woman who had killed Iris ine. Sidrain was beside himself the moment he was told she had killed Iris ine. Even though they weren¡¯t close, Iris had always had a spot in a corner of Sidrain¡¯s heart, and the moment he heard that she was dead, he was furious andpletely lost control.

    ¡°All right, I won¡¯t do anything with you this month because of your pleas not to,¡± Sidrain said, almost sounding relieved. He didn¡¯t want to be thinking about Iris whilst having sex with Rosemary. Sidrain got off of Rosemary, still thinking about Iris ine, the damn girl that didn¡¯t even give out her name initially. Was she honestly dead? He couldn¡¯t understand why he was so sad because it had been such a short encounter with her in his childhood, and he didn¡¯t normally get hung up on people dying.

    As Sidrain strode out of the Queen¡¯s room, Rosemary called out for him and he looked back and saw her lifting herself in the bed.

    ¡°Thank you. I mean it, really,¡± she said with a slight smile on her face.

 Chapter 13

    Sidrain walked out of the queen¡¯s bedroom frowning; he couldn¡¯t believe that Rosemary had said the words ¡®thank you¡¯ and he found it very odd and unsettling. Then his thoughts soon drifted back to Iris ine. She was famously known as ine¡¯s adopted daughter, but she was also famous for having her name in numerous recent magic papers in which she¡¯d writtenrge-scale magic tower articles. Her magic was powerful and the way she used it was genius. All the elders of the tower coveted Iris as she was ine¡¯s best student. She was a disciple that didn¡¯t do anything without hismand and she was also the woman who had contributed the most to deserve bing the owner of the tower.

    It was fourteen years ago that Sidrain had met her, that year he¡¯d turned sixteen and was considered an adult. When a royal family member became an adult, they had to go to the Magic Tower and learn to control their mana. There, the two met one day perchance when Sidrain, who¡¯d spent about a month in the Magic Tower and had learned to control mana, walked into the wrong room.

    When sixteen-year-old Sidrain opened the door to fourteen-year-old Iris¡¯s room, she was boiling something in arge ck pot that had a shirt inside of it. When the door opened unexpectedly, she and a house fairy had looked back at him in surprise and they¡¯d screamed in unison.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    Sidrain had jumped back in fright and the door had mmed shut. She hadn¡¯t even been naked though so he¡¯d wondered why she had screamed like that? He¡¯d looked at the closed door in bewilderment thinking that she was meant to have shut it with her screaming, even if he¡¯d walked into the wrong room by ident.

    He¡¯d taken a long look at the girl standing inside who stirred a shirt in the big ck pot. She¡¯d had short hair like a boy and had worn a knee-length navy blue dress which showed her skinny body. He wondered who she was and couldn¡¯t leave because of his curiosity.

    <em>Knock.</em>

    The sound came from inside the room. It was the first time in his life that he had heard a knock inside a room. ¡°Don¡¯t you usually knock when you¡¯re out in the hallway?¡± The girl had asked sarcastically. Sidrain didn¡¯t answer and stood with his arms crossed.

    The room was silent for a while before she spoke again in a faint voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°For screaming.¡±

    ¡°Why? I walked into the wrong room so I understand why you screamed. I mean, it¡¯s your room. You don¡¯t have to be sorry,¡± he¡¯d said gently.

    ¡°The Magic Tower was originally a maze structure, so visitors can¡¯t help but wonder. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The girl had mumbled an apology, sounding sincere.

    Her whispering voice had been a bit husky and sweet, making it hard for him to stay angry at her. Sidrain had stared at the door with his arms crossed, ¡°I didn¡¯t look ahead because I couldn¡¯t control my magic.¡±

    ¡°I told you not to worry about it,¡± she¡¯d said, starting to sound annoyed.

    Sidrain had frowned with astonishment. Shouldn¡¯t she at least have opened the door or served him a cup of tea? And, she should¡¯ve told him her full name too. But the wooden door had seemed firmly shut and she¡¯d seemed unwilling to open.

    <em>Oh well, never mind.</em>Sidrain had turned around.<em>What¡¯s the point of paying attention to such an uneducated, rude, boyish girl?</em>He recalled thinking.

    The girl had been deep in thought too,<em>It¡¯s a problem just because he can¡¯t control his magic. If the crown prince himself is unable to control magic, that¡¯s a big issue and if somethingpletely out of control happens, the title of the crown prince may be in jeopardy.</em>

    Sidrain had clenched his teeth and tried to float away but his concentration had been interrupted by an annoying knocking from inside the room again. ¡°You do know that knocks are supposed to be done from the outside of the door right?¡±

    The girl had giggled and ignored his question and had said, ¡°Hey, I heard that you¡¯re having trouble controlling your magic.¡±

    Sidrain had thought that the girl wouldn¡¯t ask him if she knew he was a royal. During the month in the Magic Tower, there were so many royal¡¯s and there were a lot of people that clung to the crown prince. Women had approached him to get into a rtionship and men had approached him to be friends. He hadn¡¯t been interested in them and it had been tiring to be surrounded by people who only cared about<em>their</em>future, and not listening to his stories.

    But it had been an unexpected question, so Sidrain had stayed and replied, ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can help you? As an apology.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± She¡¯d looked so young, around ten or twelve years old he¡¯d guessed, what had she known that could help him? There was a huge age difference between twelve and sixteen and he hadn¡¯t wanted to ept her offer. However, his magic had been out of control for a month and he¡¯d been feeling nervous about that.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m good at mana control,¡± she¡¯d said with confidence.

    <em>She can¡¯t even open the door though?</em>Sidrain had frowned, and the girl had made the knocking sound again as if she¡¯d known his thoughts.

    ¡°Would you like to sit down for now?¡± She¡¯d asked politely.

    Sidrain had be very wary and he stared at the ck pot, with the shirt inside of it, ¡°In this ce where there is rat poop?¡± He¡¯d asked outright and he¡¯d heard the girl pping her hands. Then, the grass broom which had been standing in the corner of the room had begun to sweep lightly.<em>I guess she does know how to use magic?</em>He¡¯d thought.

 Chapter 14

    Sidrain had watched the broom¡¯s flexible movement with suspicious eyes. If you¡¯d stayed at the Magic Tower for about a month, you¡¯d have an eye for magic. The bigger the mana, the stronger the control, and the magic of moving things worked smoother; the broom had seemed to be alive looking like it was dancing, rather than sweeping as it had cleaned up the trash and returned to its ce.

    ¡°Is it okay now?¡± The girl had asked.

    Sidrain had thought no but had plopped down on the shiny floor. He was trained as a knight and could sit in dirty ces. People thought that royalty would only sit in clean and nice ces, but that was far from the truth. The royal family had to develop the ability to adapt to more diverse ces. In particr, the imperial royals had to leave the military academy and be soldiers, so it wasmon for everyone to roll around in the mud and swing their swords. Sidrain had left the military academy to stay at the Magic Tower for a while, to learn to control his magic.

    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± she¡¯d instructed.

    While sighing, Sidrain had closed his eyes. He¡¯d known what to do next, he¡¯d had to focus and feel the magic flowing through his veins. But he hadn¡¯t felt anything. Who cared what was in their bodies? Sidrain had frowned and had wanted to give up.

    ¡°Open your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean I must focus?¡± He¡¯d asked as he¡¯d slowly opened his eyes. He¡¯d been struck with awe as he¡¯d seen numerous lights flying in front of him. It had been a beautiful and wonderful sight to behold. All the light in the world had seemed to be gathered there. So many different colors of light had brightened the shabby room. It was the first time that the royal and crown prince had ever seen something so extraordinary and he¡¯d felt captivated by it.

    Then the girl had said, ¡°Look for the white one.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Sidrain had looked around at the vast swarms of light surrounding him. Blue, red, yellow, orange, and hundreds of colors in between. There must¡¯ve been white somewhere amidst those beautiful colors. He¡¯d wondered why she wanted him to find that particr color. ¡°Is that it?¡±

    When Sidrain had asked, the girl had giggled softly again, ¡°That¡¯s where it starts.¡±

    An hourter, Sidrain had admitted that white was hard to find. It had been hard to be sure there was even a white color because no matter how hard he looked for it, he couldn¡¯t see it! There¡¯d been blue, but no white. There¡¯d been red, but no white.<em>Where¡¯s the white one?</em>His face had been distorted in frustration.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t see it, close your eyes again. Focus and feel the magic. Focus your magic on your eyes and then open your eyes again,¡± the girl had said quietly.

    Sidrain had sat on the hard floor feeling annoyed. There was no white, no matter how hard he¡¯d looked, he just couldn¡¯t find the white, but the girl had assured him that there was white. He could sense her body behind his back, she must¡¯ve been leaning against the door and she¡¯d whispered to him, ¡°There¡¯s white. You can find it.¡± She continued to assure him.

    If it weren¡¯t for her unwavering assurances, he¡¯d have given up any moment but he hadn¡¯t wanted to.

    It didn¡¯t mean that there was no other way to try to control the mana, and even if there was, he wanted to keep hearing the girl¡¯s voice. It had been a long time since he¡¯d heard something so pure.<em>This girl is just helping me because she doesn¡¯t know who I am and feels sorry for screaming at me earlier,</em>he¡¯d thought.

    He had felt pathetic for leaning on such a girl, but he was fortunate to have had this ridiculous encounter, so Sidrain had sat up straight and repeatedly closed and opened his eyes, trying to find white amidst the vibrant array of colors.

    <em>Close your eyes, concentrate, feel the magic flowing through your blood, and send it to your eyes to find white in the light,</em>he remembered thinking. It had been at the end of several repeated attempts of opening and closing his eyes that he¡¯d eventually opened his eyes wide and stared knowingly at the beautiful sight before him and he¡¯d muttered, without realizing it, ¡°All of them!¡± The array of hundreds of colors was all white and he¡¯d shouted in glee, ¡°It¡¯s all white!¡±

    The girl had pped behind him and had excitedly said, ¡°Wow, congrattions!¡± She¡¯d sounded genuine.

    Sidrain had turned his head and he could feel her warmth, sensing that the boy-like girl who¡¯d stood in front of him, pping her hands, had meant it from her heart. His own heart had heated up and he¡¯d lifted himself without realizing it. He¡¯d been sixteen and it was the first time in his life that he had faced an obstacle like that and the girl who¡¯d helped him ovee it had blocked the doorway. He¡¯d wanted to see the girl¡¯s face. He¡¯d wanted to say thank you, and in fact, maybe he¡¯d wanted to kiss her. He¡¯d broken the wooden door instead and the girl leaning against the door had screamed and fainted. It was as if he¡¯d been avenging the favor.

    When he¡¯d broken the door down she had fainted as soon as she¡¯d seen his face.

    Sidrain remembered the first time he met Iris ine but she¡¯d probablypletely forgotten about him. He had heard from er that she was scared of people and he recalled that she¡¯d fainted after seeing his face after he¡¯d ovee his magic obstacle that day. What a rude woman she was, she hadn¡¯t even wanted to meet with him when he¡¯d gone to apologize after the incident.

 Chapter 15

    Once Sidrain learned to control his magic he no longer hesitated and worked quicker than the others could. Because of that, he had to leave the Magic Tower. It would¡¯ve been nice if he had stayed a little longer, but he would¡¯ve wanted to take care of Iris at all costs then, and he didn¡¯t have time for that.

    ¡°Iris,¡± Sidrain called out with a low voice, the name of a woman who died without even remembering who he was. That was a name he had never called when she was still alive. It would¡¯ve been nice if he had called her name at least once. How had she grown? How had she been? He hoped that she wasn¡¯t in too much pain and fear at the moment of her death.

    ¡°Iris ine,¡± his voice sounded quite low and lonesome, even to him.

    Iris was living in the body of a woman whom Sidrain despised the most. She pulled the nket off as soon as he¡¯d left and wiped her neck in disgust, thinking why on earth did he lick her like that. After shaking off the strange sensation, she went searching for the ivory bracelet her teacher had given her.

    Since mana was mainly assigned to the soul, she should¡¯ve retained most of it, but she didn¡¯t know whether Rosemary¡¯s body was suitable for it. ncing in the mirror she saw the beautiful woman reflected and she couldn¡¯t believe the face was hers and sheughed. Hearing how wicked theugh sounded, she stopped immediately.

    ¡°Here it is,¡± Iris found the ivory bracelet under the table and quickly checked it to see if there were any scratches and whether that would affect the mana activation. Fortunately, there were no scratches on the bracelet after she¡¯d checked it through roughly, concentrating by using the mana in her eyes. This was a great relief and Iris put the bracelet on her wrist while sighing heavily.

    <em>¡°</em>Iris ine speaks. From now on, Rosemary¡­¡± Iris quickly recited the ancientnguage but silenced herself.<em>What is the Queen¡¯s name? I know she¡¯s Rosemary, but is there any other way to find out her full name? Are there any documents with this woman¡¯s full name?</em>

    She started searching the room. If there were at least one letter in here, she¡¯d be able to tell by just looking at the signature written on it.<em>Come to think of it, I¡¯m sure there will be something I would have to sign tomorrow!</em>

    Iris had bad handwriting, but Rosemary was a queen, so it wasn¡¯t likely that she had bad handwriting. Rosemary¡¯s signature had to be found because by looking at the signature Iris would be able to copy it easily by using magic. Rosemary¡¯s full name was also needed to link Iris¡¯s soul to Rosemary¡¯s body.<em>It should be here somewhere.</em>

    While searching through the desk, books poured out. Iris was shocked and became stiff like a statue. Someone could enter the room at any moment, or the king, who¡¯d barely made it out earlier could return unannounced.<em>What if he tells me to spread my legs again? Why on earth does he want me to spread them?</em>With her eyes closed, Iris waited for an unpleasant incident to ur, but the stillness of the night showed no signs of uninvited guests. Coming back to her senses, she sighed and began searching the desk again.<em>It would be nice if I could search for it at the library.</em>

    The Queen should have a separate library, but she needed to find a signature today and she wasn¡¯t even sure she¡¯d get a chance to go there the next day. There should be at least one signature somewhere here in the bedroom, even if it was on a portrait, that would suffice.

    Iris searched through all the books, one by one. If she was unable to find a signature she¡¯d need to try and see the handwriting through Rosemary¡¯s eyes. Her teacher wanted her to pretend as if she was Rosemary anyway because he believed that would guarantee her safety. Her teacher was always correct and she trusted his advice.

    Calling the guardian goddess of the wizards who had always been at her side, Iris searched through all the books that had fallen onto the floor.<em>Come out, please!</em>She begged and begged and miraculously a sealed envelope fell to the floor.

    The front of it read,<em>¡®To my moonlight¡¯</em>.

    ¡°Moonlight?!¡± Iris, who didn¡¯t know she was raising her voice high, got surprised by the sound and closed her mouth. Did she mean moonlight as in the moon in the sky or was the Queen having an affair?

    She hesitated for a moment. Would it be okay if she opened this? It would be bad to go through a deceased person¡¯s privacy but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the Queen was having an affair? Was this for real? It made no sense to her.

    Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t any time left and she¡¯d already searched through all the books inside the room, and the only letter that she¡¯d found was this one. She felt like she wasn¡¯t going to be able to find the Queen¡¯s signature anywhere else.

    After hesitating for a moment, Iris made a decision and carefully lifted the seal with her shaking hands. She nced over the letter and swallowed hard but her mouth was dry after reading about the affair.

    Surely this couldn¡¯t be true, even if it were someone that iris knew, they were all from the Magic Tower. The faces of people who were close to the royal family shed through her mind. Most of the people from the Magic Tower were usually royals or nobles, which is why they were so close to the high society. Even if the Queen had connections with them, it would be weird, and she sincerely hoped that it wasn¡¯t her teacher.

 Chapter 16

    Iris¡¯s hands were still shaking but she breathed a deep sigh of relief after seeing the first few words,<em>¡® To the Duke of Genes¡¯,</em>it was a person she didn¡¯t know. Although the future looked dark for her, at least it wasn¡¯t someone from the Magic Tower, since they had a keen eye for detail.

    She looked at the very end of the letter and saw the name<em>¡®Rosemary En Letaire¡¯</em>.

    Iris scanned the font of the letter with her eyes then took a deep breath as she tried to boost her mana, almost shouting in the ancientnguage as she said, ¡°Iris Eine is, huh, what?¡± She stopped abruptly and grabbed the letter with both hands and began reading it at high speed,<em>¡®To the Duke of Genes. You, my brightest moonlight out of all. Our sun has just lost all his nobility.¡¯</em>

    The letter wasn¡¯t about an affair, it had nothing to do with infidelity. She read on,<em>¡®For now, I will be the sun. Imperial Letaire was protected by the Goddess Ruthna. So, it would be most reasonable to be in the arms of the Queen.¡¯</em>It was a letter of treason!

    Iris reread the letter and her eyeballs felt like they were about to fall out. Even though she didn¡¯t know who the Duke of Genes was, it seemed he was the one who was plotting this rebellion. ording to the letter, Queen Rosemary and Duke Genes were plotting tomit treason. She thought that the King was ineligible and that she had the right to the throne, so she¡¯d bought poison from a wizard and poisoned the King, and then killed the wizard and dered that she would be heir to the throne.

    <em>Is the wizard she¡¯s referring to, me</em>? She¡¯d wanted Iris to make a poison that could kill the King.

    Iris looked in the mirror, forcing her stiff neck to move. The woman in the mirror was beautiful, beautiful¡­ and stupid! Way too stupid! Even Iris, who didn¡¯t know much about the world, knew a little about the King. He would be thirty years old this year and was already a swordmaster. He was a magic swordmaster and also a man who had killed a dragon at the age of twenty-two.

    The Queen had gone to the Magic Tower to request a pill to poison the swordmaster. There were only three swordmasters on the continent and only one king in this country. She seemed desperate to destroy his life.

    Although the King was young, he had unconditional support from his people. He was a rational monarch and a fearless conqueror and the country was strong and progressing every day. With all kinds of foreign culturesing in, the country was bing the interface for numerous exchanges. But, she was nning to kill the King without any justification. Even if the King was a winner in life this was not called for.

    Iris could see how this treason would end. ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Queen!¡± She yelled at the mirror and the reflection mimicked her; Iris felt like she was bing Rosemary.

    ***

    She wasn¡¯t able to sleep all night. Iris opened her eyes with a nk expression and looked carefully at the maids walking about on their tiptoes. They didn¡¯t even attempt to make eye contact with her. They seemed to regard the Queen as a gue rather than someone to behold. And Iris, who was now Rosemary, watched their behaviors with a very heavy heart andplicated feelings.

    She didn¡¯t have anything to say. If she were to tell them they could walkfortably, it would make them suspicious of her, and if she continued to act as the Queen, she would feel bad because she¡¯d feel like a human gue. Above all, this ufortable atmosphere was unbearably painful for Iris, who normally shielded away from people.

    She tried to look on the bright side: what if all these people talked to her with a smile? Although it was painful to be in an environment like this, it could be more painful and so Iris decided not to say anything.

    Sometimeter, during her grooming, her heart was broken. A maid caught her eye. ¡°Again? I told you to be careful!¡± Another maid shouted at her. This particr maid kept bumping into things and almost dropped the items she was holding. The maids who served the sensitive Queen became more on edge and stared at her fearfully. While Iris was pretending she wasn¡¯t watching them, she was looking at them indirectly in the mirror, and she noticed then that the maid being yelled at, didn¡¯t have good eyesight.

    Iris¡¯s name was known for mass summoning magic, but she preferred smaller magic. It was her specialty to make smaller magic very delicate and urate. It was the medicine that best served her, and she was one of the nation¡¯s leading doctors. She thought she could fix the maid¡¯s eyesight if she took a proper look, but it wasn¡¯t the time for her to do that. She had to pretend that she knew nothing about it, but it wasn¡¯t as easy as it seemed since the maid worked for Iris. Once she stood out, she kept standing out. She was being shunned by the other maids and it seemed to be because of her eyes. The poor woman looked distressed.

    Iris recalled being a maid when she was young and how she was treated like a ve. If they were to pick the humblest person in the mansion, that would be Iris. She¡¯d been treated like an animal and ate leftovers like one and she was lucky that they didn¡¯t feed her excrement. She couldn¡¯t interfere though, she needed to pretend to be Queen Rosemary.

 Chapter 17

    Iris knew Rosemary was a crazy woman, and that it was best for her lips to remain pursed. But she wanted to know how bad the maid¡¯s eyesight was and if there were any ways she could fix it. Iris opened her eyes widely, forgetting what the maid had said, ¡°Sorry, what did you say earlier?¡±

    ¡°The Duchess of Sethang has just arrived.¡±

    Iris wondered who that was. It was Duke Genes who¡¯d received the treason letter yesterday so who was the Duchess of Sethang? Rosemary¡¯s blue eyes started blinking rapidly and the maid, who was starting to feel ufortable, asked her carefully, ¡°Are you okay, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m just feeling a little bit ill all of a sudden.¡±

    The people from the court were all wizards. Although she was able to get through the unexpected situations today, Iris had put a spell on Rosemary¡¯s body. If the magic could be hidden, it might do the trick, but meeting people from the court today wasn¡¯t a good idea. Making magic hidden wasn¡¯t a technique that Iris had thought about until now.<em>I need to ask my teacher about this tonight.</em>There were three things she needed to ask him: why did she have to get her neck licked and spread her legs to make an heir with the King; the rebellion with Duke Genes; and, ways to hide magic.

    She needed to think about these three things first and she shook her head saying to the maid, ¡°I just want to rest for today. I¡¯d like to stay in my room and not meet anyone.¡±

    ¡°The Duchess of Sethang is your official representative. You should meet with her and tell her your schedule. If you¡¯re continuously not feeling well, what are you going to do about the spring ball that¡¯s scheduled three days from now?¡±

    <em>A ball? Teacher, there¡¯s a ball!</em>That would be the fourth thing she must ask him about¡­ Iris wanted to faint. When she was young, she would sometimes try to scream out loud and she would make herself faint. Her teacher had a hard time trying to fix that habit of hers. Now, she recalled what it felt like and that¡¯s what she wanted to do. She felt like screaming out loud and losing her mind!

    One of the maids opened the door and announced, ¡°The Duchess of Sethang is now entering, Your Highness.¡±

    <em>Why here? This isn¡¯t an appropriate meeting ce. This is a bedroom, so why is sheing in here?</em>Iris kept herposure and nodded, but she was tempted to protest; she wanted to cry. Elena In Sethang was the Queen¡¯s official representative and it was thought that the two would be on good terms, but that was not the case.

    Duke Sethang kept his eye on the north and shared an inseparable brotherhood with the King. The age difference between the two was quite substantial, but they cared dearly for each other. Duke Sethang vowed to protect only two people in his life; the first one wasn¡¯t the King, but rather his wife, and the second one was the King. The King had a genuine friendship with Sethang, to the point where he¡¯d evenugh and tease him about his henpecked wife.

    Elena and rence Sethang had been politically engaged since birth, but the two had a good rtionship. Elena always wished to marry him and had supported him throughout their marriage. Even if he was a traitor and a lunatic, she probably would¡¯ve still supported him. She was a very smart and fine woman but was also blinded when it came to love. As happy couples do, the two longed for each other, supported each other, and were crazy for each other. That¡¯s why Elena had be the apprentice to Queen Rosemary, who was the opposite of her. For Elena, Rosemary was a vulgar, dirty, contemptuous woman, but even then, Elena still hid Rosemary¡¯s issues to prevent harming the King and her husband. She wondered if the Queen had killed Iris ine.

    Elena had been so mad that she hadn¡¯t even eaten breakfast in the morning. She¡¯d left the morgue in the capital earlier that day as her husband, rence, had said that it wasn¡¯t a ce for a beautiful and noble woman like her to be at. Unlike her usual self, Elena had yelled at her beloved husband,<em>¡®Are you out of your mind right now? That crazy Queen killed Iris ine! Do you think ine would just sit there and do nothing?! I need to see what situation we are in, right now, with my own two eyes, so please don¡¯t say another word!¡¯</em>After screaming at her husband for the first time in a long time, she¡¯d run to the morgue at 7 a.m., after knocking on the door and then forcing it open. Before her she¡¯d seen ine¡¯s body; it was a heart-breaking sight. Thanks to Anti-Corrosion Magic, which a very fond teacher of hers had put up, she wasn¡¯t dposing, but her whole body was swollen; she was dead. At that moment she thought about what ine would think when he saw this and her heart ached for him.

    ¡°Elena In Sethang wishes to see you, Your Highness.¡±

    Iris, unaware of Elena¡¯s boiling heart, nced at Elena In Sethang with fearful eyes, as she would to a stranger. She was a middle-aged woman, but she was very beautiful. And above all, she seemed very intelligent and she could feel her magic. The mana in her body was quite pure and strong and was being well controlled. Therefore, she must be a person who¡¯d studied magic a little bit. Iris felt a little bit of a good impression from this. ¡°Wee,¡± she said.

 Chapter 18

    Elena looked up in wonder amid her anger.<em>You want me toe in? Instead of throwing things at me and asking me why I¡¯m here? Rosemary would know why I came here though. What the hell is this all about?</em>Elena vowed not to be fooled so easily by this odd behavior of hers.

    Iris became restless when Elena stood still. Why didn¡¯t anyone offer the Duchess a seat or bring her some tea? Was the royal pce a ce that didn¡¯t offer tea? The atmosphere felt ufortable and she got up from her seat and asked, ¡°Should we at least sit on the sofa over there?¡±

    <em>Why is she being like this?</em>wondered Elena. Although she wasn¡¯t going to be fooled easily, it was refreshing to see Rosemary acting differently. Elena had known her for a very long time and it was the first time she¡¯d ever seen her concerned about other people. Then, something more surprising happened.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to have some tea. Duchess, what kind of tea would you like?¡±

    Rosemary was asking as if she genuinely cared and it was starting to be obvious that she was worried about the maid and herself. Elena began to worry a little bit too, even though she thought it was just a fresh trick. Iris ine wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d fallen into the Haran¡¯s river and there was circumstantial evidence that Rosemary had tried to kill Iris ine, but there was also solid evidence that Iris ine had used magic. The Queen had almost died from magic being used by her. The Magic Tower wanted to attack the royal family now. It would begin soon, and she had to defend the Queen before it began. What if the Queen wasn¡¯t safe? What if she¡¯d be weird like this as a result of Iris ine¡¯s magic? It did seem as if she¡¯d gone a bit insane. Everyone who knew Rosemary would¡¯veughed at her since she¡¯d never acted insane like this before.

    Elena thought she¡¯d test her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have acetine tea please.¡± It was a very expensive tea. If she asked the Queen, who didn¡¯t like spending even one rible, for such an expensive tea, she should¡¯ve shown her true colors immediately.

    ¡°Ah, I will also have that then,¡± Rosemary said as she smiled brightly and Elena was shocked.

    That day, Iris hung in better than she¡¯d thought she would. Elena In Sethang was a sweet person, unlike her cold appearance. She paid a lot of attention to Iris and evenid her on the bed and covered her with a sheet when she¡¯d said she was feeling ill and that she didn¡¯t want to meet the court. And, she¡¯d even smiled and told her to not worry about anything. Iris slept throughout the day. Her dreams were fierce and she didn¡¯t rest well. Half asleep, she tossed and turned, wondering about what had happened to her body, her workshops, the house fairies, her medicines, and scrolls? All of that was so troubling, but then she remembered that her teacher would take good care of these things. If they fell into the hands of the wrong person, there would be terrible consequences.

    ¡°Iris.¡±

    She opened her eyes when a familiar voice called her name quietly. The world was dark as she looked around. She thought she wasn¡¯t sleeping well, but she must¡¯ve eventually fallen into a deep sleep.

    ¡°Teacher!¡± Iris jumped up and hugged ine tightly. ¡°Teacher, I want to go back to my own body now. Do you know where it is?¡±

    ine looked at Iris sympathetically, he didn¡¯t know what to say and remained silent for a moment. Iris¡¯s, rather, Rosemary¡¯s, blue eyes were looking up at him full of trust and affection. Looking into those eyes, it was painful for ine to say that he wasn¡¯t able to bring her back to life, that he was already toote. But even if he hadn¡¯t said anything, the intelligent disciple seemed to understand what he meant.

    ¡°Oh, no.¡± Iris cringed and her shoulders dropped at the realization. ¡°When I died, my soul had nowhere to go. So, I guess I entered the Queen¡¯s body.¡± If she had just thought about it a little more, she could¡¯ve prevented this. But instead, she¡¯d put the teacher in an awful position. Iris looked at him and spoke again, ¡°I wish you¡¯d tell me that my body is still alive.¡± Iris had been looking forward to this moment, but there was no miracle.

    ¡°I know that¡¯s what you want to hear.¡± ine¡¯s voice was heavy. After Iris started biting her lips, ine sat right beside her, exining in more detail, while caressing her blonde hair that smelled almost like honey. ¡°You weren¡¯t able to be saved when the wagon fell into the river. Everyone was desperate to save the Queen and she was so surprised that she died out of shock when she fell into the water. If your breath had returned into your body for a while, you would have had to die again, but at that moment, your soul traveled and entered into a body, which was Rosemary¡¯s body. Her body was enchanted since she was a descendent of royalty and nobility, and it was easier for you to enter it. As you know, your spell is very unusual and powerful. The magic of your soul saved the Queen¡¯s body.¡±

    Iris blurted out to her teacher, who¡¯d spoken kindly, ¡°In other words, I extorted her?¡±

    ¡°It was already an empty body. No one can ever extort a body with a soul already inside it, Iris. It wouldn¡¯t work even if it were you.¡± ine shook his head and Iris nodded at what he said, then he gently pulled her into his arms and sighed.

 Chapter 19

    Things escted in just one day. The Magic Tower intended tounch a political offensive against the Queen for killing Iris ine. But the royal family was one step ahead. They criticized Iris ine, using him of casting a spell on the Queen, saying that this was a dangerous situation and that her behavior wasn¡¯t the same as normal. Elena In Sethang, the Queen¡¯s official representative, was astonished at how harsh her mouth could be.

    The problem was that what she said was usible. She presented several maids as witnesses and as more testimonies were being heard, people couldn¡¯t help but think that the Queen was acting strangely. From the first witness, it was very apparent.

    The first witness was a maid, who said she had bad eyesight and she didn¡¯t realize the Queen¡¯s odd behavior at first but became confident in her suspicions when she noticed something strange. ¡°The Queen intentionally cleaned things up for me or stepped aside or even kicked the cushion on the floor so that I wouldn¡¯t get hurt!¡± She exined. ¡°She¡¯s not that type of a person. Who knows if she intentionally put the cushion in front of her to see me make a mistake and then watch me get beat up.¡±

    There were two types of maids when it came to serving. There were high lineages who were noble wives, including Elena In Sethang, the official representative. They were referred to as maids but weren¡¯t maids by any means. It was just a title given to them as it was their duty to serve Queen Rosemary and obey her.

    The second type of maids were mostly the children of the nobles. So of course, the precious children didn¡¯t do the same things a real maid would do. They were obligated to marry and take care of their family. Women who worked as real maids were those who hated marriage, didn¡¯t want to be a nun, or were unable to marry, or were married but trying to tie up strings for the royal pce, for the sess of their husbands. Although they were nobles as well, Rosemary used to misbehave and insult them from time to time as if they were servants.

    The second and third witnesses had simr ounts to the first witness. ording to them, Queen Rosemary was a humble, quiet, silent, and friendly person. It was total nonsense and Elena In Sethang banged on the desk, ¡°You¡¯ve had too much of the Haran¡¯s River. Let¡¯s make it clear who¡¯s responsible for this!¡±

    ine, the owner of the Magic Tower and a man who knew the truth,ughed with a smile while asking her why she was even alive.

    ¡°I think it went well today.¡±

    ine sighed at Iris¡¯s words. ¡°You think it went well? Everyone thinks you¡¯re crazy.¡± ine was relieved that Iris seemed to be okay though.

    ¡°The King¡­ said he wanted to make an heir with you?¡± he added.

    ¡°Yes, and he even licked my neck and told me to spread my legs. So I asked him if we could do it the day after tomorrow and he agreed. But what is this supposed to mean, teacher?¡± She looked at him questioningly. ¡°He¡¯s put people down and threatened them. It was really scary. I almost fainted.¡± Iris babbled.

    ine wanted to leave but her innocent face kept him seated. A bastard who was called a king, asked his wife to have intercourse on the same day when she¡¯d barely made it out the river alive? Was he that crazy about it? No, there¡¯s no way that could be. If there was anyone in the world who hated Rosemary more than ine, that would¡¯ve been Sidran. His teeth would shiver if he had to be intimate with Rosemary. If he had asked her to have intercourse with him, the only reason would be him wanting to make an heir. In other words, it must¡¯ve been the day that she had the highest possibility of conceiving.

    But that was still really heartless. ine stroked Iris¡¯s head. Iris, who came from the Magic Tower, was ignorant of this castle. For Iris, who suffered from anthropophobia, an intercourse would be out of the question. For that reason, ine didn¡¯t bother to teach her what it was all about. He thought that Iris didn¡¯t need to know about it since she was a wizard that was way too powerful to go even through something like that.<em>I should have taught you all about the world. I never thought the day woulde that I¡¯d have to teach you so hurriedly about this,</em>hemented. He kept a long silence, not knowing what to say.

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    ¡°Iris, how this works, is¡­¡± he started to stutter.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°You have to¡­¡± ine was a friend, a father, and a teacher of Iris, but not a friend of the same gender nor a mother. He couldn¡¯t bring up any intimate topics that easily with her. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it next month. You¡¯ll be fine until next month.¡± He¡¯d have to put a lot of thought into how he would exin this all to her. How would he be able to pass on such knowledge? What could be said to a brilliant noble and an already established wizard, about promiscuity?

    ¡°Do you have something else to ask?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    He was hoping for an answer that she didn¡¯t have any further questions. Without knowing what kind of feelings he was experiencing, she¡¯d quickly replied that she did. ine hoped that the next question would be less embarrassing than the first one. He asked Iris what it was and she took out a letter and ine¡¯s forehead crinkled into a frown when he saw it.

    Compared to the first question, he was certain that nothing could embarrass him as much. But what was happening in the world made him unsure. Speechless, ine burst into a dry smile and without hesitation, started reading the letter slowly. The Duke of Genes was another idiot. He and the crazy woman he¡¯d met were hosting a preposterous ball.

 Chapter 20

    In the past, the tower would¡¯ve taken this job politically and attacked the royal family, and here sat Iris. Iris, who didn¡¯t know anything about the ways of the world. ine stroked her soft blonde hair again and he thought about what he¡¯d just read.

    ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t want to go! I don¡¯t want to leave the Magic Tower for good!¡±

    Iris¡¯s poprity was at a high level now. He recalled when she was young, she¡¯d often scream and faint when she saw people. After those experiences, she¡¯d used magic to avoid meeting people again. When she had to meet someone, she¡¯d send a doll that looked just like her instead.

    He¡¯d thought it was an inevitable choice to let Iris go into the world if she was to be saved and remembered all too clearly the rainy day when he¡¯d sent her on her way. Iris had begged and pleaded to stay, clinging to his legs and crying bitterly. ine was told not to kick her out. But he¡¯d stood firm in his decision and forced her to go. And now, she¡¯d be a cold dead body and the soul had barely survived.<em>I am responsible for her death,</em>he regretted. ine grabbed Iris¡¯s blonde hair. This would never have happened if she¡¯d been protected by the Magic Tower.

    ¡°Teacher?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll find out about this. I also wondered who told the Queen all about you, and it turned out to be a stupid monk.¡± He was one of ine¡¯s disciples. Jealous of ine and Iris¡¯s rtionship, he¡¯d informed the nuisance Queen about her existence.

    ¡°And, what else do you want to ask?¡± He said, dreading her next question.

    ¡°Ways to hide magic. I don¡¯t know how to do it since I¡¯ve never tried hiding magic before, teacher.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± ine gently patted his pupil on the shoulder. ¡°Squeeze the form and install the magic.¡±

    Thinking there might be another way, Iris realized that it was magic that she had to use, so she asked carefully, ¡°Can I think of it as a camouge system?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you put the magic on top of the magic, so that your opponent can¡¯t feel the magic that¡¯s in your body. Did you understand what I mean?¡±

    ¡°I think I know now,¡± nodded Iris.

    ¡°So, are you ready then?¡± The third one was a simple question and ine breathed a sigh of relief. But then he saw Iris shaking her head.

    ¡°Not quite, the fourth question is the biggest problem, teacher.¡±

    ine frowned, saying that she couldn¡¯t have any bigger issues to deal with.

    Iris shouted with a face that looked as if she was about to burst into tears, ¡°The ball is in three days!¡±

    ***

    A bolt of lightning struck the ground nearby as the servant watched a man and woman through a telescope. They sat on a bed, talking affectionately, reading letters, whispering, crying, hugging, and dancing. It was most certainly an affair and he had the evidence to prove it. A look of disbelief spread across his face.

    ¡°Who¡¯s having an affair?¡± Sidrain asked with more absurdity than hearing that the world had fallen.

    ¡°Sir ine and the Queen!¡± The chief replied, sounding shocked.

    <em>They say Rosemary is a crazy person. Is it contagious? Did our chief catch her craziness too?</em>Sidrain thought, a deep frown marring his forehead.

    There were many different kinds of affairs in the world and Sidrain had seen them all. For now, that was the case in the court society. Everyone was married, but everyone was sweet toward others and they all hated their spouse. Of course, there were rare cases like the Duchess of Sethang. Sidrain had also created several governments without ws and Rosemary slept with all the men he liked, whether they had ws or not. The fact that the current chief had an issue with this affair was a first. Theymitted an affair in the Queen¡¯s room and second, the opponent was the natural enemy of the royal family, which was, of course, the Magic Tower, and ine was the owner of the tower. In this case, it was called an affair, but he should note that there might be a possibility of spying going on as well.

    Many kinds of affairs shouldn¡¯t happen. Like kinship, enemy rtionships (that¡¯s where Rosemary¡¯s affair was rted to), and other interspecies. There was a lot. There were many idents and usations, and it was the court society that was dirtier than the sewer. Sidrain, as king, was obliged to manage and coordinate all of that. So, he knew most of the time what was going on. But ine and Rosemary?

    Although monkeys and dogs could sleep together, ine and Rosemary sleeping together would be impossible. The two hated each with all of their heart! From a man¡¯s point of view, ine shouldn¡¯t have been able to stand Rosemary, no matter how much effort she put into it, and from Rosemary¡¯s spouse¡¯s point of view, no matter what ine did, Rosemary would¡¯ve screamed and tried killing ine by using drugs, if his fingertips even came close to her.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The chief wasn¡¯t a person who would talk nonsense. So far, he had never brought anything unclear to Sidrain. His work was reliable. If you remove the fact that he said that ine and Rosemary were having an affair.

    As if he fully understood why Sidrain was suspicious, the chief replied politely, ¡°Of course, I saw a scene where my eyes couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Something suspicious about what?¡± He asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Are you saying that ine was able to get excited by Rosemary?¡±

    Sidrain was puzzled whenever he engaged with Rosemary. No matter how curvaceous and beautiful her body was, he still felt repulsed by her every day of the month, but a man needed at least a little bit of intimacy now and then. Although it was twenty timesrger and made out of bronze, he honestly thought that it would be much easier to get excited by the statue of the goddess of the temple which he found more fascinating than Rosemary.

    ¡°They hugged, cried,ughed, handed over the letters, and danced. There wasn¡¯t a very clear scene of intimacy, but this is¡­¡±

    Sidrain cut him off, ¡°That¡¯s enough evidence. I¡¯ve got it.¡± He couldn¡¯t digest this information and thought that ine¡¯s stomach must be a lot stronger than his. Was she that good?

    ine¡¯s stomach was just fine. He was a character who lived his life as he wanted and he had enough magic and ability to enjoy his journey.

 Chapter 21

    He always smiled with a pleasant look on his face, but honestly, he was picky about who he<em>genuinely</em>smiled at. He¡¯d also been like that when he was the second son of the Duke family, and when he entered the Magic Tower too.

    ine and Rosemary? It was nonsense, yet something was still bothering him. Sidrain stroked his chin. As usual, his shaving was impable and his chin felt as smooth as pure silk. He pondered for a while, unable to shake the feeling that he was missing a piece to this puzzle.

    Thinking back he recalled when ine had first entered the royal pce and the state of rage that he¡¯d been in. He was about to kill Rosemary, but of course, they¡¯d prevented that. But the anger from the Magic Tower was justified and Sidrain was going to make Rosemary kneel; the Magic Tower had lost Iris ine. She was one of the most favored disciples of the Magic Tower¡¯s owner and the most abundant wizard there. Iris couldn¡¯t quite reach the same level of mana as her teacher, but in terms of her magic, ine had had to step back several times. So how could he expect the Magic Tower to not react after finding out about her death? It was both a matter of pride and a real loss for the Magic tower. Iris ine was having to perform her daily tasks and by losing her, the tower was in a situation where many other tasks would have to be allocated to other disciples now; the royal family was in trouble.

    The situation had taken an unexpected turn when ine had started saying that he was concerned about Rosemary and had stopped staring at her with a death wish in his eyes. Since that moment, things had be very strange indeed. Rosemary had then jumped in front of the sword to protect ine and he¡¯d hugged her in thanks. And then, Rosemary had begged himst night to rather be intimate today, just before her affair? It made no sense. Everything felt weird and devoid of substance like a desert mirage; something was wrong.

    Sidrain usually had good intuition and when he¡¯d be a sword master, his feelings had gotten even stronger. So what had felt so out of cest night? After thinking for a while, it finally struck him.<em>I could feel magic in Rosemary¡¯s body!</em>He genuinely hated her so he wasn¡¯t interested in such things about her before all of this happened. But now he was certain that he¡¯d felt magic in her when he¡¯did her down on the bed. And, he vaguely recalled that it had felt like unfamiliar magic.

    Rosemary didn¡¯t perform any magic. Although he knew that she did possess some, it wasn¡¯t a significant amount. She could¡¯ve used that magic if she had learned how to control it, but Rosemary never bothered to try and he knew that magic deteriorated if one didn¡¯t learn how to handle it. Butst night he¡¯d sensed magic that was powerful and lively, which he¡¯d never felt before in Rosemary¡¯s body.

    Sidrain¡¯s tired red eyes looked about; something had changed. His handsome forehead started frowning.<em>There has to be a puzzle piece that I¡¯m missing,</em>he thought.

    That night, Sidrainy on the roof, just above Rosemary¡¯s bedroom, gazing at the bright shining stars. But he wasn¡¯t lying on the pce¡¯s dirty roof for the fun of it, he was a sword master and from this vantage point, he could hear the voices in Rosemary¡¯s room. Suddenly, she burst into song.

    ¡°Life has be this way anyway. Let¡¯s live a good life. Let¡¯s live a good life!¡±

    Sidrain almost jumped to his feet in fright.

    ¡°Life is like this. They say this world is much better than having to roll in a field full of dog crap. Let¡¯s live a good life, let¡¯s live a good life!¡±

    What countryman song was this? he wondered. He¡¯d<em>never</em>heard Rosemary sing a song.

    Rosemary knew that her voice was as beautiful as her appearance. She sang when she wanted to and even though they knew what kind of a crazy woman she was, people were often seduced by her voice. She had such a beautiful voice and her singing skills were outstanding; the woman singing now, was a bit tone-deaf.

    ¡°Let¡¯s live a good life, let¡¯s live a good life!¡±

    Singing only what sounded like the chorus, repeatedly, it seemed as if she didn¡¯t know the words to the song all that well. Sidrain chuckled to himself as he was able to sing the song more correctly than she could.<em>That¡¯s a half-note higher. No, you should go lower from there. You are known to be crazy and now you are tone-deaf as well?</em>Sidrain¡¯s eyebrows lifted as he sensed a great deal of magic below him; someone had most certainly used magic.

    Finally, a night guest appeared and Sidrain¡¯s face broke into a smile.<em>Now, let¡¯s hear exactly what the two are up to.</em>

    Rosemary¡¯s delightful voice spoke, ¡°Teacher!¡±

    ine¡¯s voice prated Sidrain¡¯s ear, ¡°Yes, Iris. How are you today?¡±

    Sidrain stopped breathing.<em>Iris, Iris ine?</em>For a moment, everything that had been going on shed through his mind.<em>It¡¯s Iris ine in Rosemary¡¯s body!</em>Immediately, he understood everything that had transpired, and in an instant, the puzzle waspleted. Iris ine was alive, and residing now in Sidrain¡¯s pce. He raised his head in shock and looked up at the night sky. More stars were sparkling, tens of thousands of times brighter than before.

    This morning, Arthur, the chief, had had a rather nonsensical idea. He¡¯d said there was a gue moving through the pce and it was quite a usible idea now. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be another way to exin this situation. What else could exin all of this if it weren¡¯t a gue?

 Chapter 22

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t myplexion look bad today?¡± Sidrain asked, feeling oddly insecure.

    It was the first time that Arthur had witnessed him looking so intently at his face since Sidrain had be the king. Arthur looked at Sidrain¡¯s face. It was handsome. A face that he couldn¡¯t describe in one word. Yet, Sidrain kept looking in the mirror, seemingly unsure of himself and he keptining about his face today.

    <em>If you don¡¯t like this face, there¡¯s no other face that you¡¯re going to like in this world, Your Majesty.</em>Arthur wanted to reassure him, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud.

    Sidrain gave an order, ¡°I don¡¯t like that outfit. Bring some other clothes and bring me all the jewelry as well. I need to find something else to wear.¡±

    ¡°Who are you going to meet today? Are you going to the Yellow Ind?¡± Arthur asked but received no reply.

    There were seven kings in the Empire of Le Taer and one of them would take over the emperor¡¯s position. Being the emperor was a position of great responsibility and great authority. But it was also easy to be targeted, as the current emperor knew all too well. It was said that he was in the presence of amp in front of the wind, and this was no exaggeration. This was because Sidrain, the swordmaster, and the most powerful king, existed. Also, being only thirty years old, he was still young. It was amon observation that if the emperor wasn¡¯t an old man, nearly going seventy years old, the throne would¡¯ve been lost to Sidrain.

    Sidrain, the king, didn¡¯t care much about the emperor at the best of times. When he went to meet with the emperor, he would always dress without caring about his appearance and would stand before him with an uninterested, dull look on his face. He wasn¡¯t interested in the crown nor that interested in the emperor either.

    Arthur oftenpared Sidrain and the emperor to lions and deer, since it was only during hunting times that lions cared about the deer¡¯s movements. On the other hand, it was a matter of survival for the deer to keep an eye on the lion¡¯s presence. The rtionship between the two was just like that. So, when Sidrain went to the emperor, there was no reason to care about how he was dressed. Rather, the emperor used to do his best to dress up and even disy the best tableware to show Sidrain his authority.

    Sidrain tried to recall the dream he¡¯d had and asked, ¡°What scent dodies like? Put a lot of scented oil in the bath. It has to smell good.¡± Sidrainmanded this in a rougher voice than usual as he hadn¡¯t slept.

    Arthur only then figured out why Sidrain was behaving so strangely and he asked, ¡°Are you doing this because of yourdy?¡±

    Sidrain had touched several women but had never really cared for any of them. There were always many women who wanted him because of his status as a powerful knight and a noble king and they threw themselves at him. The only woman Arthur knew, who didn¡¯t want him, was his spouse, Queen Rosemary ¨C it was a rtionship that both didn¡¯t want.

    ¡°What do you say, Arthur? If you were a woman, would you like the way my face looks today?¡±

    ¡°Are you serious, Your Majesty?¡±Arthur had to mentally prepare himself when he found out he had to do a woman¡¯s job and Sidrain smiled silently at his question but remained outwardly cranky.

    Sidrain¡¯s skin was moist and smoother than normal and his hair was like soft grass fluttering in the breeze. Still, it was maintaining its style and was maintaining it well. He also felt passionate, just like his red eyes that were burning, and his body was tightly covered with beautiful things, yet he couldn¡¯t leave the mirror as if he were still missing something.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think my face looks a little weird?¡± Sidrain asked awkwardly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have slept at all, but thanks to your perfect looks, it¡¯s not that obvious Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°How did you know I didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± Sidrain looked back at Arthur suspiciously.

    ¡°Because you lost your voice a little. If you drink tea with honey in it, it will get better.¡±

    ¡°Bring me some then. I can¡¯t afford to sound ugly.¡± After requesting that, his eyes narrowed while he contemted.<em>If it¡¯s Iris ine in Rosemary¡¯s body, it¡¯s Iris who I¡¯ve pped across the face! Out of all of the terrible things to do, I did that! I¡¯ve only pped that crazy bitch once before but what the hell is this supposed to mean if it¡¯s Iris? That woman killed a person and deserved to be beaten, but it wasn¡¯t Iris who deserved to be hit by me.</em>

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to make a good impression today,¡± Sidrain mumbled, almost unwilling as he looked at the man in the mirror.

    He realized now that he¡¯d even tried to force a person, who¡¯d barely made it back alive, to have intercourse with him, as if it wasn¡¯t even enough that he¡¯d pped her across the face. But the truth was when he¡¯d pped her, he¡¯d thought that it was Rosemary, who did evil things constantly and he¡¯d assumed that she wouldn¡¯t stand still and take it, even though she¡¯dmitted the crime. It was natural for the couple to behave like this; their marital rtionship was a war. They were enemies, and sleeping together was like a battlefield. Rosemary had even drugged him once tomit a crime. It was a normal thing in their rtionship and she¡¯d even wielded a dagger at him before, yet Sidrain still tolerated her. Then, Rosemary had swung a dagger at herself when she didn¡¯t kill Iris.

    It was unfair but inevitable that the first impression he gave to Iris had been awful.<em>If I don¡¯t do something about this, it will only get worse. I have to make a better impression.</em>

    ¡°Bring me arge bunch of flowers,¡± he instructed Arthur.

    ¡°I will do so straight away, Your Majesty¡±

    ¡°And, also call the jeweler.¡±

    Sidrain raised his hand and covered his mouth. His heart pounded when he thought of Iris ine. A girl who was thought to be dead. A girl who had been forgotten, but had not been forgotten entirely. A girl who was like a boy had now be his wife. Rosemary¡¯s face was one ofints but it didn¡¯t matter what she looked like, as long as Iris was in her.<em>Iris is my wife.</em>A smile spread across his face as he realized that fact.

 Chapter 23

    Iris was wiggling in the bathtub to getfortable and secretly kept an eye on the maids. She felt deep empathy for the maid who had poor eyesight as she seemed to stand out, like a white dress that had a massive gray stain on it. The maid¡¯s left eye bothered Iris so much that she couldn¡¯t think of anything else. What was the situation among them anyway? The maid seemed to have been isted by her colleagues because of her eye, but Iris couldn¡¯t confirm this for sure.

    ¡°Hey, I need your help.¡± Iris deliberately called the maid who¡¯d been serving her in the bath. The maids turned around and looked at Iris, and she heard numerous sighs of irritation. But no one dared disobey her wishes, so the blind maid approached her to tend to her needs.

    ¡°I thought she was patient,¡± one maid whispered to another.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll get mad any second now. Just wait and see,¡± boasted a third maid to the fourth maid. ¡°Let¡¯s not be noisy. Let¡¯s just keep quiet. What if she hears us and punishes us?¡± She continued, and the sixth and seventh maid nodded in agreement. They were almost mourning for their colleague, thinking that the Queen would be irritable, but there was a situation going on inside the bathroom that they could never have imagined.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Iris asked as she sat naked in therge white bathtub.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anna, Your Highness,¡± Anna answered politely, foaming at her mouth with her back turned. She was very nervous that she¡¯d make a mistake because of her eyes and upset the fierce Queen. So she spoke in an especially soft voice.

    Had the maid listened to Iris a little closer, she¡¯d have heard her speak an ancient word that the original queen would never have spoken.

    ¡°Anna, go to sleep,¡± Iris¡¯s voice was barely audible and Anna¡¯s body fell forward. She reacted with lightning speed, reaching out and catching her in the nick of time. Sighing with relief, she pulled Anna¡¯s body carefully towards her. She then ced a towel on the floor to prevent her from getting cold and quickly checked Anna¡¯s eyes.

    <em>My teacher has told me many times not to do this, but¡­ I know it¡¯s against the ethics of magic, but I can¡¯t stand the way that Anna keeps making mistakes. And I don¡¯t want to keep exining why I help her, so it can¡¯t be helped.</em>But it was still against the magic rules.<em>Forgive me, Ruthna,</em>Iris muttered to herself as she checked Anna¡¯s left eye, and then dipped her finger in her bathtub. If someone hadn¡¯t touched her workshop, this would certainly work. Her pot in the workshop should be full of water.

    ¡°Come on out, Leiden.¡±

    After Iris spoke, the house fairy, Leiden, flew out of the water. ¡°Iris! If you¡¯re going to stay out all night, you should tell us. Do you know how worried we were¡­ Who are you? Who is this person with the energy of Iris?¡± He asked, looking perplexed. Leiden pped his wings and went from angry to looking visibly scared.

    ¡°It¡¯s me. Come on.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Even though I¡¯m a nail-sized house fairy, my eyes work perfectly. You and Iris havepletely different faces.¡±

    ¡°Our souls have switched. It¡¯s a long story, but I can assure you that I¡¯m Iris.¡±

    Leiden tilted his head as he listened to Iris and then flew around the room before stopping in front of her. pping his wings slowly he asked, ¡°What¡¯s my impression then, Iris?¡±

    ording to the teacher¡¯s description of his impression, he would be thest person to lose in any situation because he was so smart. Leiden used to hate this impression story but when Iris answered correctly, he was visibly shocked, ¡°You are Iris! How did you end up with this face? Your impression looks so bad!¡± Leiden babbled on, ¡°It¡¯s the worst face of all the unpleasant guests I¡¯ve met!¡± When Iris threatened, Leiden flew back a few inches, but he couldn¡¯t help himself and added, ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±

    Iris rolled her eyes, ¡°Go and get the things I¡¯m asking for please.¡±

    Leiden obeyed and disappeared back into the water.

    Leiden wasn¡¯t alone when he returned with the items Iris had requested. Eight house fairies popped out of the water and they all immediately cried to each other when they saw Iris¡¯s face.

    ¡°Whose face is that?¡± One of them asked.

    ¡°Oh my, you look so unlucky,¡± another fairymented.

    ¡°Ruthna won¡¯t like this face,¡± said a third fairy. ¡°Out of all the faces in the world, why this one?¡±

    All of them wereining and a strange sound emanated from the back of Iris¡¯s throat, as they were distracting her while she was fixing Anna¡¯s eyes. Quickly, the house fairies huddled together, clicking their tongues and then shutting their mouths.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with thisdy?¡± One of the fairies asked. She had to jump over the edge of the bathtub to see because she had no wings to fly.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°Her eyesight was bad. I think she had mold on them. But I¡¯ve fixed it now.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Another house fairy ran up to her and asked. House fairies only served their owners. They were devoted to their owners alone and selfish beyond that. Iris groaned for a moment and wondered what the fairy would have to say about Anna. Anna was a nobody. Perhaps that was the same case with Rosemary.

    ¡°Because it bothers me,¡± Iris replied.

    ¡°If I fix this, it won¡¯t bother you anymore then?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Iris said, surprised that the fairy showed an interest in helping her. Irisughed, ¡°Anna¡¯s eyes have been fixed, so nothing will bother me anymore. There is no need to do anything hical, it¡¯s all over now.¡± At least that¡¯s what Iris thought¡­

    Exactly an hour before breakfast time, Iris, or ¡°Rosemary¡¯s¡± husband, Sidrain, arrived with arge number of flower attendants. All she saw were flowers of all shapes and colors as the door opened, and she thought for a moment that this couldn¡¯t be happening. She watched in astonishment as the flowers were carried into her room by the servants.

    They changed the old flowers in the vases all at once and brought in extra vases to hold more flowers. Rosemary liked flowers and the room was now full of them. Iris, on the other hand, didn¡¯t like picking flowers for no reason. They looked pretty, but she preferred to leave them outside, alive, and collect them as and when she needed to.

    But they did look beautiful as they stood in the vases and the room was soon filled with an array of fresh scents. They smelled so fragrant and Iris closed his eyes without realizing it, feeling as if she were in a magnificent flower garden.

    ¡°Hello, Rosemary,¡± Sidrain said.

    Iris heard a sweet voice that sounded as friendly as her teacher. She slowly opened her eyes but they hardened like ice immediately.

    ¡°Did you sleep well? Did you have a good dream?¡± He queried.

    The man held a few strands of his hair and kissed them gently; it was the scary and strange man, the King.

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not showing muchpassion earlier. It still scares me to think that you fell into the cold Haran¡¯s river and needed help.¡±

    Iris looked at the handsome man with jet-ck hair and red eyes, which resembled a madman¡¯s eyes, and she wondered if there was something wrong with him. But she couldn¡¯t fix him like she¡¯d fixed Anna. The King was a swordmaster. He was agile and strong, and would subdue her as soon as she showed any signs of not being who she was supposed to be; she wouldn¡¯t win.

    The King whispered, holding a few strands of Iris¡¯s blonde hair and kissing them, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I was out of my mind that day. I thought I was going to lose you. I know you must be angry and heartbroken and I¡¯ll take whatever punishment you see fit.¡±

    ¡°First of all¡­¡± Iris was looking at Sidrain and her face had gone pale.

    Sidrain looked at Rosemary¡¯s face, waiting for her to continue.I didn¡¯t think of her face as pretty before. I¡¯ve felt terrible many times for feeling like this. If I look at her objectively, I know it¡¯s a pretty face, but it¡¯s also quite a boring face. s, I guess I wanted to kiss you then, too. I¡¯m d you fainted. If it weren¡¯t for that, I¡¯d have kissed you.Sidrain stared at Iris¡¯s face, waiting with bated breath for her to continue.

    ¡°Will you let go of my hair?¡± Iris continued, as she pulled back from him. ¡°And why do you keep kissing my hair?¡±

    Sidrain grinned from ear to ear as she crept back and fell onto a chair. He then grabbed the chair and pulled it right up to him in one quick movement. Today for some reason, her face looked gorgeous to him. Was it because he didn¡¯t know what Iris¡¯s face looked like? For him, Iris¡¯s face was now this face, but it had apletely different look to it, although it was still Rosemary¡¯s face. Her thick lips and wide-open eyes seemed to move differently now. Could he teach himself magic control with this face?

    ¡°It¡¯s not about kissing the hair so much, but rather about holding it.¡± He replied, then added, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done this.¡±

    The dining table was spacious. It was a long, colorful, grand table that was positioned perfectly in the dining room. The King and the Queen would¡¯ve sat at opposite ends of the table. Even Iris, who knew nothing about this ce, knew that much.I¡¯d have eaten outside,she thought.

    But as soon as the King saw their meal was ready, he smiled and strode alongside her and then proceeded to sit right next to her at the corner of the table. The King talked incessantly to Iris while his servants served them and their eyes bulged in surprise at his odd behavior. When Iris tried to escape, he yanked her out of the chair and pulled her close to him, ¡°Do I smell good,¡± he whispered. ¡°Do you like this scent?¡±

 Chapter 25

    After Iris had rejected him, Sidrain merely replied, ¡°I can¡¯t do that. You are my queen. Any extravagant vor in the world is yours if you want it.¡±

    I¡¯m done with the fragrance talk, and I¡¯d like you to move away.It was Iris¡¯s misfortune not to be able to say so out loud.

    Sidrain watched Iris eat with delight, barely touching his meal. She became anxious and looked at her te, concentrating on the meal before her, only.

    ¡°My Queen.¡±

    I don¡¯t know why his fragrance is so sweet.Iris decided to stay alert. The King made her feel ufortable. She was a woman of the tower and the King was a natural enemy to her. ¡°Yes?¡± she replied warily.

    ¡°Do you know how to ride a horse?¡±

    ¡°Does Your Highness have a fever today?¡±

    The servants looked at Sidrain in disbelief. Of course, Rosemary knew how to ride a horse. She was a queen. No matter how crazy she was, she had every basic skill that a queen was required to have. If she didn¡¯t know how to ride a horse, she couldn¡¯t have be a queen! Why did the person who should know her the best, ask something as ridiculous as that?

    She thought it might be a trap. Was he using his good looks to charm her, because he wanted to get a divorce?Does Rosemary know how to ride a horse? Is this a test?Iris didn¡¯t know what to answer and stared at him nkly.

    Sidrain smiled gently at her, wondering why she didn¡¯t answer him. He wanted to be nice to Iris, but she looked so scared. He had never seduced a woman, so he didn¡¯t know the art of seduction. He was just asking what he wanted to know now and he genuinely wanted to be kind to Iris. He wanted to kiss her hair and inhale her body¡¯s scent, and whisper sweet nothings in her ear; he would do as he pleased.

    ¡°The doctor said I might get some things confused. You know, the Haran¡¯s river is very strong,¡± Iris finally replied.

    ¡°Is that right?¡±

    Iris¡¯s eyes sparkled. Barely able to hold himself back, as he looked at her innocent eyes that seemed to make himugh, Sidrain responded seriously, ¡°Yes, but this is a secret. It¡¯s not good for others to know that the Queen has some memory loss. You know what I mean, my Queen.¡±

    Of course, other people shouldn¡¯t know, Iris thought as she nodded her head in agreement. But it was a relief, as she now had an excuse for her sometimes different behaviors to Rosemary¡¯s.

    Sidrain saw the rosy flush on Iris¡¯s cheeks and couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. No, there was no reason to put up with it. He was her husband and she was his spouse. Theoretically, she was apletely different person though, so even if a deeper rtionship had to be agreed upon, she would still look like this person who sat in front of him now. Sidrain lifted Iris¡¯s chin with one strong finger and kissed her on the cheek. He felt her body tremble slightly.

    He¡¯d only put his lips on her cheek, and it felt as if they were kissing. Iris couldn¡¯t imagine what it would feel like to kiss him properly.

    ¡°My Queen, I am your knight, you can always tell me a secret,¡± Sidrain whispered in Iris¡¯s ear. She cringed, and he wasn¡¯t sure whether she was itchy or if she felt uneasy. ¡°Now, answer me. Can you ride a horse?¡± Iris nced up at him and Sidrain could feel her blue eyes sizing him up.

    She wondered if she could trust him and whether or not he meant what he said. She had to believe in herself and follow her gut instinct. This pce was such a checkered ce and she needed to trust someone other than her teacher, who only visited her in the middle of the night, and couldn¡¯t protect her properly. But what about herself? She was the legitimate spouse of the best knight in the country and the king of this country. She dared notpare him to her teacher openly.

    ¡°I think I was able to ride,¡± Iris answered carefully.

    Sidrain smiled fondly at her words, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask the merchants to pick it up.¡±

    Iris had no idea what he meant by that.

    ***

    Iris didn¡¯t have time to ponder about what Sidrain had meant. She had another hurdle to ovee, the Spring ball. She could ride a horse but she couldn¡¯t dance! ine, her teacher, had perfect dancing skills, just like a man raised in a noble family. But it was impossible to teach a pupil, who had two left feet and no rhythm, to dance correctly in three nights.

    ¡°Iris, you know so many tricks of the trade and have so many skills, but none of them seem to be dancing,¡± ine said, sounding quite concerned. ¡°The Spring ball is tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Teacher, what do I do tomorrow?¡± Iris stuttered with sadness in her eyes. It would be great to be able to make shoes that danced for her, using magic, but there were many problems with that. First of all, Iris didn¡¯t get to choose the shoes she¡¯d wear. Secondly, there were several different dances. If she was dancing alone she could make a form, but this dancing at the ball was done by two people. Thirdly, unless she knew who her partner was, no matter how well she danced with magic, she wouldn¡¯t be able to anticipate her partner¡¯s moves. It was impossible.

 Chapter 26

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there tomorrow, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can dance with you, teacher. Then, even with magic¡­¡± Iris¡¯s face brightened up. With ine, she could use magic. She was sure. However, her teacher dismissed the poor student¡¯s hope at once.

    ¡°Iris, you¡¯re a queen,¡± ine reminded her. ¡°The king and queen usually dance together and open the ball. It¡¯s an old tradition. Would you, as the Queen, have your first dance with another man in front of the King? Even that crazy woman Rosemary wouldn¡¯t dare try that.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you dance with me rather?¡±

    ¡°No, the first dance must be with King Sidrain!¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± Iris fell to the ground throwing a tantrum and let out a woeful shriek. ine didn¡¯t stop her because he knew she could scream as much as she wanted to, because he had soundproofed the room.

    ording to Iris¡¯s brief study, all of the kings of the Letaire Empire used the name of the empire as part of their surname. The kings also had letters in between their name and surname, to show their status as being king. The royalty of this country attached ¡®En¡¯, and the royalty of the next country attached ¡®Se¡¯ to their surnames. There was only one person, the emperor, who could write an empire name without attaching anything. If Sidrain became emperor, his name would then be Sidrain Letaire.

    The people were convinced he¡¯d be Sidrain Letaire in a few years. Iris was very afraid of him. A swordmaster who¡¯d in the dragon, the same man who¡¯d pped his wife in the face, and now, a man who suddenly acted friendly. She couldn¡¯t understand his behavior.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to help, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about this,¡± ine said bitterly. ¡°Get out of there somehow. If you don¡¯t feel right, pretend to be sick. Do you understand?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to fake an illness, it was just difficult to fake it in this pce. The pce was teeming with skilled courtiers, and they may recognize that Iris was faking being ill. They could also discover that she was using magic, which would make matters worse.

    ine and she spent the night agonizing, but they couldn¡¯te up with a clear solution. Finally, he disappeared, and Iris sighed as she sat alone.

    It was pitch-dark in her room but she couldn¡¯t sleep, she didn¡¯t know what to do. If she danced incorrectly with the King, everyone would know that she wasn¡¯t a queen. The King would be furious.<em>Haven¡¯t I seen him angry already once? I was terrified!</em>But, she recalled what he¡¯d said while they ate, he¡¯d said she could tell him anything.

    What if she told him that she¡¯d forgotten how to dance? Wouldn¡¯t he perhaps listen to her? She wasn¡¯t sure if she should do that. Could she, a member of the tower, say that to the King? She didn¡¯t ask her teacher if she should trust him or not. Unfortunately, the Spring dance was today, and there was no way to ask her teacher now.

    It was simple to use magic but there were too many eyes watching her, so she couldn¡¯t risk it, and neither could ine. It was safer for them to have as little contact with each other as possible. Iris went back and forth trying to find a solution. She was leaning towards the idea of trusting the King, just this one time.

    Suddenly, the door opened. Flowers were brought in the same way as the previous day, and soon the room looked like a fresh new flower garden. Iris watched King Sidrain, who stood with his eyes closed, unlike yesterday. He was as perfect as he was the day before. He had an ancient warrior¡¯s body, his face was elegant and refined. He had red hair that made him look like a fiery man, but his red eyes made him look somewhat beast-like. Many beings seemed to be asleep in his strong, beautifully coordinated body.

    ¡°Hello, my Queen. Did you sleep well?¡± Sidrain had walked over and sat on the bed to talk to her, putting his lips to her hair as if it were a habit.

    ¡°I want to tell you a secret,¡± Iris whispered. Fearing for her safety, this man was the only lifeline for her at this moment. Even if she didn¡¯t want to believe it, even if he was rotten to the core, she had no choice but to tell him right now.

    Sidrain looked at Iris, who was trembling slightly and speaking in a squeaky voice. She was talking as if she were offering herself to him and he was very pleased with her attitude. She was lovely, he had to admit.<em>What can¡¯t be done with this new attitude?</em>Furthermore, Sidrain had an idea about what Iris was going to ask him. He hadn¡¯t slept at allst night and neither had Iris. He¡¯d held back augh on the roof as he¡¯d overheard her sufferings. Unfortunately, his Queen didn¡¯t know how to dance, and he knew that now.

    ¡°Anything, my Lady. It wille true as you wish.¡± Sidrain took Iris by the hand and kissed the back of it gently as if to reassure her.

    ***

    Some even called it a ¡®crazy spring party¡¯. The party seemed to start as per normal and was as perfect as ever. But it did feelfortable to Rosemary. She was an extraordinary woman in many ways, but she was not the queen of social circles. The party she¡¯d organized was beyond beautiful, and one that was talked about for a long time. Compared to others, it was by far the best.

    ¡°You said she wasn¡¯t doing very well?¡± One of thedy guestsmented.

    ¡°Did her personality also subside a little when she drank from the Haran¡¯s river?¡± Anotherdy said sarcastically. Thedies allughed and a ck fog seemed to rise around them as they covered their mouths with fans and giggled. The gentleman shunned their spouses, mistresses, or first love¡¯s; today the women looked quite scary.

 Chapter 27

    <em>Let¡¯s see how much care this woman gave to the otherdies.</em>It wasn¡¯t easy for her to see thedies all united in one mindset. Iris was getting tired of their spiteful appearance but the problem was that the Queen was still seen as Rosemary. She was the root cause of all of this and it was as if the devil dwelled in her. It was to be expected that they would have this kind of a mindset, as she must¡¯ve continued to drive a wedge between herself and them, by insulting them, therefore they ostracized her.

    It seemed that the gentlemen felt the same way. Who hadn¡¯t been beaten by Rosemary, she wondered? The woman was foul-mouthed, mean, and abused her power.

    ¡°Your Royal Highness and your Royal Queen areing!¡± When the servant shouted, everyone stayed in their seats, portraying friendly faces.

    The Queen was trembling with a scar on her pride, realizing that she must¡¯ve trampled on the King. It must¡¯ve been a close call and she found it somewhat amusing. However, she was going to enter the room now and had to walk proudly. The door was opened and she saw everyone was waiting for them with excitement. But, the atmosphere changed immediately and it must¡¯ve been because Sidrain had his arm around Queen Rosemary.

    The people seemed to be shocked by this disy of public affection and everyone looked bewildered as if something was wrong. They blinked rapidly, simultaneously, as if they were hallucinating and hoping that what they saw would disappear by doing so; it did not change what they were witnessing.

    The King, walking in with his arm around the Queen, was preposterous! Aside from the King losing their respect for him at that moment, Sidrain, who had an indifferent attitude towards women, was supposed to despise the Queen. The two wanted to kill each other and there were rumors that they<em>had</em>tried to assassinate each other. What a ridiculous scene this was.

    ¡°What am I now looking at, honey?¡± Elena In Sethang asked with a perplexed face.

    Her husband, rence, replied, ¡°Oh, I guess this is real.¡±

    ¡°I was going to ask you exactly that.¡±

    And Iris, who was receiving all this attention, couldn¡¯t bear it and kept her eyes closed. She just wanted to die in the heavy rain. She couldn¡¯t stand it and whispered to Sidrain, ¡°People are staring.¡±

    Sidrain whispered that she would be fine, but it was hard for him to hold back hisughter. He knew Iris rejected people and he couldn¡¯t help but remember that she was the girl who¡¯d fainted as soon as he¡¯d broken her door. Afterward, her name and her behavior had been questioned, because she wasn¡¯tfortable around people, which wasn¡¯t normal for her.

    Iris dug into Sidrain¡¯s arms with her long nails. She still felt awkward, but she preferred clinging to him, as opposed to these other strangers. He was being very nice to hertely. Sidrain walked slowly through the crowd on purpose, so that Iris could dig deeper into his arms.

    ¡°Your Grace, people are staring too much,¡± Iris whispered once more, turning pink in the face. She seemed to feel self-conscious about her uncontroble blushing.

    ¡°We are kings and queens. It is considered a sin if they don¡¯t look at us,¡± he exined.

    He wasn¡¯t wrong. Of course, it is unholy to look elsewhere when the King and Queen enter a room. But surely they didn¡¯t have to open their mouths so wide and gawk at them like this. Iris thought Sidrain¡¯s words were usible, so she rxed slightly.

    ¡°My Queen, what are you worried about? All of these people who are here, are your subjects.¡± He kissed her hair as Iris had lost some of her strength.

    <em>No. Everyone here ispletely different from me.</em>Iris couldn¡¯t speak and just bit her lips. Sidrain carefully assisted her to sit down.

    ¡°The Queen hurt her leg and it¡¯s too much to dance, so start without us.¡± Sidrain¡¯s words caused a stir in the room as people whispered among themselves.

    Elena In Sethang thought about this for a moment. If the Queen had hurt her leg, the King wouldn¡¯t dance, but couldn¡¯t he perhaps dance with another woman? Many women desired the King¡¯s touch, so she carefully suggested, ¡°Your Highness, wouldn¡¯t it be a blessing for all to have you on the floor?¡± She carefully said that, as it was a very unusual rmendation. But Sidrain remained seated, even though he understood what she meant. He grabbed Iris¡¯s blonde hair and kissed her lips. Silent astonishment swept through the hall at his brazen disy of their love affair.

    Elena rushed to the conductor who quickly beckoned to the band and they immediately started ying music. Everyone started dancing as if nothing had happened, but the tension in the room could be cut with a knife as they watched the King¡¯s every move, as if they had eyes in the back of their heads.

    Sidrain was unperturbed and held Iris¡¯s chin up as he spoke softly in her ear, ¡°This is what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The secret story that she¡¯d told him, ¡°I think I forgot how to dance. I think it¡¯s because of the river,¡± had turned her face turned pink as she¡¯d said it, and Sidrain almost forgot to answer while he¡¯d watched her. Iris was really bad at lying.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s pretend you hurt your legs. Everyone will believe me when Ie in with you in my arms.¡± Sidrain had hugged her as he¡¯d said this, and he now wished he had a long walk with her in his arms. Every time people caught her eye, it felt good that she instinctively dug into him.

 Chapter 28

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, maybe I can just limp in.¡± Iris had whispered to him. The King seemed to have thought that it would look strange in many ways if he carried her through the hall.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be worse if they found out that your limping was just an act? If you have the confidence to act perfectly, so that you don¡¯t get caught, then I¡¯ll let the Queen do as she wishes.¡± Sidrain had told her, emphasizing the word ¡®perfectly¡¯.

    Iris hadn¡¯t been sure if she could do that perfectly and had looked down at her legs resentfully. She¡¯d wanted to break one of them using her magic.

    Sidrain had kissed her cheek, watching how she¡¯d agonized for a moment, and had said, ¡°And I like it when we¡¯re a little close. You know the people are waiting for the heir between us, right?¡± He¡¯d added unexpectedly. Iris had been aware of that and had nodded her head as he¡¯d continued, ¡°So let¡¯s try to be a friendly couple. I¡¯ll try first.¡±

    Sidrain had paused for a moment, his voice sounding hoarse. He was ustomed to lying, but his voice became hoarse when he tried to tell the truth. With a smirk on his face, he¡¯d asked quietly, ¡°Try to like me.¡±

    He was such a strange person to like and she only liked her teacher, but she¡¯d smiled nheless while she¡¯d thought that there must be a contagious poison in the Haran¡¯s river. People were starting to think that way too, as there was no other way to exin the sudden change in her.

    King Sidrain was sweet to the Queen. He wasn¡¯t being friendly like one friend would be to another, he was acting more like a man in love. No matter what food the Queen looked at, he¡¯d immediately have it brought to her, and several times he¡¯d told the maids to bring odds and ends for her too. He kept talking to her, smelling her scent, wanting to touch her neck and chin and listened to her voice intently. He didn¡¯t understand some of the things she¡¯d say and assumed that the nonsense being spoken came from the old Rosemary. But Sidrain listened to the stories regardless, always with an excited look on his face, as if she was singing a celebrity¡¯s song.

    The band sang poetic songs and Sidrain didn¡¯t look at anyone other than Iris. Even when he got up to make a toast, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the Queen. Then, he immediately sat down and continued to converse with the Queen.

    ¡°Sid, are you honestly doing this?¡± Count Portwall stepped forward. He was Sidrain¡¯s baby brother and one of the few people who could call him Sid.

    ¡°Excuse me, my Queen.¡± Sidrain kissed Iris on the cheek and rose from his seat. It was obvious that Portwall wanted to say something and it wasn¡¯t something that he wanted to say in front of Iris.

    They walked across the hall and then Sidrain pushed Portwall into the corner of a wall and frowned, ¡°What is it?¡± pretending not to know.

    Portwall spoke quietly but firmly, ¡°You¡¯re stuck close to the Queen. Everyone thinks it¡¯s weird.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about me being next to my Queen?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like Rosemary. It was only a few days ago that you said you didn¡¯t even want to touch her, Sid.¡±

    ¡°Things have changed.¡± This was a new experience for him. Everything had changed a few days ago.

    ¡°How? How did it change? People are saying<em>you</em>are the one that is crazy now.¡±

    ¡°Let them say whatever they want.¡±

    ¡°Sid.¡± Portwall looked up at Sidrain in astonishment. Sidrain leaned himself against the wall. His tall muscr body showed how powerful he was and Portwall recalled the time when Sidrain had in a particr dragon. People praised Sidrain for killing dragons. No matter how strong a swordmaster was, killing a dragon was never an easy task and he recalled that Sidrain had nearly died that day. But because of his strength and skills, he¡¯d survived.

    In a slightly different mood than he was then, the current Sidrain seemed as irrational as he was that day. The opponent was not a dragon, but rather, a slim, voluptuous, but poisonous queen.

    ¡°It¡¯s still Rosemary you know? It¡¯s the same Rosemary you¡¯ve hated so much all your life.¡±

    ¡°She is my first love,¡± Sidrain spoke quietly. Portwall opened his mouth and hurriedly shut it. He¡¯d lose his jaw if he wasn¡¯t careful.

    ¡°What?¡± Sidrain spat at him. ¡°She¡¯s my first love. My first love at sixteen. I think I fell in love with her at first sight.¡±

    Sidrain¡¯s voice was excited and Portwall lost his cool and raised his voice, ¡°Sid, you first saw Rosemary when she was seven years old! She was a child at the time!¡±

    Portwall was visibly angry with him for saying that, but Sidrain just smiled pleasantly. Suddenly, Portwall realized that Sidrain was looking somewhere else, he was no longer looking at him, his gaze was fixed in one ce behind him. He turned his head to where the King was looking and saw the Queen still seated in her chair. Sitting far away, the Queen looked at the center of the hall with an unusually calm look on her face, and Sidrain murmured, ¡°I¡¯ve always missed her.¡±

    Portwall rolled his eyes. When they started talking again, Sidrain¡¯s gaze had shifted back to Portwall. At that moment, a note was secretly handed over to Iris by a maid and she quickly read it,<em>¡®Your moonlight would like to see you on the third balcony.¡¯</em>

 Chapter 29

    Iris was dumbfounded and temporarily unable to think straight. Duke of Jenes, the leader of the rebellion, had personally gotten in touch with her. She had to figure out how to get out of the hall.

    She held onto the note tightly and looked around, but her teacher was nowhere to be seen. She thought about ignoring the note but realized that that would be rude of her. If she was honest with herself, she was curious to meet with him and see what he had to say. Deciding to go and investigate, she slowly stood up. The King seemed to be in a serious conversation with the man who¡¯d interrupted them earlier. It was now or never. She didn¡¯t know when she¡¯d get another opportunity to sneak out, since the King was constantly by her side, watching her every move. This was the perfect moment and she limped towards the exit and quickly turned the corner to hide.

    She scanned her surroundings, looking for a way to get to the third balcony. She finally made her way there and as she opened the door to the third balcony, a fewdies opened their fans and began to gossip among themselves.

    Iris stood still considering what to do in this situation. It was likely that this man was the Queen¡¯s lover and she assumed that they¡¯d met on more than one asion. And, it was the Queen¡¯s husband, the King of this country, and a swordmaster, who¡¯d broken the door down because of him. Already, the scales of strength and justification were tipped in favor of the King. However, this governor was not letting go of her, as if he were right and his opponent had done something wrong.

    ***

    ¡°Your Highness?¡± The man addressed the King, sounding dumbfounded.

    Iris didn¡¯t understand why he wasn¡¯t letting her go, acting as if he wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong, and she twisted her body.

    Sidrain spoke coldly, while she was trying to get away from the man, ¡°My Queen.¡± There was an illusion that blood was dripping from the voice. It was such a cold-blooded voice.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here? Especially when your legs hurt?¡± His wife hadmitted treason by trying to poison him. And now she was going to meet this man and see what happened. His wife was having an affair!

    Iris blinked rapidly as her head spun.<em>How on earth did you treat your wife before?</em>She wanted tosh out at the King but the words didn¡¯t leave her mouth, as she seemed to have lost her voice; the King¡¯s presence was that powerful.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Iris was about to cry and couldn¡¯t speak further.

    Sidrain had a soft spot for her now. Although Iris was defying him when he¡¯d broken the door down, she was now twisting her body to get away from the man, and it looked like he hated this. Had it not been for that, Sidrain wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep hisposure now.

    Iris ine, his first love, who was so innocent, wouldn¡¯t have known what the note about the balcony had meant. His little bird, trapped in a maze, had just been snatched by a nasty thief.

    ¡°Come here, my Queen.¡± Sidrain smiled affectionately and held out one arm. He had to look good before his first love, he should not forget that. He¡¯d made a mistake that night, by pping her cheek and dragging her like a sinner, after she¡¯d just died and thene back to life. And the fact that he¡¯d knocked her out, by breaking a wooden door down, meant that the first impression he¡¯d given her remained strong; he¡¯d failed twice. He had to be aware of how he behaved now, and so, he smiled tenderly and didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Suddenly the man pushed Iris against Sidrain. He was about to cry. He didn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d done anything wrong on his part. After all, he was one of the Queen¡¯s lovers. She had several governors as lovers and he was just one of them ying around with her. Court society was such a ce and the King had many governors under hismand. It was a ce where everyone yed together. Of course, some couples didn¡¯t, but that was rarely heard of. Those couples didn¡¯t even touch other people¡­ He wanted to touch them, but that was neither here nor there. He was extremely confused since the King and Queen had never had a rtionship, and barely tolerated each other. So why then, was the King nowughing like a serial killer?

    ¡°Do not push me!¡± Sidrain yelled.

    Iris looked back at him in surprise. The King wasughing loudly and his smile was foreboding. She was petrified. She didn¡¯t want him to push him herself. Her life was precious to her! It hadn¡¯t been that long since she¡¯d died ande back to life.

    ¡°Why are you so tactless?! I¡¯m starting to think that some little man is hitting on my Queen. Am I mistaken? Can¡¯t you see that your King is angry? Leave immediately!¡± Sidrain ordered, not waiting for a response. The man shut his mouth and shook his head wildly. Then Sidrain¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°There¡¯s a man who dares to nod his head at the King?¡±

 Chapter 30

    ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, Sidrain stood before him and Iris was caught in between them, being dragged from one man¡¯s arms to another. Because Sidrain pressed Iris hard into his embrace, her ears touched his chest. She could hear his pounding heart and realized that he was in a state of great anger. Well, his wife was in another man¡¯s arms, so which man wouldn¡¯t be angry? Iris rxed her body, thinking as amoner would. Sidrain was scary, but his anger was justified.

    Sidrain was pleased that his wife was desperately resisting the insignificant man, and Iris, who was afraid of him, was rxing as if she felt relieved by being in her husband¡¯s arms. Once again, he smelled the scent of his first love. It was a strange, yet sweet familiar scent. A scent that he couldn¡¯t help but fall in love with again. It was fate as if this had been decided from the very beginning. He felt like a stupid man, who knew it was a trap but walked happily into it.<em>It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s a trap. But the trap should only be for me.</em>

    Sidrain red at the man while he guarded Iris carefully, holding her tightly enough that she could never escape. This man dared to hug Iris; it was not eptable!

    ¡°My Lady. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte,¡± Sidrain said, almost as an afterthought.

    Late? She never even called him¡­

    ¡°That was scary, wasn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sidrain patted Iris¡¯s head and stroked her soft hair gently.

    It was scary. A man whom she didn¡¯t even know had hugged her. She¡¯d been unable to breathe and could see he had wanted to try and kiss her by force. The man had felt her reluctance and had wondered if she¡¯d had a bad experience, perhaps she¡¯d been assaulted.

    Iris herself didn¡¯t know exactly what assault meant, but she¡¯d heard how traumatizing it was. Today, she¡¯d been unable to wear the ivory bracelet, given to her by her teacher, to protect herself. The maids had prevented her from wearing it, saying it didn¡¯t match her outfit. It took time to raise magic without it and she wouldn¡¯t have been able to conjure a spell in time, and there was no way that this man would¡¯ve waited for her to do that. This had been quite a terrifying experience for her.

    Iris was also afraid of Sidrain now, who wasughing like a madman and changing his behavior at times; it was scary as hell. But the moment he apologized, she felt relieved for some reason. She just felt that he was thinking of her. Although she didn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d changed his attitude, he seemed genuinely concerned about her now. He¡¯d been the first person to truly worry about her in this pce since she¡¯d be a queen.

    Iris closed her eyes tightly, holding back tears. She didn¡¯t know why she wanted to cry when there wasn¡¯t anything to cry about. As if he knew what she was feeling, Sidrain hugged her tighter.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I did wrong,¡± Sidrain said, trying tofort her.

    He didn¡¯t do anything wrong and he¡¯d apologized over and over again. Iris shook her head and simply said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    If she¡¯d known at the time that Sidrain was hugging her tighter and taking off his gloves at the same time, Iris would¡¯ve thought of more words to say to distract him.

    Sidrain took off his gloves roughly with his teeth and threw them in the man¡¯s face, ¡°It¡¯s a duel.¡±

    The tears that she¡¯d held back so bravely, cascaded down the sides of her pink cheeks.<em>A duel?!</em>She jerked her head up and saw Sidrain¡¯s dreadfully handsome face. He was smiling. He was already a murderer by the look on his face.

    ¡°You can¡¯t let the one who insulted you live, my Lady. Please wait for your knight to save your honor.¡±

    At the same time, one thought struck through the heads of those who were watching the whole process.<em>When did the Queen have any honor, Your Grace?!</em>

    The King remained adamant. He¡¯d called for a duel and it was irreversible.

    The only conclusion that his people coulde to was that Sidrain must be crazy. He must¡¯ve fallen for the Queen and his people wondered how their wise and strong leader had ended up with such scum. This man had just arrived at the party, unannounced, and everyone was watching this ridiculous situation y out, holding their breaths.

    ine spoke next, ¡°What is this crazy situation? Why is my disciple so fond of the King over there? This is ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Sir ine. Long time no see,¡± ady said.

    Only his mother called him Sir ine. She was extremely proud of him as he¡¯d be the owner of the tower. ine kissed his mother on the cheeks and asked directly, ¡°What¡¯s all this about, mother?¡±

    ¡°We all stand here, looking this dazed because we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, Sir.¡±

 Chapter 31

    The King and the Queen were being talked about behind their backs. In a nutshell, the Queen had entered the terrace with another man, and the King had broken down the terrace door, pulling the Queen out of another man¡¯s arms, and had requested a duel. Untilst night, Iris hadn¡¯t been concerned about the King, she¡¯d only cried about what to do during the ball. But today, Sidrain, famous for being cold-blooded, had hugged Rosemary in public and had requested a duel over her. It was all very bizarre.

    ine knew Sidrain well. Sidrain¡¯s dislike of Rosemary was intense. Nevertheless, the fact that he still slept with Rosemary, was a clear indicator that he was cold-blooded; he would have s*x with anything, including someone unclean, if necessary. And in fact, he may have preferred someone unclean over Rosemary. Rosemary would¡¯ve thought that Sidrain was better than that, but not by far. That¡¯s the kind of rtionship the two had. How had he changed his tune overnight?

    ine recalled the afternoon that Sidrain had broken down a fine door; it wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d done something like that. The tremendous noise had caused his disciple to faint. No one was surprised because Iris had often fainted after screaming in the tower. Iris didn¡¯t like people touching her, so the monks told ine as soon as they had found out that Iris had fainted, and ine had gone straight to Iris¡¯s room. And there had stood Sidrain, in all his glory.

    He wasn¡¯t supposed to have been there and ine hadn¡¯t understood why he was in Iris¡¯s room. The area where he resided wasn¡¯t near her room and he couldn¡¯t im to have gotten lost since he¡¯d lived there so long. ine knew that he¡¯d been known for his cold-hearted personality since he was a young boy.

    ¡°Your Highness? Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Are you a disciple?¡± Sidrain suddenly asked, and ine nodded.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°I broke the door, and she copsed in front of me. I opened the door again, but I couldn¡¯t touch her because she was a girl. Please check her. Is she hurt?¡±

    <em>Why did you break the door?</em>He¡¯d wanted to ask but Iris seemed to have been buried under the door, so he wanted to check on her first.<em>But why on earth did you break someone¡¯s door?</em>

    ine picked Iris up in one swift movement. At that moment, Sidrain¡¯s eyebrows had wriggled. He didn¡¯t seem to like something but had kept quiet. He hadn¡¯t been able toprehend why this man was so arrogant and rude and that he thought he could break a person¡¯s door down. Even though he was a royal, and the Crown Prince, this was the tower and a ce to be respected. ine had shaken his head in disapproval and hugged Iris who was then lying on the bed.

    Sidrain had tried to squeeze in between them, and ine had roughly drawn the curtains around Iris¡¯s bed. A thinyer of cloth had stood between Sidrain and ine.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he had asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s a girl, as you said, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°And you¡­! Never mind, just take care of her.¡± Sidrain seemed to want to say something further but shut up instead.

    ine had looked at Iris, unable to understand why Sidrain was acting so weird. His disciple had been fine, except for arge lump on her forehead and a few scratches. Maybe she¡¯d fainted in surprise. She¡¯d often done that. He¡¯d known that she¡¯d been trying to break this habit for a while, but it hadn¡¯t been easy for her.

    As ine had healed her body and put her to sleep, trying to avoid waking her up unnecessarily, Sidrain, who¡¯d been bowing his head, had suddenly looked up. Transparent red eyes, which seemed to be made by melting the finest rubies, had looked down at ine, ¡°What about her?¡±

    It had sounded like he was interested in her well-being, which was even more out of character for him, and had made ine feel ufortable. ine had answered obediently, with a frown, ¡°I¡¯ve cured everything else to the point of lumps and bumps, and now she is sound asleep, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure, right?¡± Sidrain had nodded when he¡¯d answered and had looked as if he were giving it a lot of thought.

    ¡°She is my disciple, Your Grace.¡±

    With one flick of ine¡¯s finger, Iris had been restored to good health. He¡¯d left her room thinking that she might have to use some magic to repair the wooden door. As he¡¯d tried to close the broken door, he¡¯d looked back and seen Sidrain standing in the middle of the room, wondering what on earth was wrong with him.

    ¡°Your Highness?¡±

    He¡¯d whispered to Iris, ¡°I want to see your face.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping. Would you excuse her?¡± ine had pointed to the open doorway and Sidrain had left the room unwillingly.

    The next day, Sidrain went to ine as soon as he¡¯d finished his lunch. He¡¯d been praised in the morning for perfecting mana control during the incident that happened the day before. Those who¡¯d talked about Sidrain¡¯s failure to control his magic, and that he might be deprived of his position, changed their words overnight, saying that he was also a prince and that his achievements were great. After listening to them, Sidrain had gone to ine and had said with a very nervous look, ¡°I owe her an apology.¡±

    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Iris.¡±

 Chapter 32

    The events of the day before were no different from other horrors that Iris had experienced in the past. If she experienced fear again, she would no doubt faint and he replied bluntly, ¡°She hates people. She¡¯s not going to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I owe her an apology though. I never meant to react like that.¡±

    <em>You broke the door, and you never meant to, so why did you break it?</em>The reason why he hadn¡¯t asked that question was that he was already famously known as the next owner of the tower, and since the tower and the royal family didn¡¯t get along as it was, he didn¡¯t want to step on the Crown Prince¡¯s toes, so he politely said, ¡°Let me tell her myself for now. She¡¯s a very scared kid, by the way.¡±

    ¡°My white bird, faithful messenger, appear. Send the Crown Prince¡¯s message to Iris,<em>¡±</em>ine had said and had opened his palms. A bright blue light had swirled across his palms, and a white bird had appeared. ine had held the bird up to the ceiling and it had flown into the air as if it had known what to do, and then had disappeared through the window.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d at least let me write her the letter?¡±

    ¡°Once again, Your Grace, she hates people. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d like a letter from someone she doesn¡¯t know. I¡¯m sorry, but the same goes for you, even if you are the Crown Prince.¡±

    ¡°But if I exin the situation well¡­¡±

    ¡°How do you exin breaking a person¡¯s door down?¡±

    There had been no way to exin it and realizing this, Sidrain had shut up. The white bird had returned through the window, holding a small piece of paper in its pointed beak. Sidrain had taken the paper out of the bird¡¯s beak, smiled, and handed it to Sidrain.

    It wasn¡¯t even a letter; it was a bitter rejection. Sidrain now had no reason to keep asking. ¡®<em>What kind of apology is that? Don¡¯t let someone else¡¯s precious disciple suffer any misfortune and get out.¡¯</em>ine snorted.

    But the Prince, whose pride must¡¯ve hurt, stood still and looked at the note for a long time, and had then said, ¡°I want to know her name.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no way I can tell you.¡±

    ¡°I want to know!¡± he¡¯d demanded.

    ine had had a strange hunch at the time and he hadn¡¯t wanted to tell him her name. Some foreboding voice had whispered to him that he shouldn¡¯t tell the Crown Prince Iris¡¯s name. So ine had kept quiet, but Sidrain wouldn¡¯t back down. He¡¯d been acting as if he wouldn¡¯t leave the tower unless Iris¡¯s name was given. The two of them livedpletely different lives, so what was the big deal about giving him a name? Finally, he¡¯d said, ¡°Iris. Iris ine.¡±

    Sidrain eyes had widened at hearing those words, ¡°What?! Why does her name have your name in it?¡± Doesn¡¯t it feel like you two are married? The age difference between the two of you is more than thirty years!¡± He¡¯d run out of words after he¡¯d poured out his frustrations.

    ine couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, ¡°Originally, the disciples of the tower have the teacher¡¯s name! Because she left this world! And if Iris is my wife, why would she get my first name?! Lastly, I also have my teacher¡¯sst name, ine Rossi! What the hell are you thinking?!¡± As ine roared like a heavy downpour, Sidrain shut up. He didn¡¯t even look sorry.

    ¡°Iris, Iris ine.¡± After muttering for a moment, he said with a disapproving face, ¡°I see. I apologize for the rudeness. Because I¡¯m a worldly person, I do not know of such things,¡± Sidrain said politely. But it was a bitter apology that did not sound like an apology.

    This duel was the second irrational thing that Sidrain had done since then, and both were rted to Iris.<em>Is this a coincidence? Or¡­</em>ine looked sharply at the two men, who were about to enter a duel with folded arms, with his pupil caught between them.

    <em>No! I¡¯m her teacher, and I can¡¯t allow that! How could my disciple choose not any other man, but the head of the royal family? No way! Besides, there are rumors that if you draw blood from Sidrain, it would be as cold as ice!</em>

    ine decided to have a very deep conversation with his disciple this evening. Whether he did or not, things were getting very serious. The King picked the Queen up and repeatedly kissed her on the cheek several times before putting her in ce. And then strolled out into the middle of the hall.

    The King pointed with one finger at the man standing on the balcony, ¡°You! You look stiff. Come out!¡±

    The duel over the Queen was about to begin. People would normally be going crazy to bet money on a duel, but today there was no hustle and bustle; the result was too predictable. One man was the Sword Master and Dragonyer, and the other was a nobleman who only carried a small sword around his waist. The odds of him winning were highly unlikely.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill him, are you?¡± Someone whispered in the crowd, as the people tried to gauge the King¡¯s madness.

    The man, who was intimidated by the King¡¯s long, elegant and neat fingers, stood trembling. His face had turned white from obvious fear and he hesitated and then took a step backward.

    ¡°If you don¡¯te now, I¡¯ll leave.¡±

 Chapter 33

    It sounded like he¡¯d take a bad beating from the King, and if he attacked him first, he would die with no dignity. The King¡¯s warning brought the man to a halt. Suddenly, he made a ridiculous irrational decision; he turned his back and ran recklessly over the balcony, flying into the air and Iris jumped back in shock.<em>Don¡¯t tell me he can do flying magic!</em>the onlookers thought.

    A terrible scream quickly faded away as he fell to the ground. It couldn¡¯t have been. In terms of aristocracy, the opponent was a hierarchical aristocrat who was very far from the sacred blood rtives. He just chose to fall because he was so scared that he would be killed by the Swordmaster.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re smart,¡± Elena In Setang muttered.

    This was the third floor. At a distance, the bottom was full of thick grass, so there was a greater chance of him living, rather than dying by the hand of the Swordmaster.

    ¡°That coward!¡± Sidrain yelled, after trying to chase after him.

    ¡°Your Highness. Didn¡¯t the duel end anyway? It¡¯s not the winner¡¯s right attitude to go after a man who has forfeited the duel,¡± said the Duke of Seth.

    ¡°Sid, it¡¯s over!¡± shouted the Count of Portwall. The pro-royal aristocrats tried to cool him down.

    ¡°Is that the end of it? That bloody little brat insulted my Queen!¡± Sidrain growled. He was about to run after the nobleman and kill him.

    <em>Rosemary¡¯s not the kind of person to be insulted by another man!</em>thought once more by the bewildered crowd. The whole situation was frustrating for everyone and Portwall was devastated by the fact that his baby brother was going crazy. ¡°Sid, your Queen is like a swordmaster with a sharp tongue!¡±

    There were only a few people who could beat her, even if she was the Queen and attached to the King. She wouldn¡¯t hesitate to press down with her high heels in ss, so the only people who could beat her were those who were superior or simr to her at best. They wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat herpletely though because her power was beyond imagination. At that moment, Sidrain went off on a tangent and roared, vowing to cut off the nobleman¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Your Grace.¡± A small hand carefully grasped his sleeve. Iris, who had been limping with feet that didn¡¯t hurt, grabbed Sidrain and looked at him directly. She didn¡¯t know why, but this man seemed extremely concerned about her. He was angry at Iris¡¯s bad luck and was trying to make sure that the man paid for it.

    Iris realized how quickly he could change his temperament, and warily said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Sidrain heard Iris¡¯s low voice and she grinned as their eyes met, ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡±

    Sidrain¡¯s gaze descended from her face onto her deer-like neck and smooth delicate hands. Her hands were shaking. She wasn¡¯t okay at all. Still, she was pretending to be as brave as she could, for him.

    ¡°Come here, mydy,¡± Sidrain picked Iris up again. She felt too light. He tried to recall the weight of Rosemary, but he¡¯d never picked her up before, so he couldn¡¯t guess her weight.<em>If the soul changes, does everything change this much?</em>He couldn¡¯t stand it because he felt like her body scent, voice, and even her shadow had changed.

    Sidrain passed the seat of King and Queen. The band still yed cheerful music, and people danced as if nothing had happened, but everyone was looking at the King and Queen. Iris dug into his arms again. She couldn¡¯t bear to look at the people and so she instinctively covered her face. How had she ended up hating people to such a degree? Sidrain wanted to find out. There must be a reason why she hated making eye contact with others. Whatever it was, he wouldn¡¯t let her go, but now he opened the door to the fourth balcony, drenched in the sweetness she dug into him with her firm grasp.

    ¡°Sid,¡± Count Portwall called him quietly, ¡°No way, no way.¡± He couldn¡¯t believe that Sidrain had pulled a woman from another man¡¯s arms and had then had gone to the balcony next door? No matter how much he said she was his wife, he wondered what this was all about?<em>No way, say no! Even if you¡¯re a king, there¡¯s a custom that people have to follow!</em>He kept his thoughts to himself though.

    Sidrain grinned when their eyes met. It was a very manly, yet pleasant smile, unlike his usual cold face. ¡°Have a great evening. I¡¯ll do the same.¡± Sidrain mmed the balcony door without any hassle, while still holding Iris. As the heavy curtain swayed, she was struck by his silent, no-nonsense attitude.

    ¡°Is my Queen afraid of heights?¡± The King asked, and Iris looked up. The man¡¯s red hair, twinkling in the moonlight, was chilling as if it had blood on it. Maybe it¡¯s because she saw him in a different light a little while ago. Iris shook her head silently. When he¡¯dughed and gotten angry earlier, he¡¯d looked like he was about to kill a real man or two. But he was very sweet now. The potential murderer, who was likely to cut people off, had disappeared into thin air, and what remained now was a man with only signs of concern.

    She still thought he was a scary and strange individual. Iris lowered her eyes, realizing that he was genuinely angry and worried about her though. Except for her teacher,<em>she</em>hadn¡¯t even cared so much about herself. No, not even her teacher had shown such a violent reaction to someone wanting to harm her. She felt strange. Iris blinked for no reason when a strange tickle seemed to be fluttering around her heart.

 Chapter 34

    The King sat Iris down on the balcony railing, cing one behind her back and the other on the cold metal railing. It was wide enough for Iris to sit on, but the King made a safety bar on her back with his arms, bringing their bodies closer together.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like people¡¯s eyes, but are you okay with heights?¡± he asked.

    Iris used to have a room at the top of the tower and was often scolded by her teacher for sitting with her legs dangling out of the open window. But she just nodded because such a story couldn¡¯t be said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you like people¡¯s eyes?¡± Sidrain probed further.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t find the right words.

    Rosemary had been a woman who loved people¡¯s eyes, but Sidrain didn¡¯t bother to say that. Rosemary was dead. She was no longer in the picture, and now his Queen was Iris. Sidrain kept quiet. Even though they had the same blonde hair, Iris¡¯s hair was as sweet as honey. Even though they had the same blue eyes, Iris¡¯s blue eyes were clean and lovely. Even with the same lips, goodness, hers were tempting. He¡¯d give her anything if he could covet those lips right now.

    The features that he considered to be awful in Rosemary, were now lovely. It was strange, but on the other hand, it was natural. How could they be the same, when their movements, speech, and facial expressions werepletely different? The same tree could be seen as firewood or viewed as artwork. That would depend on the perspective of the person looking at it.

    ¡°Did someone bother mydy?¡± Sidrain asked.

    Iris recalled her awful childhood, reluctantly. ine had been the only one who¡¯d been kind to her, so she¡¯d only followed him. The older she got, the more she knew that not everyone was unkind, but she still hated people regardless.

    ¡°No,¡± Iris said no automatically and it was toote to take back what she¡¯d said.

    Sidrain kissed her on the cheek and whispered, ¡°Who was that man? Do I know him?¡±

    ¡°No, not really,¡± said Iris.

    ¡°Do you want to say no?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t get rid of the idea that my girl was bullied by someone and that¡¯s why she hates people.¡±

    Iris looked up at his words. She seemed to be confused. He was unpredictable and scary at times and she didn¡¯t know why Sidrain was nice to her.

    Looking at her sweet face, Sidrain was annoyed by his recklessness at the age of sixteen. She would¡¯ve opened the door if she had told him that she wasn¡¯t scared to take some sweet snacks, and he could¡¯ve lured her out. It was a pity.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll believe it if you tell me you¡¯ve never been bullied. I¡¯m your husband.¡± Sidrain smiled and closed his eyes. ¡°Kiss your husband, my Queen. Then I¡¯ll believe you.¡±

    Iris looked at him submissively. Sidrain thought he¡¯d never do something, like breaking down a door when he was sixteen, again. With sweet snacks, he¡¯d lure her out, in the name of her husband this time. He waited in anticipation with his eyes closed. Slowly, he felt her breath approaching.

    ***

    Iris looked at the King¡¯s face, with his closed eyes, silently. It resembled a sculpture. She didn¡¯t mean like the idiom ¡°handsome,¡± but he had a statue-like look. He had no ws but she thought he¡¯d look like a ster statue if she painted him with flour. Her face was close enough to know that he was breathing and he waited patiently for a kiss from Iris, with a gentle smile.

    She approached slowly. Her lips trembled because it was her first time kissing someone other than her teacher. Her kiss made a wet smooching sound on the King¡¯s cheek, but he didn¡¯t budge. She had just kissed her husband on the cheek. Wouldn¡¯t it be natural to at least kiss him on the lips? Even if it wasn¡¯t a deep kiss? He was her husband byw. But no matter how long he waited, nothing happened, and when he opened his eyes, Iris saw his face.

    ¡°My Queen, what is it?¡± Sidrain asked as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to im this as a kiss?¡±

    ¡°You told me to kiss you, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I asked for a kiss.¡± By Sidrain¡¯s standards, this was a greeting, not a kiss. Then it dawned on him that Iris must think that this is how people kissed, by putting their lips on someone¡¯s cheek.

    In some cases, people¡¯s lips met, but Iris thought it couldn¡¯t happen to her in her lifetime. She¡¯d had a thousand kisses before but only from her teacher and her father. ine, the soon-to-be sixty-year-old man, had only been kissed on the cheek by her, of course. So in her world, a kiss was on the cheek.

    ¡°This is not a kiss meant for a husband,¡± Sidrain said as he burst intoughter.

 Chapter 35

    He had no intention of being kissed like this with no passion, nor did he intend to fall for her lies. ¡°Is there not a different type of kiss meant for a husband?¡± He asked, looking at her quizzically. ¡°I guess the Harans river was very strong. It¡¯s a shame that it¡¯s removed your knowledge of how to kiss me.¡±

    How could someone forget how to kiss? Sidrain had kissed Rosemary only once, and that had been during their wedding ceremony. It was expected of them, so they had both clenched their fists and locked lips. Since then, although he¡¯d been intimate with her, they had never kissed again and their kiss on their wedding day was one he¡¯d sooner forget. But as Sidrain carefully held Iris¡¯s soft, smooth cheeks now, his heart pounded in his chest, feeling like it was dancing under the bright moon that illuminated the night sky. Gently, he ced his lips on hers and watched in delight as her eyes grew bigger. Unable to understand why he was putting his lips on hers, she blinked in astonishment, demanding an answer.

    Sidrainughed at the crystal blue eyes filled with confusion, and whispered as his lips brushed hers, ¡°My lovelydy.¡±

    His voice was low and rough, and Iris automatically wanted to step down off of the cold metal railing. But she was sitting on the balcony and behind her back was Sidrain¡¯s arm, blocking her escape. She couldn¡¯t even jump off the balcony as the other man had so carelessly done, because Sidrain held her tight.

    ¡°What are you doing? This is not a kiss.¡± Iris shook her head violently. Suddenly, she remembered the night when he had l!cked her neck. That had felt bizarre too, but she thought that this was even stranger.

    ¡°This is the kiss between a husband and wife,¡± Sidrain assured her.

    Iris had no idea about how a husband and wife were supposed to kiss, she¡¯d never experienced something like this in her life and she felt extremely awkward and ufortable. To top it off, there was a lump on her face which ached and looked ghastly. Suddenly she saw his pink tongue sticking out of his mouth, trying to touch her mouth and she turned her face away, thinking that it reminded her of a sneaky snake. She didn¡¯t want to kiss like a husband and wife if this is what it entailed, it was all just too much for her.

    Sidrain pulled her closer as she tried to wriggle free from his grip, ¡°I am your husband. A person legally entitled to taste your mouth.¡±

    Sidrain held him tighter and she wondered if all husbands tasted their wives ¡® mouths. He must be right though, but Iris just couldn¡¯t believe that this was true. Was he going to put his pink wet tongue in her mouth? ¡°I, I, yes!¡± She stuttered. His tongue came closer, slowly prating her delicate mouth and his gentle movement was as quiet and dignified as a ship going out to sea in the serene dawn.

    Sidrain closed his eyes tightly as he slipped his tongue between her luscious lips and he felt lightheaded, thinking that he might just lose his mind. His heart, which seemed to be dancing a sword dance, was now going berserk. Holding this woman in his arms, her body so small and soft, and smelling her sweet fragrance, and being so close to her small, moist mouth, made him realize that nothing would be normal again.

    But Iris rejected his tongue and turned her head and said coldly, ¡°It, it¡¯s dirty!¡±

    ¡°Dirty?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s where my saliva is. You shouldn¡¯t put your tongue in there, saliva has bacteria!¡± Iris was talking gibberish and her red face looked like an overripe pomegranate that would burst at any moment if it was touched.

    Sidrain was now at his limit, ¡°Is your saliva dirty? Then I¡¯ll clean it up for you.¡± He spoke in a cracked voice as heid Iris on the railing. ¡°I¡¯ll clean your mouth until it turns into a desert,¡± he said, in more of a growl.

    Sidrain stood his ground as Iris tried to push him away, but he was built like an ox and his solid, muscr body didn¡¯t budge an inch. His tongue was hot, and he extorted every bit of Iris¡¯s saliva as he said would.

    Every time he gulped for air and swallowed, Iris tried to shake her head, but it was not possible. He held onto her cheeks so tightly that she couldn¡¯t move a muscle. His tongue was thick, and it tore through her mouth and when her tongue tried to escape, he blocked it with his. He even tapped her teeth with the tip of his tongue and rubbed the inside of her gums with it. Although his tongue was thick, it was also soft and delicate, and he was in no way hurting her. At first, she struggled in his arms, hating this experience, but as time went by, she started to feel strange and unfamiliar sensations. It was hard to ignore the feeling of chills down her spine and the tingling between her legs.

    Iris, who was still begging him to stop, began banging Sidrain on the shoulder, wondering how much more she could take, but this only seemed to encourage him even more. She felt conflicted because at first, she¡¯d despised what he was doing and had felt like she was dirty, but now, there was also a strange longing growing inside her.

    ¡°Are you feeling it?¡± Sidrain asked as he moved his hand to caress her ear. Iris¡¯s body shivered as she bowed her head and trembled like a newborn deer.

    Rosemary was a woman who was used to pleasure, it was nothing new to her considering all the lovers she had. Although it was still Rosemary¡¯s body, Iris didn¡¯t seem to have experienced pleasure such as this before, which excited Sidrain even more. However, it was a body that was weakened by a sense of shame. When in a rtionship, Rosemary hated Sidrain, but would still bend her bottom so that it would be easy for him to insert his erection and she¡¯d even lift her chest. With her body in a position like that, Iris would most likely be embarrassed.

 Chapter 36

    It was an opportunity for him to show her what pleasure felt like and he wondered if this body had ever been so happy. She¡¯d initially been going crazy because she¡¯d said she was disgusted, but now he could feel that she was going crazy because it felt good.

    ¡°My Queen,¡± Sidrain whispered as he held Iris¡¯s slim neck. The tips of his fingers that stroked her soft skin, created an illusion of melting fingers as he touched the soft, supple flesh. ¡°Can I do more?¡±

    Iris¡¯s body shook wildly, but Sidrain couldn¡¯t stop himself as his erection strained against his pants, wanting to burst out. He wanted to put himself inside of this woman and sow his seeds and he desperately wanted to see what face she should make when he slipped inside of her.<em>Let me be the man who sends you to heaven. Let me be the only man to witness it when you¡¯re in heaven.</em>

    Sidrain licked Iris¡¯s lips, lowering his hand and lifting the hem of her dress with his fingertips. ¡°From here, I¡¯m going to reach higher. Can I keep going?¡± He breathed in her ear. ¡°Can I have you?¡±

    It had been impossible for Iris to push him away with her slender arms and she¡¯d unexpectedly shouted something in an ancientnguage that he couldn¡¯t understand. At that precise moment, Sidrain was pushed back by some powerful, unseen force. As he tried to find his bnce, he opened his eyes just in time to see her jump off of the balcony.

    ¡°Rosemary!¡± Sidrain stopped himself in the nick of time from shouting out Iris¡¯s name and he watched her body slowly falling towards the ground, too slow, she must¡¯ve used magic to guide her fall. In one swift movement, he swung himself over the railing with one hand, falling much faster than Iris, who seemed to be in a magical free-fall.

    Iris realized that she had acted impulsively as she drifted towards the ground with her eyes closed. But she couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and the unfamiliar sensations she¡¯d felt had terrified her. As she¡¯d expected, the King was a strange and scary man and she¡¯d begged him to stop but he¡¯d refused to listen to her pleas. Perhaps it was the Queen¡¯s face that caused his strange behavior, she wasn¡¯t sure. Instinctively, she wanted to get away from him, from this ce, she wanted to run and never look back. But then what? She didn¡¯t have the answers.

    Jolted out of her thoughts, someone caught her and her gut immediately told her it was the King. She closed her eyes tightly, fearing that he may be angry and p her in the face like he had the first day she¡¯d met him. But no blow came, and she opened her eyes slowly, just wide enough to see that Sidrain was smiling at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mydy. I was in such a hurry. You were so pretty that I acted like an idiot for a moment. I apologize.¡± His lips touched Iris¡¯s forehead lightly as he continued, ¡°But don¡¯t do this again. Unless you want to see my heart stop.¡± Iris thought his smile looked pathetic.

    ***

    ine red at the fourth balcony, but no one showed until the party was over. He wanted to go into his student¡¯s room at dawn and shake her slender neck, but the ivory bracelet did not answer. So he had to return to the tower with a boiling heart that day.

    <em>My best student, Iris, with the King?! It¡¯s preposterous!</em>ine realized the gravity of the situation and things had moved so quickly that he hadn¡¯t had time to process the reality that they were now a couple. They could have a normal marital rtionship and even develop feelings for each other. For ine, who was born in the aristocracy, he would rather have a marital rtionship, and his only child, Iris, couldn¡¯t have had an emotional exchange with a king. He wouldn¡¯t mind if it was just about s*x.<em>You y with him! That¡¯s fine. But, dating! Not that!</em>

    A knock at the door distracted him from the chaos in his mind and he looked up to see a man in his early forties cautiously walk in.

    ¡°Well, Master, the Magic Tower¡¯s ordinance¡­¡±

    Iris was a student of his, but she had never actually done anything right as a student and she hadn¡¯t done anything official either. Still, everyone knew about her phobia, which she was famous for, and they¡¯d all grown up together, so they just epted it and moved on. So, it was Usya who yed the role of the disciple in official duty. Iris achieved a great magical status instead, and therefore, raised the pride of the tower.

    ¡°Yes Usya,¡± ine unintentionally cut her off mid-sentence.

    People thought that ine was a man without ws, but for Usya, ine was a slightly strange teacher and master. In particr, when it came to his work with Iris, his only adopted daughter, people had be even stranger. Usya used to admire ine but concluded that he¡¯d never understood his ways.

    These days, things were even more bizarre, because Iris was dead. Usya was worried these days that her teacher would be deprived of his master¡¯s position. But, of course, his teacher was tough, so while the politics of the tower were like war, he was not the one to lose easily.

    Iris was a great power for ine, her unabated magic and blind loyalty were ine¡¯s most powerful sword. Iris ine was ine¡¯s most powerful and terrifying knight.

    It was true that ine¡¯s position had weakened since Iris had disappeared and Usya had a lot of concerns these days, about whether she should continue to follow ine, or find another teacher. But the teacher didn¡¯t even seem to be aware of what she was thinking. Knowing how his mind worked, it was frustrating for Usya to spend each day in a manner that showed that her heart was not in it.

 Chapter 37

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say Iris is alive.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Usya replied with a sigh, wondering why they were having this ridiculous conversation since they¡¯d all seen Iris¡¯s dead body.

    ¡°Would you allow her to marry a king or a royal family member?¡±

    ¡°Teacher!¡± Usya raised her voice because she was dumbfounded. ¡°How can Iris ever marry a royal family member? Iris is a member of the Magic Tower. That¡¯s your only adopted daughter! That can¡¯t happen. Iris ine can¡¯t marry a royal family member!¡± She was already dead, and she wasn¡¯t in this world, but yet they were still talking about her.

    ine¡¯s anger was somewhat eased by Usya¡¯s fierce opinion.<em>Yes, this is what everyone thinks. Iris marrying a royal family member is uneptable!</em>ine stood up from his seat and stormed out of the room, looking back once as he got up to go to the Magic Tower ordinance.

    Once upon a time, Iris would¡¯ve been in her room where she often stayed up all night, as she worked on magic forms, made tools, and wrote papers. She only talked about magic, which was her passion, and neither of them gossiped about other people nor the absurdity of the world, those things were an unnecessary conversation. Magic was enough for her and ine realized, with a heavy heart, that he¡¯d never find such apatible friend like her again.

    ¡°Yes, it cannot happen! Whether Iris is dead or alive,¡± ine spoke louder than before, as he recalled whose body Iris was in and his light, bright gray eyes, turned a dark stormy ck.

    She was, as always, his knight and his friend and there should never be such a thing as her bing a king¡¯s wife. ine clenched his fist, wanting to smash it through the wall in frustration. Ironically, there was a scene ying out on one side of the royal family, which would¡¯ve justified ine¡¯s frustrations, for if he knew what was going on, he would¡¯ve grabbed Iris by the wrist and dragged her away, after punching Sidrain squarely on the jaw!

    ***

    ¡°Sleep together?¡± Iris asked, looking totally and utterly confused.<em>Why? What the hell is wrong with you?</em>

    Iris¡¯s eyes were a shade of blue that seemed to contain all the attractive blue¡¯s that the sky could offer, and at that moment they looked to be as wide as two moons. Sidrain nodded, captivated by the beauty of them but unfortunately, Iris¡¯s face was instantly distorted by his nod.

    Iris had never slept with anyone in her life. She had stayed up all night with her teacher ine, but of course, they never slept together. Why would he sleep with her when she had her room and herfortable bed to rest in? Even when she had been treated like a maidservant, and brutally beaten every day, there was an embankment on which her bed existed, albeit on a simr level as a beast¡¯s shelter. So why would she sleep with someone else?

    ¡°My Queen, we¡¯re married.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that?¡±

    ¡°So, therefore, we sleep together to make children,¡± Sidrain smiled softly and mumbled something that scared her.

    <em>How on earth is a child made?</em>The women of the tower did not often bear children and they rarely got married or chose to give birth to a child, because the quality of their magic changed when a fetus developed, and most of them couldn¡¯t regain their magic fully, after childbirth. Nevertheless, those who chose to have a child immediately left the tower. That¡¯s why Iris had never seen a pregnant woman or a midwife. She only understood the birth of life magically, and not biologically at all. She knew that stones would give life, but she was ignorant of how people gave birth to people, and how animals gave birth to their offspring because it wasn¡¯t magic.

    Iris strolled across the room to her bed, inhaling deeply to speak, but finding no words to urately express her thoughts vocally.<em>If we sleep together, will we have children? Then why did you tell me to lick the back of your neck and spread my legs?</em>Iris just couldn¡¯t wrap her head around all of this.

    ¡°I¡¯m not suggesting we have a baby right now,¡± Sidrain said as he touched her soft hair, after following her footsteps across the room. Then, quite casually, he climbed into her bed and Iris stepped back in a shambles.

    ¡°I just want you to get used to me. We¡¯re going to sleep in the same bed together until then.¡±

    ¡°You mean just sleep?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I want you to be familiar with my breath, my touch, and my presence. I need you to get used to it unconsciously. You¡¯ve been having a rough time since the Haran¡¯s river. You need to get used to me quickly, okay?¡±

    He had a valid point and Iris nodded in agreement, and before she knew it, Sidrain reached his strong arms out to her.

    ¡°Come here, mydy,¡± he said very gently.

    Looking at Sidrain¡¯s outstretched arms, she realized how much she didn¡¯t want to move across to him, but she maneuvered her body until she was up against him.

    It was a strange feeling to be held like this and she looked at the ceiling for a long time, biting her lip, as she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Finally, in frustration, she blurted, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can sleep at all!¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about it together. You have to get used to this anyway. I¡¯m already thirty and the people are very eager to see our children.¡±

 Chapter 38

    Iris was well aware that people wanted a sessor to the King¡¯s ministry. The King¡¯s younger brother, who was now the first in the line to the throne, was an imbecile. Rumors were widespread about how he lived like a scoundrel in his inconspicuousnds and only acted like a civilized man in the capital. Therefore, people wanted Sidrain to reign as king for a long time, and they wanted him to make a sessor quickly so that the child would be next in line to the throne instead.

    Eventually, Iris rxed andid her head on his muscr arm, which felt hard and rather ufortable. Staring at the ceiling nkly, her view was suddenly blocked by Sidrain¡¯s face as he loomed over her and kissed her forehead, and her body reflexively became rigid.

    ¡°I won¡¯t do anything you don¡¯t like. I behaved stupidly earlier this evening. My Queen is so beautiful and sweet and I just lost my mind for a moment. But I¡¯ll never make that mistake again,¡± Sidrain gently hugged Iris and stroked her shoulders. ¡°Close your eyes, my Queen, so that you can get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±

    Iris was concerned about what Sidrain might do as sheid there feeling vulnerable, but she closed her eyes nevertheless, feeling exhausted after the evening¡¯s bizarre events.

    Sidrain¡¯srge hand gently patted her which reminded her of a time when her teacher patted her when she was very young. Every time he¡¯d done that, she would feel safe andforted and it didn¡¯t matter where she was. Feeling nostalgic, sheid in the bed awkwardly; she just wanted that hand to pat her.

    There was a time like that¡­ ¡°It smells good,¡± Iris murmured as she drifted off to sleep and Sidrain looked down at her pretty face, which had a faint smile on it. He wanted to kiss her and hug her and rip her clothes off, but someone managed to control his animalistic urges and kissed her face affectionately instead.

    ¡°Is it the scent of flowers,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Iris replied sleepily.

    Sidrain pondered in the darkness, about how ady who used to study magic, day and night. The magical scent of sleep was not widely known, but it was said that it was used by the Queen in the royal pce of this country. Sidrain had been exposed to so much of it since childhood, that he¡¯d developed an immunity to it. But it was different for Iris and she fell asleep in an instant and he watched her bre*sts rising and falling, yearning to be closer to her. Distracting himself from his desires, he blew a whirl of air that removed all the scents in the room.

    ¡°Good night, Iris ine.¡± Sidrain kissed her on the forehead and closed his eyes.

    The way her name rolled off of his tongue was as sweet as the scent but was iparable to flowers and sleep. With his mind full of thoughts, Sidrain couldn¡¯t fall asleep because his heart was pounding.

    At the same time ine shouted his disapproval against Iris and Sidrain¡¯s marriage, thetter was persuading Iris to trust him. But the two men overlooked one thing: Iris was a woman with free will.

    ***

    Three ces in the country had very good libraries: a university, the tower, and the royal pce. Iris stood in the exquisite library of the royal pce and giggled as she looked at a book that Rosemary would¡¯ve discarded in a hurry! She read the title again, chuckling to herself, ¡®Everything about pregnancy! From being pregnant to giving birth without getting sick and everything in between.¡¯

    It was a dishonest book, but the royal pce collected all kinds of books, and it caught Iris¡¯s eye.

    ¡®Chapter 1, How to Be Pregnant. Part 1: Precautions Before Rtions.¡¯<em>Washing the back of my neck clean?</em>Iris didn¡¯t understand the relevance of that but she continued reading, ¡®How to practice bathing and how to pray to Ruthna, whose temple¡¯s amulet works well.¡¯

    Iris¡¯s slender white hand hurriedly turned the page and she tilted her head, baffled by what she was reading. She didn¡¯t know much about the bathing world, but praying to Ruthna probably wouldn¡¯t do any good, but the temple spirit would help.

    Iris had once made a drug that could make someone pregnant. It was a potion that made life easier to create, but it was not an auxiliary potion that could cure infertility per se. There was a separate obstetrician for that. In the Empire, obstetrics was one of the most respected professions, and that was the work of the Matop. He was only talented in using and creating magic for medical purposes. The two were distinctly different.

    Iris once tried to study medicine, but eventually gave up because she didn¡¯t tolerate her departure from the first tower, and secondly, she preferred magic.

    ¡®Part 2: Outpost of a rtionship. How to encourage men who are struggling.¡¯ She looked at the picture depicting a woman eating something, but she couldn¡¯t fathom what it was. Iris hadn¡¯t met a male narcissist since childhood, but of course, she knew that men had genitals. Her journey up until now never required her to have to think deeply about what a p*nis looked like. Tilting her head to the left, then to the right, and even looking at the book upside down, didn¡¯t help her to figure out what it was.<em>What is this strange sausage-like food that this woman is struggling to eat?</em>Turning the page, to her shock and horror, she found the answer. Another picture revealed that it was a man standing in front of a woman, who was on her knees, with his p*nis in her mouth¡­

 Chapter 39

    At first, Iris didn¡¯t understand what she was looking at, but then the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She threw the book as hard as she could down the long aisle of bookshelves as if it were hot coal burning her hands, and she turned and ran in the opposite direction, screaming as she had done when she was a young child.

    ¡°Your Highness? Are you all right?¡± A maid asked with some concern.

    The maids were waiting in front of the library as Iris bolted through the open doorway and the guards rushed to her instinctively, protectively surrounding her.

    Lily En Oswald, themander of the guards, escorted the Queen, looking at her with a mysterious face. The Queen was shaking her hands as if she was trying to remove something unseen from them, and she looked as white as a sheet as if she¡¯d seen a ghost.

    ¡°Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°I, I,¡± Iris stuttered, unable to say anything coherent.

    ¡°Call the doctor. And, let the King know,¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Iris screamed. She couldn¡¯t believe what she¡¯d seen, the image was burnt into her brain and she was still reeling from the shock.

    <em>That, that, that thing you put in your mouth, that thing, that thing? But a man¡¯s p*nis, that¡¯s used to urinate! That¡¯s being put into thatdy¡¯s mouth in the picture?!</em>Iris was even stuttering in her thoughts at the shock and horror of it all. She understood now, for the first time, that a man could have weird fantasies about putting their p*nis into someone¡¯s mouth, and that was what Sidrain wanted her to do. She staggered blindly, her eyes unable to focus as her brain tried to process this new information.

    ¡°Your Highness, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in good condition. The King will be worried. As you know, he loves you so much,¡± Lily said quietly, not sure what to do.

    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± Iris shook her head recklessly and her blonde hair, which had been beautifully tied up by the maids, was now a mess as the jewelry and pearl clips fell on the floor, but she didn¡¯t care in the least.

    <em>Oh my God, what do I have to do to make a sessor then?! I need to flee the pce as soon as possible!</em>Iris had made a concrete decision.

    ***

    ¡°Did you know this?¡± Iris demanded. She had returned to the library to retrieve the book to show her teacher, once the shock had worn off.

    ine was highly embarrassed when he saw the book that Iris had brought to him. Rather than shaking his head, he moaned as his ghostly-looking eyes stared at the oral s*x picture before him. ¡°Do you know about s*x?¡±, was probably thest question that a father ever wanted to hear from their innocent daughter.

    When ine moaned and didn¡¯t answer, Iris asked again, in frustration, ¡°Did you know, teacher?¡±

    ine was fifty-nine this year and sixty next year, and he¡¯d had his fair share of s*xual encounters. As a young man, he¡¯d been a bit of a punk and had fooled around a lot with women. But he wanted to be a solemn father to his daughter, so he shook his head without realizing it and lied, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this before.¡±

    ¡°This is what it says I need to do to have a sessor, teacher! I guess the King wants to make me do this!¡±

    A woman didn¡¯t have to perform this particr act to have a child with her husband, but ine was so embarrassed that he couldn¡¯t exin to Iris that this act was more for pleasure, so he just epted the book Iris handed over without saying anything.

    ine paged through the book quickly noticing one of the headings, ¡®Lie north, so you don¡¯t get sick in childbirth¡¯,<em>what a load of crap.</em>The problem was, his adopted daughter was ignorant and she seemed to believe this bullshitpletely, or, she hadn¡¯t read it until the end. Perhaps it was thetter but Iris wasn¡¯t the type to believe just anything without investigating further, so he wondered why she believed this bullshit that lying north would lessen the pain of childbirth. Closing the book, he looked at his innocent daughter¡¯s face, unsure of how to exin all of this.

    ¡°I thought my teacher wouldn¡¯t know about such things,¡± Iris said, clearly upset since she knew her father wasn¡¯t a beast like this.

    ine, who had been more of a beast than Iris would ever know, felt burdened by the sad-looking eyes staring at him, in wait for an answer. He hadn¡¯t been a beast per se, it was natural to learn about s*x, but how the hell was he going to tell this to her? He was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Iris persisted.

    ine decided against the idea of exining this all to her, it was just too awkward of a topic to discuss openly with her. In appearance, it seemed impossible for Iris to be the King¡¯s wife, even if the world was overturned! Sidrain was not a priest but a fine man nheless, and a man who¡¯d experienced numerous events because he was trained in the royal society. The more he thought about it the more he realized that a rtionship between the King and Iris couldn¡¯t work out.

    They came frompletely different backgrounds and had been raised with different interests, in different environments. Therefore, they were total opposites because their values and personalities were so different. Moreover, the King had only established rtionships with great beauties and Rosemary was more loathsome than a worm, and he couldn¡¯t see how the King would be attracted to a face such as hers, which oozed hatred. It was a crazy notion to think that it would work out between the two of them.

    When Iris had disappeared, it seemed to have hit ine harder than expected, and no matter how much he knew that Iris was alive and here now, it was difficult for him to see the child that he¡¯d raised with so much love and care, was now inside a miserable body. Perhaps that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t think straight.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little busy these days, Iris. The Magic Tower isn¡¯t running as smoothly.¡±

    Hearing ine¡¯s words, Iris bit her lip because that should¡¯ve been obvious to her but she hadn¡¯t given much thought to this as she¡¯d been consumed with her issues. Now that she was gone, a lot of things must¡¯ve changed. The teacher¡¯s power must¡¯ve weakened as well and he would¡¯ve had to delegate her work to others to do, and in the process, the teacher might lose his ce. Of course, she should¡¯ve thought about it! She had selfishly not thought of her teacher because she was blinded by her misfortunes!

 Chapter 40

    ine shook his head when he saw the guilty expression on Iris¡¯s face.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help? There must be something I can do to help here. My magic is still there,¡± Iris said.

    He most certainly didn¡¯t want her to talk about oral sex and he smiled benevolently, grateful for the change in the direction of their conversation. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about,¡± he said, feeling relieved.

    Iris knew that her teacher was the most merciful man in the world. He was a leisurely winner of bloody Magic Tower politics and had kept Iris in power, while still nursing and growing her magic skills, appropriately using her presence when the need arose. He was very good at political fights, and was therefore still the owner of the Magic Tower and probably would be until his death. The man didn¡¯t seem to get weak, but now, he just wanted to run away like a coward because he didn¡¯t want to be questioned about sex by his daughter!

    ¡°I still feel I should do something, teacher.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your teacher is not weak.¡±

    Irisughed along with ine¡¯s smile, but herughter soon turned into tears and she grabbed the hem of her teacher¡¯s long coat, ¡°I¡¯ll always be your shield, so feel free to use me anytime, teacher.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being silly. You¡¯re always my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Teacher,¡± ine hugged her affectionately as Iris wept bitterly in his arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll always be there for you, and I¡¯ll always protect you. I¡¯m your father, so why would I need your protection? Don¡¯t cry, sweetheart.¡± Iris nodded her head over and over and again, sniffling as the warm tears rolled down her cheeks, and she couldn¡¯t let go of his robe nor raise her head.

    ***

    <em>Bull, full of bull!</em>Sidrain, who¡¯d been on the roof a lot longertely than most night guests stayed at the pce these days, narrowed his eyes as he thought about how much he truly loathed ine Rossi.

    When young Iris had been brought to the Magic Tower, this man had raised her as his shield and had used her magic as if it were his own. He¡¯d then told her that she wouldn¡¯t be able to follow his achievements for the next hundred years. What Sidrain foundughable was the fact that ine¡¯s achievements wouldn¡¯t have been possible without his disciple, Iris.

    As he stood on the roof, barely able to keep hisposure while he listened in on their conversation, Sidrain couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ine was acting as if he were shocked by the pictures he was seeing like it was his first time seeing oral sex being performed; he would¡¯ve given ine a crown if that were true.

    Sidrain sighed deeply under the sparkling spring night sky as he wondered what son of a bitch had put a book, with such graphic pictures in it, inside the royal library!

    Taking someone¡¯s virginity was not something to be treated lightly, so from tomorrow, he thought he would have to revise the n altogether. His chest felt as if it was getting tighter as he pondered how to go about this.

    Sidrain was a man who¡¯d received much attention in his life. Many people looked at him in awe and with affection, but many people viewed him negatively, with eyes full of hatred and disgust.

    He was a man who had conquered another country and killed many people but he could swear that he¡¯d never seen such an ufortable look in a person¡¯s eyes before, as he had when he¡¯din with Iris. Her eyes had red at him as if they were zing, but it was neither hate nor contempt, at least he assumed that was the case. It seemed as if she felt a sense of betrayal and he recalled her cold words, ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± And, he¡¯d nearly burst outughing when she¡¯d mentioned that sausages were served for breakfast. Sidrain had awkwardly shut his mouth, as opposed toughing when he¡¯d seen Iris¡¯s eyes ring while she¡¯d talked about the sausages. He decided to start reconnaissance in a warlike manner, which would need to be a priority if he wanted to set up a perfect strategy.

    ***

    Iris grabbed a fork in one hand and a sharp knife in the other. She had a determined look on her face and he noticed how tightly she held the cutlery because her knuckles were white! She cut the sausage up slowly and precisely and when she could no longer use her knife at the end of it, she took her fork and squished thest bit. Sidrain looked at the cut-up sausage and his stomach hit his ankles, as he almost felt his organ being chopped up. Iris¡¯s cold stare seemed to warn him, that if he put his penis in her mouth, she¡¯d do exactly that.

    He thought she was naive and innocent, but she had an unexpected intensity about her. Sidrain arranged his words in his head, looking at the sausage, which seemed to be offered as a sacrifice, instead of his genitals. This was a crisis, and it needed to be ovee somehow. Nothing in his life had ever made him feel this word as much as Iris did, neither war nor dragon, but Iris ine was making it clear what the meaning of the word, ¡®ovee¡¯, meant right now.

    ¡°My Queen. You don¡¯t like sausages?¡± The King asked half-jokingly.

    Iris looked at him with astonishment. Do I not like it?! She wanted to scream at him and barely managed to contain her anger at his silly question.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t like it!¡± She snapped.

    Although she could see that the King was scared, Iris didn¡¯t care and expressed it as clearly as she could, while stuttering, how much she hated sausages and asking how dare he tell her to put it in her mouth?!

    But she didn¡¯t hate sausages.<em>I¡¯m not talking to you, sausage. Of course, you are delicious to eat,</em>Iris apologized to the sausage as a child would talk to its food. She was just in a bad ce at that moment and she couldn¡¯t im that she did enjoy sausages.

    ¡°My Queen hates sausages so much. But I can¡¯t believe that they have served them for dinner,¡± the King said as he flicked his finger to get the attention of one of the servants.

    The chief of staff bowed politely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. We¡¯ll take action right now.¡±

 Chapter 41

    Iris nced around the dining hall, unsure of what to do. The atmosphere among the servants and maids had changedpletely, and she could sense that they were on edge. Finally, she looked at the King, who had a silly grin on his face.

    ¡°I cannot let a cook, who doesn¡¯t know the Queen¡¯s tastes, stay in my pce,¡± he said bluntly.

    ¡°What?¡± The cook unintentionally blurted.

    ¡°From today, you are fired!¡±

    ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡± Iris shouted as she jumped up from her seat, nearly knocking the handcrafted chair over. Until today she had eaten withoutint. Iris liked sausages and was a typical meat lover. Honestly, she preferred things like sausages and steak, so even in the workshop, she¡¯d been provided with steak to eat.

    Perhaps it was because she¡¯d missed out on such food during childhood that caused her to be a fussy eater. Her pickiness about food had once brought her to the point where her teacher, ine, had tried to force her to eat vegetables. Of course, he¡¯d given up as it went against his character to force anyone, and she was able to live her life freely as a picky eater.

    ¡°I respect My Queen¡¯s generosity, but I cannot move on from today¡¯s incident. How can a chef, who cannot even satisfy The Queen¡¯s taste, be able to satisfy the taste of so many other guests?¡±

    ¡°B-b-but,¡± the cook stuttered as he tried to protest.

    ¡°This kind of job is something<em>you</em>must do,¡± the King spoke directly to Iris. He had no intention of scolding her, but Iris was shaken by his tone, regardless.

    Now that she thought about it, she was The Queen. Well, she wasn¡¯t the true Queen, but the King didn¡¯t know that. He believed she was Rosemary En Letaire, which meant that Iris had to take on the responsibilities of that position, which was something that she hadn¡¯t thought in-depth about until now. Iris blinked with an unreadable expression on her face. She honestly did not know at all about the duties of Queen Rosemary.

    However, ording to the King¡¯s words, she had one task that she knew she had to perform immediately, ¡°If I must, please leave the chef alone.¡± It wasn¡¯t fair to punish the chef because she¡¯d chopped up the innocent sausages and scaring the King. With pleading eyes, she turned to look at the King again.

    ¡°I thought you hated sausages,¡± The King said, looking somewhat irritated, and Iris nodded. ¡°Was the sausage just particrly loathsome today?¡± At his additional question, Iris simply nodded again, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t ask her why because she had no way to exin her situation.

    To her relief, the King didn¡¯t pry further into why she hated sausages. Instead, he pushed his te towards her and said, ¡°You can let out your anger on my sausage too.¡±

    He sounded sarcastic, and she wondered if she¡¯d perhaps misheard him as she stared at the King¡¯s sausage with a distorted look on her face. It did look firm, and she chuckled to herself.

    The King was affectionate towards Iris, and he hadn¡¯t asked anything of her since her near-death experience. After Iris had fallen into the Haran¡¯s river and had lost parts of her memory, he seemed to think that she wouldn¡¯t be able to resume all of her duties as The Queen. Thankfully for her, it was an opportunity to figure out what these duties entailed.

    Wondering about what queens were supposed to do, she had decided to visit the well-stocked library in the pce to gain some insight. For some reason, therge doors to the library had been locked, and she¡¯d been advised that she couldn¡¯t take any books out.

    The King had ordered them to be removed after he¡¯d deemed them too old and neglected. Iris didn¡¯t know what to do without having ess to the knowledge she needed so desperately. She¡¯d quickly said to the guard that it was okay and that she¡¯de back another time and had walked away from the library feeling despondent.

    In the end, Iris had gone to ask the handmaiden what she needed to do, exining that she wanted to know so that she could start performing her duties. Iris knew that she¡¯d figure it all out once she had a starting point. But if she was denied the help, Iris had the all-knowing, great teacher, ine, as herst resort. However, he was busy these days, so he may note right away, and she had to figure this out now.

    Iris looked at her extravagant long dress and the jewelry she wore. Truth be told the dress was ufortable, and the precious stones were heavy. She didn¡¯t like any of them, but she was basking in luxury, and she needed to fulfill her duties in return. She just wished that the duties could be performed with magic!

    With a sulking face and an overactive mind, Iris stared at the handmaiden. Puzzled, the handmaiden tilted her head as she asked, ¡°What kind of job would you like? I am not sure I understand, Your Highness.¡±

    The handmaiden, Ruth, was ady in her mid-fifties who was a maid through and through. She had served countless fussy people, but Rosemary took the cake. Although she wasn¡¯t the pickiest person she¡¯d served, she was the most wicked. But Rosemary had been so calm ofte that Ruth was getting concerned. And there were even credible rumors within the pce that magic fungus had started growing in the Harans river since the Queen had fallen in it. All of these strange happenings added to Ruth¡¯s suspicions that something wasn¡¯t quite right.

    ¡°Any job that the Queen usually does,¡± Iris replied, sounding irritated.

    Usually, Rosemary would push all the tedious tasks to the handmaiden and order people to do what she wanted. One couldn¡¯t say that Rosemary fulfilled any of her duties. The fact that the Queen was attempting to do something productive set off rm bells in Ruth¡¯s head. For a moment, she was bbergasted but managed to disguise it with her copious years of experience, and she asked with a straight face, ¡°What kind of a job?¡±

 Chapter 42

    ¡°Anything. Anything The Queen must do to help.¡±

    ¡°Shall I call the Duchess of Sethang for you, Your Highness? She has always asked for favors from you.¡±

    Iris recalled Duchess Elena In Sethang in her head. She was an intelligent and cold-looking beauty who was more affectionate than people gave her credit.

    Thinking of the woman, who had personally taken care of Iris¡¯s bedding so kindly, Iris nodded and smiled, ¡°If the Duchess would like to guide me, I would appreciate that. I want to be useful as a queen.¡± Iris made up her mind, thinking from amoner¡¯s perspective of food, that although she was going to run away soon, she still needed to earn her food¡¯s worth!

    The Queen Rosemary¡¯s official representative, Elena In Sethang, who was always irritated by The Queen¡¯s failure to fulfill her duties, rushed over gleefully within two hours after hearing the miraculous news. She arrived so quickly that one would¡¯ve thought she¡¯d flown to the pce!

    ¡°Your Majesty, My Queen!¡± Elena greeted Iris joyfully. ¡°Her Highness, who is generous, merciful, wise, and intelligent.¡± Elena praised her, something she had never done for Rosemary before, and then kissed Iris on the hand before standing up and beaming. ¡°Because it is your first time, I have created a schedule in ten-minute sections. Let us walk and talk.¡±

    ¡°Ten? Ten minutes?¡± Iris opened her eyes wide. It was still morning! If it was every ten minutes, what about her meals? And the bathroom? And her break? How many tasks did she have that required just ten-minute blocks?

    At Iris¡¯s words, Elena happily nodded and replied, ¡°Once you get used to it, I will n for every second.¡± Elena¡¯s smiling face was practically glowing, and her pearly-white teeth shone eerily.

    <em>Wow, the sky is yellow.</em>Was the sky yellow, or did the blue sky look yellow today? Iris wondered as she peered out the window and daydreamed for a moment. Using magic to write a letter in Rosemary¡¯s handwriting, Iris sat quietly at the small mahogany desk by the window while Elena shoved cookies into her mouth. Elena had imed that no one said that you had to eat with your own hands.

    ¡°Your Highness, this letter is crooked. And don¡¯t forget the elegant brush strokes.¡± Elena pulled the letter from under Iris¡¯s quill.

    Her arm hurt, but Iris couldn¡¯t say that out loud and bit her bottom lip instead. Her arm felt like it was swelling, but she was unsure if it was already swollen or if it just felt that way. The mound of letters could¡¯ve been written by someone else, and Iris could¡¯ve just signed them.

    There were so many letters from the people who wanted The Queen to hear their stories; she couldn¡¯t believe how many. Rosemary had ignored all the letters, and Iris was unaware of this, so she earnestly read through each letter, one by one.

    The letters described awful situations, and there were many requests for help from Queen Rosemary. In both the tower and in the workshop, Iris had lived a very sheltered life.

    She didn¡¯t know this at the time, but everyone around her was under the tower¡¯s orders. They monitored her condition, and once a day, they reported her state to the tower¡¯s monk. Of course, the tower¡¯s monk was a disciple of ine¡¯s.

    Because of this, Iris had no idea how people in the outside world lived, and she had no intention of knowing. She had never thought about the stories of the less privileged. Now, she sat in shock as she read about sick people, starving people, and people whose family members had died. Their grief-stricken letters made Iris want to curl up into a ball and cry her heart out.

    On the other hand, some letters were more light-hearted. They were letters written by noblewomen who wrote about lively entertainment, such as trips, tea parties, and balls.

    There were many letters between the heart-breaking ones, talking about various other things. Iris didn¡¯t know much about royal society, and so when she found an invitation to the ball, she only recognized it as an invitation. Royal Society was typically a political andplicated ce, but Iris had no way of knowing this either.

    ¡°After signing the letters for twenty more minutes, we shall move to the temple.¡± Elena interrupted her thoughts.

    ¡°The temple?¡± As Iris¡¯s hand stopped moving, she looked up at Elena, who then tapped twice on the desk. She meant for Iris to keep moving her hand, even when she was talking.

    Elena spoke as Iris continued to sign with her aching arm, ¡°Thedy of the nation, Her Highness, will participate in the prayer meeting for the many people of our country.¡±

    ¡°Who are we praying to?¡±

    ¡°To Ruthna.¡±

    <em>My guardian goddess, Ruthna!</em>She was the protector of all wizards and the goddess holding this world together. It was difficult to understand how she created everything in this universe and then just sat by and watched all the misery.

    The first lesson that Iris had learned at the tower was that everything in this world existed out of necessity, and she¡¯d often thought about what that necessity was. Iris moved her gaze down for a moment.

    ¡°It is a shame that your hands are not working, Your Highness,¡± Elena wouldn¡¯t even pardon her for just a second.

    ¡°Yes, yes. I am writing.¡± Iris shook away her thoughts and concentrated on her writing and signatures. Elena had frighteningly told her that she expected a certain number of letters to be signed in twenty minutes, and if not finished, she wanted them done before she went to bed that night. Iris had sighed heavily, wishing she¡¯d never asked about the duties.

    The temple,monly known as the Great Temple of Ruthna Shetarion, had been built by a man called Mr. Shetarion. He was known as the wealthiest man on the continent and a faithful worshipper of Ruthna. Mr. Shetarion had dedicated the temple to the goddess, Ruthna, and it was known throughout the empire for its beautiful architecture.

    In the magnificent hall stood an enormous statue that was ten meters tall, crafted with white marble, and beautifully decorated with numerous jewels and stained ss. Despite being made of marble, it was famous for being so real that you could almost feel her breath.

 Chapter 43

    Iris lifted her head in front of the Ruthna statue in the temple, admiring the craftsmanship as the light enhanced its beauty. She had learned that the people considered the tower and the temple to be simr, yet their followers didn¡¯t get along.

    At the tower, the followers believed that Ruthna was more than just a goddess and that the goddess was the root of everything in the world. She was not a man nor a woman, not a human nor an animal, and neither the sky nor the sea, but rather, she was everythingbined to make up the earth. For this reason, the people from the tower viewed the temple¡¯s statue of Ruthna as a symbol of a religious cult.

    On the other hand, the temple criticized the tower for being self-absorbed and harming the world rather than having an interest in values or humanity. There was criticism aimed at the fact that they used their power for research instead of helping the people who needed it. The temple and tower were always in a dispute, and when the Royal Family joined, it would be a three-way fight, which would only escte even more when the aristocrats got involved.

    Iris already knew this in her mind, but because she had lived such a sheltered life, she had never experienced it for herself. Having to kneel in front of the statue of Ruthna was something that she¡¯d never done before.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Elena said, beckoning her to kneel.

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Iris kneeled like the people around her.

    Seeing and obeying Ruthna as if she was a human was a strange feeling. Although the statue was enormous and beautiful, she couldn¡¯t feel any magic from it, yet the people looked at it with such longing in their eyes.

    The prayer meeting was long andplicated, and Iris didn¡¯t understand much of what was going on. Aside from when she had to kneel, she sat quietly and listened to the proceedings on the fancy chair, decorated with bright flowers, for the queen. As soon as the high priest opened his arms, the torches along the stone wall were set alight at the same time. Therge mes in the braziers emitted a crimson-colored light and the people audibly eximed in awe.

    <em>It¡¯s just a me on a torch.</em>From a tower person¡¯s perspective, Iris observed the swindler-like actions. To her, everything seemed ridiculous. The priests acted like their powers were divine powers but to Iris, it looked like simple magic. Even the high priest¡¯s ¡°divine powers¡± were so weak that it made Iris question if it was enough for them to enter the tower. Seeing these swindlers trick so many people by putting a me on a torch left a bad taste in her mouth and made her want to blow them all out.

    ¡°Our Ruthna, our Ruthna!¡± The people shouted in unison. It was unknown what they were praying for or what they were repenting for, but they all called out her name.

    Even if this was all a facade, to these people, it was something important, and so Iris prayed without saying a word.<em>Our Ruthna, I do not believe you are in this giant and beautiful statue, but I believe in your existence. My guardian deity, please, please bring a day where the tears of these people can dry.</em>

    Iris wondered if The Queen was someone who prayed for this and shared the suffering of these people. If that was the case, she thought that the role of The Queen was not easy, and it also seemed pitiful. But what Iris didn¡¯t know was that there was a much more difficult task waiting for her.

    ¡°Your Highness! Your Highness! Your Highness!¡± The people yelled. Iris looked through the iron bars feeling nervous as the shouting sounded violent, and she feared that a riot would begin. She turned her head to look at Elena, who smiled sweetly at her.

    ¡°It has been a long time since they saw the Queen, so they are moved,¡± Elena informed her.

    ¡°You call this moved? That person is foaming at the mouth! Are you sure they don¡¯t despise me?¡± Iris hesitated and then tried to step back but halted as the iron doors opened. Elena then pushed her from behind, and without a choice, Iris stepped forward.

    People had gathered by the thousands to see The Queen, who had attended the Great Prayer for the first time in a long time. The capital¡¯s guards made a path, and The Queen¡¯s female knights positioned themselves around her. It felt as if the knights were raising their powers as if they were magic swordsmen. Reflexively, Iris grabbed her ivory bracelet, which she¡¯d secretly stashed in her chest pocket, without her maids knowing about it.

    ¡°Please do not worry. These people will protect you,¡± Elena said as she grinned. Iris felt relieved when she saw that Elena lookedfortable in this kind of situation.

    As Iris stepped out of the iron doors, people reached their hands out, desperately hoping for The Queen to touch them. It was as if they thought they were meeting Ruthna. Iris looked around, contemting which hand to hold, and then decided on the olddy who was closest to her.

    ¡°Wow, such a blessing from the Queen!¡± Thedy eximed and then burst into tears.

    ¡°I wish you great health and blessings.¡± Iris squeezed the olddy¡¯s hand and let go. She had to keep on holding people¡¯s hands as they continued to walk through the crowd. The people acted as if they would sacrifice their life for the privilege of touching her hand. And soon, the security guards were shoved behind her by the unruly mob.

    The path became narrower, and Elena advised with a grave face, ¡°You have done enough for today. Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    She had only held around twenty people¡¯s hands out of the thousands that were there. But Iris quickly nodded as the atmosphere had be very serious, and the people showed no signs of calming down.

    She was about to turn her back when someone screamed out loudly.

 Chapter 44

    ¡°No!¡± A woman yelled. She held a baby wrapped in orange cloth and fell in front of Iris. Thedy must¡¯ve crawled past the guards, who then quickly tried to block her, but she was faster than them. One could say that she was risking her life to get to The Queen.

    ¡°Your Highness! Please save my child!¡± She pleaded.

    ¡°Security!¡± Elena In Sethang shouted angrily, not understanding how the security had allowed the public to block The Queen¡¯s path.

    At hermand, the guards hurriedly tried to grab the woman. But she resisted the guards with all her strength, and the cloth covering the baby fell to the ground. At that moment, screams spread through the crowd, and someone shouted, ¡°It¡¯s a disease!¡±

    The crowd of the thousands of people was about to go into a panic, and as they burst into a frenzy, the royal knights surrounded Iris forming a small circle. They then positioned themselves so that they could easily pull their swords if need be.

    Iris¡¯s pale hand reached between the guard¡¯s shoulders, and she said, ¡°Wait, excuse me. That baby, I want to see.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Elena eximed, as she now understood what everyone had said about Rosemary going crazy! She was d the toxins in the Haran¡¯s River had made her crazy, in a good way, but there was no way that this was good. If this went on, they would lose The Queen because of a gue. Elena tried to stop her, screaming with all her might, but Iris was too fast. She stretched her hands out, and the mother all but threw the baby into her hands.

    Everything happened in a sh as Iris grabbed the baby and inspected the disease. From a distance, she¡¯d suspected what the illness was, but she was now positive as she looked at the tiny baby up close.<em>It¡¯s a Honshi fungus.</em>

    The magical treatment was a professional¡¯s job, but the people wanted to use self-learned magic. People with no magic power could not achieve anything, but sometimes some people had sloppy magic skills and could only perform poor magic. And that kind of magic came with consequences. These consequences often appeared in the form of a curse, which usually floated in the air until it found a suitable host. It was called ¡°magic fungus,¡± and there were many variants.

    The problem was that this Honshi fungus was not amon variant, and it wasn¡¯t an infection that was seen often among the poption.

    ¡°Kill it! Just kill it!¡± Someone in the crowd yelled.

    ¡°Yeah, kill it!¡± Another person shouted. ¡°Kill the mother too!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the only way! Kill them!¡± Someone else shouted, sounding terrified. The mass madness spread instantly among the fearful crowd.

    Iris shook her head, ¡°It is not an infectious disease.¡± Her voice was barely audible above the noise of the crowd, and she felt flustered and unsure of what to do next.

    Noticing her pink cheeks, Elena asked, ¡°Your Highness, are you sure it is not an infectious disease?¡±

    Iris nodded, ¡°It is not! I¡¯m positive!¡±

    ¡°It is not infectious! Knights, repeat together! Guards shout with me! It is not infectious!¡± Elena roared. The knights and guards all yelled, and the sound was transmitted through the crowd, making them stutter.

    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°No,¡± came the reply.

    ¡°How do they know?¡± Another person questioned.

    ¡°The Queen says it¡¯s not,¡± someone else whispered. The crowd quietened as the people then talked among themselves.

    But Elena knew that the panic could rise again at any moment, and so she signaled to Lily En Oswald, themander of the guards, who then nodded and whispered to the knights, ¡°We are retreating.¡±

    As the knights stepped back, Iris got swept backward also. While she was walking backward, Elena swiftly took the baby from her hands, handing it over to the guard, and Iris shouted to thedy, ¡°Go to the tower! They will provide treatment there!¡±

    It was difficult to know if the woman had heard her above the noise of the crowd, and she frowned deeply as the guards continued to push her backward. Iris was able to get a glimpse of the woman, and it seemed as if she¡¯d heard her because her face brightened with hope for a moment before she sobbed from relief.

    The mother of the child bowed countless times and shouted, ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± Iris couldn¡¯t hear her voice, but she knew what she had meant.

    ***

    A brown-haireddy fell at the sword of a knight. Her long hair swayed like dry grass, and her thin body fell to the ground with no strength. At that moment, Iris dropped the teacup in her hand and stood up.

    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Highness!¡± Lily and Elena simultaneously eximed, and Iris sat back down, looking embarrassed. The head maid flicked her finger with a sigh, and the other maid quickly picked up the broken pieces of the teacup from the ground and then reced the tablecloth.

    Elena¡¯s nagging continued, ¡°Your Highness, I have told you countless times before. Even when someone is dying, you should not pay them attention!¡±

    ¡°B-b-but,¡± Iris stuttered.

    ¡°And that girl is only a knight!¡±

    The brown-haired girl¡¯s name was Wendy, and she was a member of the royal knights. Except now, she had taken off her armor and was ying the role of the victim in this y. She smiled bitterly, as she¡¯d already fallen to the ground several times, and The Queen had bolted up every time.

    ¡°I know, but still,¡± Iris mumbled, unable to hide her perplexity. She couldn¡¯t turn away when she saw someone was dying.

    No matter how toxic the Haran¡¯s River was, Elena still wondered if it possible that The Queen had lost her mind. ¡°Again.¡± Elena flicked her finger, and the y started over. Soon after, The Queen jumped up from her seat, and this time, it was before the maid had even given her a new

 Chapter 45

    Rosemary was born a snobby aristocrat and had a privileged upbringing. She was so snobbish that even if thousands of people were dying, she was someone who would call them dirty without giving a second thought to their fate. Elena despised her, but her elegance was something she couldn¡¯t deny. Whether it was a good or a bad thing, Rosemary¡¯s ss was something she was born with, and no one could do anything about that.

    Compared to<em>that</em>Rosemary, the Rosemary in front of her was apletely different person because she seemed to genuinely care about every person she encountered. Elena watched as her eyes kept ncing at Wendy¡¯s elbows, even though she pretended not to notice, and one could tell that she was concerned that thedy could get injured.

    Rosemary¡¯s old habits had disappeared, and new ones had formed, which Elena found to be unusual and peculiar. She couldn¡¯t understand Rosemary¡¯s newfound ability to empathize with another person¡¯s pain, and she kept going back to the toxins in the Haran¡¯s river as the cause of this.

    But how did the beautiful yet empty-headed Queen know how to determine it wasn¡¯t the gue that had infected the baby? And to then advise the woman to seek help from the tower? None of this made any sense, and Elena¡¯s curiosity grew by the hour.

    It was also odd that the great wizard, ine, had said nothing about his most treasured Iris ine when she¡¯d died. Elena vividly recalled the day that she¡¯d broken into the tower when she¡¯d been ranting about her criticism of the whole situation, and ine had only smiled. All he¡¯d said was, ¡°The tower is never wrong. The tower suffered a huge loss, and we will never forget her.¡± But his words had no longer sounded angry, and she couldn¡¯t fathom why his anger had dissipated so quickly.

    The sudden change in the King¡¯s attitude towards Rosemary was also unexinable, and he now doted on her as if Rosemary had be a different person. He acted like he loved her so much and gave the impression that he¡¯d do anything for her. Being the wealthiest man on the continent, Sidrain could go to great lengths to please her by doing extreme things to show her his affections. He genuinely seemed to be head over heels in love, which Elena thought was absurd.

    Since the freak carriage ident had urred, everything seemed to be upside down. Iris ine had died, and Rosemary had lost her mind after she¡¯d swallowed too much of the toxic river water. But Elena couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly how and why these changes had urred.

    ¡°Oh!¡± The Queen shouted as she jumped up. Wendy had ducked the first swing of the knight¡¯s sword, but after he made a second swing at her, Rosemary had stood up in surprise. From the Queen¡¯s seat, it looked like Wendy had been struck by the sword. But she¡¯d ducked again in time to miss his swing. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± The Queen stuttered as she apologized once again.

    Wendy coolly shook her head and smiled, ¡°I am your servant. And I am confident when I fall.¡±

    Elena In Sethang looked at her suspiciously as she wondered what the heck was going on with her; Rosemary wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would apologize to anyone.

    ¡°How on earth are you doing your job!¡± Sidrain had returned from the meeting with the tower and was furious with what he saw. His anger was towards Elena, and he red at her as she was the Queen¡¯s official representative and secretary.

    A royal attendant had received information from the handmaiden, reporting that Elena had overworked the Queen after she¡¯d said that she wouldplete her duties, which had led to this situation. And poor Iris didn¡¯t even know how to do anything!

    Elena was unaware that Sidrain had also investigated Iris ine from the tower, the girl who knew nothing but magic, the individual who had magical powers surging through her, and the innate ability to control it, but yet avoided all people.

    Because of Iris¡¯s reluctance to engage with others there hadn¡¯t been many people who had seen her inside the tower. She was so elusive when it came to people that her teacher, ine, had kicked her out so that she had no choice but to meet more people.

    And now, Iris¡¯s new role as the Queen required dealing with many people. It was a position that required many masks; one of kindness and affection for the people and one of strictness for the aristocrats. She needed to take care of the pce and regte the aristocrats. And she also needed to know the home situations of her servants to adjust their jobs ordingly while serving the royal family.

    However, if the Queen decided not to fulfill her duties, that was entirely her choice. That was why Rosemary had been able to y around and do nothing. She enjoyed gambling and attending balls but had no interest in the responsibilities that came with being a queen. But Iris was different, and she was genuinely interested in what she needed to do as a queen.

    Elena had ced someone like that in danger and Sidrain was about to go through the roof as he shouted, ¡°What if the Queen got hurt? To put her in front of such an undisciplined crowd, and she hasn¡¯t even recovered her health yet! How long has it been since she almost drowned?¡±

 Chapter 46

    For the infamously cold Sidrain to lose his temper and get riled up was a rare sight. Elena stood still, enduring the King¡¯s lecture as he paced back and forth in front of her. Whenever hisrge body moved past her, it made her nervous because she was well aware that the King could sentence a punishment to her on the spot if he wanted to.

    Elena knew that she wouldn¡¯t receive a death sentence, but if he so happened to banish her from the pce, she would lose her aristocratic status, which was no different from a death sentence. The Sethang family¡¯s reputation would be ruined if she was banished from the pce, and they would then demand that she divorce rence.

    Elena¡¯s mind was racing as she knew that rence would never want to leave her, and he would try anything and everything to resist, but aristocratic families were not so easy to deal with. Fearful that they would have no choice but to separate, Elena realized that she had to calm the King fast. However, he was in such a rage and showed no signs of calming down.

    Then, a thought popped into her head, and she decided to take a gamble. She requested for everyone to leave the room and lowered her head, ¡°I deeply apologize for causing you such concern. But I must ask you one question, Your Highness. Who is she?¡±

    The anger in Sidrain¡¯s voice was apparent as he red at Elena with ming, bloodshot eyes, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That woman is not Her Royal Highness.¡±

    ¡°Have you gone crazy, Elena In Sethang? You are insulting the royal family. You have no excuse if you get sentenced to death for this felony.¡±

    Elena would rather die than divorce rence, and she raised her head, determined not to back down. ¡°No, I am sure. I swear on Ruthna that that woman is not Rosemary. She is not the Rosemary I know.¡±

    ¡°Elena,¡± Sidrain¡¯s warned through gritted teeth.

    ¡°And you, Your Highness, must be aware of her identity. Who is she?¡±

    Sidrain crossed his arms across his broad chest. He knew why Elena was taking this risk, and he btedly realized that he¡¯d overreacted. He was upset too, and he knew that he¡¯d made a mistake. Sidrain clicked his tongue at himself in disappointment, but there was nothing that he could do about the way he¡¯d reacted.

    He thought about how he had almost lost Iris ine. Back then, he was like a stranger to her. But the psychological damage was so deep that he had hit a woman for the first time in his life. Even if that woman was Rosemary, he never thought there would be a day when he wouldy a hand on his woman. But on that day, nothing could¡¯ve stopped him.

    The Iris he now knew was no longer a stranger, she was his wife, and they had kissed. She¡¯d even destroyed a sausage in front of him. These were few incidences, but they had left a spark in Sidrain¡¯s heart, and he couldn¡¯t lose her now.

    ¡°Your Highness. I am Elena Sethang, and I will forever be at your service.¡± Elena got onto her knees in front of Sidrain.

    Sidrain¡¯s mind was in turmoil because it was hard to help Iris by himself. She was a woman, and as the Queen, so much of their time would be spent separately. It was important for her to have someone next to her who could manage everything and protect her as well. But he wasn¡¯t sure if Elena was fit for that role. Sidrain had to make a decision quickly, and he couldn¡¯t think of anyone other than Elena to take this role.

    ¡°Elena In Sethang. Lift your head,¡± Sidrain ordered.

    Elena raised her head slowly, and her eyes opened wide as Sidrain pulled a red sword out of his heart. Having the title of Sword Master meant that he was an expert with the sword and that he was the owner of the magical sword, which he¡¯d had to find and then learn how to control.

    Sidrain was only able to be Sword Master by finding the magic sword, Testalia, in the pce. He¡¯d then had to be ustomed to it and learn how to put it into his heart. Truthfully, it was a crazy thing to do, but he¡¯d done it.

    Now, Testalia was engraved into his heart forever, and he was able to take it out when he needed to. Few people were able to see this sight, and it was rare for a noble like Elena to be privileged enough to witness something like that. She stood dead-still and watched in awe as the King pulled the burning red sword from his heart.

    Finally, he drew the sword out entirely and pointed the razor-sharp tip at Elena¡¯s neck. ¡°Elena In Sethang. Whatever your name bes in the future, if this information bes known, I will make sure to kill you. Not just you, but I will annihte the entire Sethang family. I, Sidrain En Letaire, swear on my sword, Testalia, and the goddess, Ruthna.¡±

    The heat of the sword was hot on Elena¡¯s neck, but because the owner had no intention of hurting her, it didn¡¯t leave a wound. Elena closed her eyes briefly and then looked up at the King, ¡°I swear my loyalty to you, the master of my family and me.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Sidrain raised his sword again, which illuminated the entire room and then skillfully put it back into his heart.

    Watching in stunned silence, Elena almost let out a scream by ident, but she knew that he wouldn¡¯t punish her for doing that. Seeing the sword that had nearly burned her go into the King¡¯s chest so effortlessly made her shudder.

    Sidrain still felt unconvinced by Elena¡¯s loyalty, and he watched her tremble before him as she struggled to breathe. ¡°It is like you said. She is not Rosemary,¡± he said quietly, and Elena¡¯s eyes opened wide as she realized the gravity of that statement. Sidrain spoke once more, ¡°She is Iris ine.¡±

 Chapter 47

    ¡°Your Highness, I, Elena In Sethang, greet the benevolent Queen.¡± Elena In Sethang entered the audience chamber and knelt on her knees in front of Iris, kissing her delicate hand. Iris reflexively recoiled from her touch as her mind was full of thoughts about Elena, who¡¯d been scolded numerous times the day before by the King. Elena had done nothing wrong, and she¡¯d been correct when she¡¯d said that even if the people were dying, one should not consider that path.

    Rosemary was someone everyone envied. Although the people feared the King, they adored the Queen. Because the two of them werepletely different individuals, the people tried everything in their power to make their existence known to the Queen. If the Queen looked their way when they were dying, they would risk their lives to appeal to the Queen for help.

    Especially now that the current queen was so beautiful and kind, the love she received had increased. Asmoners, the people would never know how much of a crazy bat Rosemary had been. The Queen, who asionally showed her face in public, was beautiful, and with the virtuous King, they made the perfect couple; her existence was enough for them.

    ¡°Your Highness, I ask for your gracious forgiveness for putting you in danger yesterday,¡± Elena spoke seriously.

    Iris shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand.¡± She had heard from the handmaiden that Elena and the King had spoken, with just the two of them present, and he¡¯d been angry at the time. It must have been an awkward situation in which she¡¯d found herself.

    Elena was not forceful, and she had been trying her best to help the Queen with her duties. But because she was not the true queen things had gottenplicated. Had she been Queen Rosemary, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way, and Iris felt regret.

    But of course, words were just words. If it had been Rosemary, she wouldn¡¯t have fulfilled her duties and would¡¯ve thrown a tantrum instead. She wouldn¡¯t have given a second thought to the people dying and would¡¯ve even said that their hands, which reached out to her for help, were dirty.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t consider that Your Highness was not yet fully recovered, and that is my mistake. I beg for your forgiveness,¡± Elena added.

    ¡°Honestly, it is alright, Elena,¡± Iris replied kindly.

    Elena looked up at her nkly, making Iris realize that she wouldn¡¯t get up until she received her forgiveness, so she hurriedly spoke, ¡°I forgive you.¡± When hearing her words, Elena¡¯s face radiated happiness, and she stood up.

    Elena stared at Iris in amazement when she was eye-level with her. The name Iris ine didn¡¯t refer to the Great Wizard. And Iris had also had the nickname the ¡°Princess of the Tower,¡± and since she was the only child of the tower¡¯s owner, this nickname wasn¡¯t wrong ¨C the Princess of the Tower, Iris ine.

    Most wizards called her by her first name once they reached a certain rank because she was a princess and not a queen. The Princess was under the King¡¯s protection and would not exist without the existence of the King. This girl was the ¡°Princess of the Tower.¡±

    There were rumors that Iris hated people, but this seemed to be unfounded. She may not have been the most skilled at socializing, but to say she hated people didn¡¯t make any logical sense. When Iris had been in public recently, the incident with the mother and her baby had been evidence of her kind heart.

    Thedy had seemed to havee from far away, and her appearance was awful. She looked homeless, and her hands were ck from grime. The clothes she¡¯d worn had been tattered and torn, and even her child¡¯s skin had be scaly, but Iris didn¡¯t bat an eyelid at the way they looked. Only someone kind at heart could turn a blind eye to their filthy appearance.

    ¡°Your Highness, your memories seem to be a little mixed up. Shall we recall what you learned so we jolt your memory?¡± Elena asked.

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Iris replied, looking perplexed.

    ¡°Do you remember thisnguage?¡± Elena asked, not in En Letaire, but Lo Letaire. Within the borders of the Letaire Empire, the seven kingdoms each had their ownnguage. Because the royal families could be the Imperial family at any time, they were obligated to master all sevennguages. Even the foolish Rosemary cried and struggled to learn it and barely managed to master it conversationally.

    ¡°I do remember,¡± Iris answered in Lo Letaire. The tower¡¯s people were all well-versed in all sevennguages. That was because people from all seven empires visited the tower, and eventually, everyone spoke in all seven differentnguages. Also, the teachers each came from various countries and taught their lessons in theirnguage.

    Of course, each country had its tower, but the most famous of them all was the tower in Letaire. Elena marveled at her perfect pronunciation, there was no w whatsoever, and she calmly examined Iris ine¡¯s current situation.

    For some unknown reason, as Iris wrote the phrases, Elena ordered her to write in the variousnguages. She felt like she was being tested because this was how the tower did their examinations too. Elena demanded responses on various topics; an example of this was: ¡®Write what you know about Ruthna, but in Lo Letaire.¡¯

    In no time, Iris was writing her answer as if she were a student in the tower again. There were also questions, which the tower did not ask in their tests. Mathematics was something that Iris was confident in, as a wizard, but thew was not a subject with which she was too familiar. Law was something that had practically annihted her.

    Also, she couldn¡¯t draw a map when asked to do so. Elena asked her to draw each country and identify the leaders of each region, but after she drew the capital, her mind went nk. Iris didn¡¯t know if it was possible to etch all the estates from memory and write each owner¡¯s name on them, and she frowned at the question.

 Chapter 48

    Once again, Elena was convinced that she was Iris ine. Rosemary may not have been very good at mathematics, but she would have easily drawn all the different manors. She had heard the stories about each estate from the day she was born, about what happened in each estate and how far the territory extended, so Rosemary knew everyst detail.

    The two women were very different people, and it was a shame that society didn¡¯t know the truth. Elena smirked, knowing that the people would go berserk if they found out that Rosemary was dead and that no one had held a funeral since no one knew! The majority of people, excluding a few of Rosemary¡¯s own immediate family, would be in mourning.

    Count Kurn In Samain, Rosemary¡¯s father, had three boys and one girl. When his youngest child Rosemary was born, her mother had died suddenly. And this had led to a strained rtionship between her and her father. When Rosemary¡¯s fianc¨¦, the Crown Prince Sidrain, had looked at his daughter in displeasure, Samain had not been bothered by his attitude toward her.

    Rosemary despised her father for the way he treated her, so the two barely met with each other and their rtionship remained sour over the years. When his daughter had almost died, the Count hadn¡¯t made any effort to leave his estate to visit her, which showed how much he still disliked Rosemary.

    But that did not mean he was happy. Even if the Count had an ounce of regret after his daughter¡¯s death one day, it would only be a reason to negotiate with the King. Elena had to act bravely in this unstable situation. On the inside, she was on full alert but only showed a sweet smile on the outside.

    ¡°You may have difficulties answering this one. It is a tricky question, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Iris replied, sounding defeated.

    ¡°You can learn it again with me. It¡¯s not a difficult task, so please don¡¯t be worried,¡± Elena reassured her and began to draw on the white sheet of paper.

    Iris watched the strokes Elena made with the feathered pen. Her strokes were bold for a woman but were still elegant and beautiful. Unlike Rosemary¡¯s, which was delicate and graceful, Elena¡¯s had its distinct charm that captivated her.

    Elena caught Iris, who was lost in thought, and carefully called her, ¡°Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry. Your writing is so pretty.¡±

    ¡°You praise me too much. But your writing is well known to be beautiful too.¡± Elena¡¯s lips curled into a smile. She wondered if Iris could imitate the handwriting that Rosemary put so much effort into creating. Even though her body was Rosemary¡¯s, so far, it seemed that Iris¡¯s actions and habits were not the same as hers.

    Elena wondered if all this change had been a result of magic. And if so, it was difficult for her to know how far magic could support Iris. If Elena could know just that, it would be easier to help her because she felt somewhat helpless.

    Elena spent the whole day teaching Iris and discovered that she was a clever student. It was not to the point where she would learn one thing and automatically know another ten things. But when she learned one thing, she would remember that one thing with no hassle. Iris quickly picked up the hierarchy of the nobles and royals, matched portraits and their names, and understood the diplomatic affairs of each country.

    Perhaps it was because she was teaching Iris, not Rosemary, that it felt like she was finally talking to a person and not a brick wall. It was an easy and flowing educational session. Iris unexpectedly enjoyed talking about these topics, and Elena taught her with great eagerness.

    Sidrain ground his teeth, ¡°I understand how you feel, but keep it controlled.¡± In his eyes, he thought that Elena was picking on Iris. He believed that Elena was forcing too much study on Iris and was worried that she was overworked. However, these words went into Elena¡¯s one ear and out the other.

    ¡°Your Highness, please look on the bright side. You will see a magnificent, perfect queen soon.¡± Elena was sure that she could mold Iris into a genuinely perfect queen because she wasn¡¯t a crazy bat like Rosemary. Iris could be a queen who was kind and intelligent, embracing all the people, while also encouraging the public sentiment in the royal family¡¯s favor. She could see these qualities in Iris because she was oozing with them! She had the beauty of Rosemary and the lovely personality of Iris.<em>Oh, Ruthna, thank you for your gift. I will serve this country with more heart!</em>

    Sidrain watched her and chuckled, ¡°A perfect queen, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, her Royal Highness will be perfect. I will put my heart and soul into working with her.¡±

    ¡°What is the Queen¡¯s first duty, Elena?¡± Sidrain rested his arms on the armrests of the throne as he leisurely questioned her.

    ¡°The first duty is to give birth to an heir, of course.¡±

    ¡°Yes, she should have a child. That is the first duty. But that girl has one enormous w. It would be best not to wish for a perfect queen,¡± he said as he recalled her destroying the sausage for no apparent reason. He kept that memory carefully tucked away in his brain and considered it a precious memory, but it was true that the conversation went cold whenever he recalled that moment, which had scared the daylights out of him. Sidrain chuckled to himself at the thought of Iris being molded into a perfect queen when she hated him as a man as it stood.

    Seeing Sidrain frowning deeply, Elena asked, ¡°Did she reject you?¡±

    ¡°It would be a relief if she just rejected me. But she wants to make me a eunuch!¡±

    ¡°Pardon me?!¡± Elena jumped up. Her face paled as she heard something she was not supposed to hear. ¡°She wants to make Your Highness a what?¡± Elena eximed.

    Sidrain reached out his hand, ¡°It is a long story. But she does not consider me a man. She probably does not even think about sleeping with me. So don¡¯t waste your time making her into a perfect queen.¡±

 Chapter 49

    ¡°That is not the problem right now,¡± Sidrain mumbled to himself, almost feeling depressed. So what if the perfect queen was the worst in the world? He would be satisfied if Iris ine was his queen. But the problem was that she shriveled up and looked scared to death, like a rabbit trembling in front of a lion whenever she saw him.

    ¡°Your Highness, excuse my words. But do you mean to tell me that with your handsome face and your powerful body, you still failed to seduce a woman who was locked up in a tower for all her life?¡± Elena¡¯s face expressed extreme criticism. ¡°Can you even call yourself a man? A king?!¡±

    Hearing her words, Sidrain jumped up. He had had enough, and he shouted, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you help me? I have no idea what more I have to do!¡±

    ¡°How difficult can it be? Fine, I will help you. Then will you agree with me making her the perfect queen?¡±

    ¡°If that is what it takes, then do what you please!¡± Sidrain cried out. ¡°Do you think I am some idiot who just stood there doing nothing like a fool?!¡±

    A fire ignited in Elena¡¯s volition, ¡°Alright, I will do what it takes!¡± And just like that, Elena was assigned the mission of helping Sidrain have an intimate night with Iris before making her into the perfect queen.

    Elena had always detested acting as Rosemary¡¯s representative. She may have been of noble birth and held a noble status, but that was all. From birth, Rosemary was shallow and vulgar and Elena hated the fact that Rosemary was their queen. But since it was Iris, she was prepared to give it a go and try to transform her. The Princess of the Tower was gentle and virtuous, and if Iris refined herself a bit more, she would have the potential to be a true queen. More importantly, she had the perfect-looking shell of Rosemary. It was only the substance inside that had changed! But of course, Elena did not know this from the onset.

    Elena also didn¡¯t know what kind of misunderstanding and repulsion Iris had towards pregnancy. She had rushed up the proverbial neighborhood hill, underestimating it, when it was a giant mountain to climb, in regards to understanding the entire process of making a child.

    In all honesty, whatever Elena In Sethang was doing was none of Sidrain¡¯s business. He believed that it would be good for Elena to give Iris ¡°the talk,¡± but if not, he would have to do what he needed to do. Of course, he still wished to embrace her and hold her in his arms. Sidrain wanted to pull her closer and have her hold him. But he was okay with not doing that too.

    ***

    ¡°Wow! There is a new market in the forest at the pce,¡± Iris eximed.

    Now and then, Sidrain enjoyed simply gazing at her side profile. Although she had Rosemary¡¯s face, he did notice subtle differences. It must¡¯ve been that expression that taught him to control his magic. ¡°You are gentle, and Elena is thrilled about making you into the perfect queen.¡±

    ¡°I beg your pardon, Your Highness?¡± Iris said, looking perplexed.

    Changing the subject, Sidrain looked at the market at the bottom of the green hill, smiling, ¡°It is for you, my Queen.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I summoned the merchants of the pce because I want to know what you like.¡±

    Iris turned around in surprise. She was on a horse, together with Sidrain. Iris had told him that she knew how to ride, but he had insisted on having her ride with him. His white horse shook its body when she got on, its body sagging with the added weight, but it did not disobey its owner.

    Iris felt nervous in Sidrain¡¯s embrace. But that did notst long, as she was now distracted by the market. It wasn¡¯t a massive market, but it was big enough for her to be impressed by it. She couldn¡¯t believe that it had been set up only for her, to find out her tastes and interests. Iris could notprehend the scale of his gift and stared up at him.

    ¡°What? Do you not like it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I do not like it. It¡¯s just perhaps not a good idea to go to the market.¡± Iris looked ufortable as she continued, ¡°Could we do something that didn¡¯t require bringing people to an empty plot ofnd to create a market?¡± Iris swallowed hard and looked up at him.

    Sidrain pressed his lips to her forehead. ¡°You are my Queen. Of course, they woulde for you.¡± His voice was confident and strong, which made Iris want to run away! Instead, she resisted the urge to run, as well as a sigh, and looked up at the cloudless sky.

    As the day wasing to an end, Iris recalled thest time Sidrain had wanted to make the next sessor. He¡¯d said, ¡°My efforts are in vain. I will give up for this month.¡± ording to his words, it seemed the day to create the next heir came every month, and it had been around three weeks since Iris had entered Rosemary¡¯s body. Soon, a month will have passed, which meant<em>that</em>day was near. She had to run away before then because she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of what needed to happen.

    ¡°You may keep whatever you desire.¡± Sidrain¡¯srge hand caressed her soft cheek. His touch was careful and gentle as if he was touching something that would break easily.

    Words slipped out of Iris¡¯s mouth before she knew it, ¡°You must love The Queen very much.¡± Then she realized that she was The Queen and hurriedly added, ¡°I mean, me. You must love me very much.¡± Feeling flustered, she moved her body away, and Sidrain quickly grabbed her hand. In the next moment, she found herself wrapped inside his arms.

 Chapter 50

    The King¡¯s arm position wasn¡¯t so subtle. It wrapped around her torso and was slightly higher than usual, almost touching her voluptuous breasts. Iris couldn¡¯t breathe, and she felt strange because the King¡¯s body was so close. As she felt his breath on her, she suddenly had a shback of their kiss.

    It had been a strange deed and a dirty one too. It had been a rough and bizarre experience, where their saliva had mixed. That was what she had thought before the kiss, but that had soon changed. The one kiss that sent chills down her spine, and caused her body to weaken and feel like copsing, was not a kiss. She didn¡¯t know how to describe it, but it was not a kiss that she¡¯d expected. Recalling the kiss that was not a kiss, Iris hunched her body.

    Feeling her body tense, Sidrain carefully retracted his hand. ¡°Sorry. I thought you were going to fall.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was the one that moved.¡±

    ¡°Just so that you know, I like you. Ever since I first saw you, until now, I have never stopped thinking about you. I¡¯ve searched for voices that sound like yours and even got excited when I heard someone talk simrly to you.¡±

    <em>Why would he be excited by the way I talk?</em>Not understanding that he meant that he became sexually excited, Iris looked at Sidrain, confused.

    Seeing this, Sidrain kissed the back of her hand. ¡°But I have not been in love with My Queen until a month ago. Do you understand what I am saying, My Queen?¡±

    Iris¡¯s eyes widened. Desperately, she searched his face.<em>No, it can¡¯t be!</em>Had he figured out who she was, and if so, how? Iris anxiously blinked. Scared and uneasy, her eyes were demanding answers.

    Sidrain gazed down at her and contemted whether to tell her, ¡°Yes, I know who you are, my adorabledy. My first love. The Princess of the Tower.¡±

    <em>I always dreamed about your face that you never revealed after presenting the beautiful lights. Even when your face became the face of the woman that I hate the most, I still love you.</em>That was what he wanted to reply to, but he didn¡¯t.

    ine had not visited in recent times, but he would not let his disciple stay here. He would do anything to get Iris out of there, and Sidrain wasn¡¯t going to let it happen. If he wanted to keep Iris at the pce, he could not acknowledge that Queen Rosemary was Iris. She had to be Rosemary, and therefore his legal spouse. He was dead-set on not allowing Iris to be the Princess of the Tower once again.

    Sidrain still remembered the day he didn¡¯t get a glimpse of Iris ine¡¯s face, even once. The same day that he couldn¡¯t even get out one syble of her name. She was beautiful and marvelous, but fleeting, just like her lights. He wasn¡¯t even able to see her fully, let alone have her in his grasp; he would not make that mistake again.

    ¡°I-I-I do not understand.¡± Iris shook her head. Like a prisoner on death row, her pale face stared at Sidrain¡¯s mouth. She was so terrified of the words that he¡¯d say next that she looked like she was about to faint.

    ¡°I mean, I love you very much,¡± Sidrain said and kicked the horse in the side. In response, the horse started cantering down the grassy hill. Instinctively, Iris clung onto Sidrain for dear life. ¡°Rely on me like this! Then you will be able to get everything you have ever wanted!¡± Sidrain shouted.

    On a spring day, in the forest with trees with bright green leaves, he¡¯d opened a market just for The Queen.<em>Where did lovee from?</em>Sidrain thought to himself as he and Iris walked side by side, admiring the different stalls. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. Sidrain had fallen so hard for Iris without her even knowing.

    He¡¯d been overwhelmed from the moment they¡¯d met, and he remembered her until now. And since they¡¯d met again, he had fallen for her the same way. Even though she had the face and body of Rosemary, which he hated so much, but if he reminded himself that it was Iris, she seemed lovable and pretty.

    Iris could not lie to save her life and was unable to hide her interest in the tools. She had been standing at the table of magic tools for an hour already. The merchant didn¡¯t know why they invited him to a market for The Queen. But as she showed great interest, he excitedly exined everything he could about the different items on the table.

    ¡°Oh, there are many new items now,¡± Iris said, sounding excited as she observed the tools with sparkling eyes.

    Sidrain suppressed augh as he watched her. The person, who had recently been so scared that her secret had been revealed, had vanished. And now, she was so focused on the magic tools that she had forgotten whose body she was upying.

    ¡°Wow, such detailed technique. Which tower was this made at?¡± Iris asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s from Ze Letaire,¡± the merchant replied proudly.

    ¡°Ze Letaire! How could Ze Letaire create with such a fine technique!¡±

    It was clear that Iris was a member of a tower, whether she tried to hide it or not, and Sidrain chuckled to himself. Thepetition between the towers of each country was fierce. It was typical for them to take jabs at each other, and Iris was doing just this. They didn¡¯t just take jabs, though. They attacked and criticized, and sabotaged each other. There was no doubt Iris learned this from the monks at the tower.

    ¡°Ze Letaire has been very sessful these days, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Iris narrowed her eyes, ¡°surely not as sessful as En Letaire?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but En Letaire has been going downhilltely. In Ze Letaire, these people called the ¡®Rising Four¡¯¡­¡±

    Iris mmed the item in her hand loudly on the table, and the merchant immediately stopped speaking. She crossed her arms and stared at the merchant directly, ¡°En Letaire is doing worse than Ze Letaire? Is this something a merchant selling magic tools in En Letaire is allowed to say?¡±

    The merchant met her sharp eyes and hunched his shoulders in fear, and stuttered, ¡°Y-y-your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Your items are not very good,¡± Iris said dismissively.

 Chapter 51

    Iris clenched her teeth. For an hour, she had been saying, ¡°Oh, how amazing!¡± And, ¡°Such delicate technology!¡± But all of a sudden, her tune changed, and now she said, ¡°None of these things are good enough.¡±

    What kind of person was she? The merchant looked up in earnest and bowed again as he faced the disappointed looks from two people: one with crystal blue eyes and the other with cold red eyes. He could handle the blue eyes, but the red eyes were terrifying. The blue eyes reflected the truth, but the look from the red eyes warned that the wrong choice of wording would be considered perjury.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± the merchant said. He wanted to say something more, but he didn¡¯t know how to redeem himself.

    Iris stood in front of the statue-like madman and stared at the objects. If she were honest, the products weren¡¯t that bad. But she wasn¡¯t in the mood to praise him now. ¡°You¡¯re not even as good as the other En Letaire¡¯s. Even though you¡¯re a Letaire yourself!¡±

    The merchant didn¡¯t say anything. He just sighed inside. But Iris heard it, and she gritted her teeth. She was mad and upset, but she had nothing to say.<em>Oh, how upsetting!</em>

    ¡°My Queen,¡± Sidrain called. He barely managed to hold back hisughter which felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. His first love truly warmed his heart and made him happy.

    She seemed to be secretly stamping her feet because she had nothing to say in response to the merchant after her pride was hurt. ¡°Shall we go see something else? I don¡¯t think this merchant¡¯s stuff is good, do you?¡± Sidrain asked.

    Iris looked back in bewilderment. She forgot that she was the Queen and no longer Iris ine. She shouldn¡¯t have spent this long in front of a merchant, and above all else, she should¡¯ve been fair to him.

    She didn¡¯t want to say this, but she put her pride aside and said to the merchant, ¡°Well, your things are good.¡±

    Sidrain hugged Iris when she admitted that the items were good because he knew that it had taken a lot of courage for her to acknowledge her rudeness. He then led her away from the table, and she didn¡¯t resist. Her body smelled good, and her embrace was warm and soft. And for a brief moment, it felt as if she wanted hisfort, and he thought it cute.

    Sidrain rubbed her pink cheeks and whispered against Iris¡¯s intricately braided hair, with red and jade detail, ¡°I don¡¯t think today is the day to buy any items from the merchant. You don¡¯t have to buy items under this blue sky. Let¡¯s go see the jewels.¡±

    ¡°What does the blue sky have to do with buying items from a merchant?¡±

    ¡°You must buy jewelry on a sunny day.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Iris¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Is that a custom for nobles and royalty?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve always done that. Let¡¯s go, my Queen.¡±

    A rotten-faced magician watched from the shadows as Sidrain held Iris¡¯s hand and led her to a jewelry stand. He spat on the ground, thinking that they looked like a pair of cockroaches.

    Iris nodded with a smile as they approached the beautifully decorated table, but then her blue eyes narrowed. She was familiar with jewelry because she was a wizard, and each jewel had the power to preserve mana. That¡¯s why Iris had a good eye for jewelry but was no longer admiring the items in front of her as she had done at the other merchant¡¯s stall. Iris was looking at the jewels as if she didn¡¯t want to touch them.

    Sidrain assumed that she didn¡¯t know much about jewelry and that she wasn¡¯t interested in it, but this was unexpected from ady. Because Iris ine was a wizard, he did understand her fussiness, as Wizards were the pickiest people in the world.

    The jeweler thought the same as he observed the Queen, who looked at the jewels like a wizard would. She then took out her loupe and looked at the jewelry closely, asking him about the quality of the stones. But when she looked through the loupe for the first time, she said, ¡°This loupe is a little out of focus.¡± So she asked the merchant, politely, if she could borrow his, even though it was smaller than hers. Then, like a wizard or a jeweler, she studied the gems with great focus.

    ¡°Your Highness. Do you like anything?¡± The jeweler asked.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing that catches my eye.¡±

    After meticulously checking all the jewelry, Iris looked at the jewelry store owner with a disappointed expression on her face. It was all of poor quality. Although the quality of the jewelry was good enough for the general public and even the royal family, it wasn¡¯t pure enough for wizards, especially in Iris ine¡¯s eye. And Iris was no ordinary person.

    ¡°Are these jewels what you bring for the royal family?¡± Iris asked as she nced at the merchant. The best jewels would¡¯ve probably been handed over to the Magic Tower because they¡¯d be the pickiest customers. And the royal family naively thought the quality of the remaining gems was good enough.

    The jeweler couldn¡¯t speak because he felt as if he¡¯d been stabbed in the chest by a sharp knife. It wasn¡¯t the Queen he was wary of, but rather, the King standing behind her who made his knees weak. The King had a powerful presence. He was tall, looked menacing, and he was the continent¡¯s best knight and swordmaster. He was such a handsome man, yet his face was scary.

    This handsome man, Sidrain, was entertained by Iris, and he silently watched his first love protesting at the stall. Iris had a wide variety of facial expressions today, and Sidrain found this to be quite amusing. He even considered setting up a market every day just so that he could see her different facial expressions. It would be easily affordable since he was a man of great wealth.

    ¡°But, Your Highness. All these jewels are of the highest quality.¡±

    ¡°The highest quality and the finest jewelry? Can you truly take responsibility for what you¡¯re saying?¡±

 Chapter 52

    The jeweler looked nervously at the Queen¡¯s face. The young Queen was the one who stole the love of the country. But the merchants were well aware of her true nature. She was greedy, brutal and it would be impossible for them to workmercially in the capital if they went against her will. It was fine when the King didn¡¯t take her side, but it looked like the King was about to fully support her even if she requested that he kill the jeweler.

    Iris had mixed feelings as she stood in the market. The King was strange and scary, yet he was good to her. The fact that he¡¯d organized the market in the magnificent forest on the pce grounds showed his generosity and kindness toward Iris. It was an unexpected misunderstanding, but there was no one to resolve it, and Iris gently pulled the King¡¯s shirt.

    Sidrain looked down at Iris as she pulled at the hem of his shirt. He looked at her as if he was trying to tell her that she should say whatever she needed to say.

    ¡°I have a secret story,¡± she whispered. Sidrain bowed his head and put his ears near her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m a little bit c-c-confused because of the Haran¡¯s river ident.¡± Iris often stuttered when she spoke to Sidrain, but she was unsure why. And when she lied, she stuttered two or three times more. Sidrain held back hisughter and nodded as she continued, ¡°Do you remember what I used to do before? Things like firing the cook or being mean to the maids.¡±

    Iris talked gibberish, but Sidrain understood her stupid words, so he interrupted her, ¡°It¡¯s your job to crack down on merchants or trade with them as you please, my Queen.¡± After saying this, Sidrain kissed Iris on the cheek to show that he meant what he said.

    Iris sighed long afterward. The King had given her permission, so now she could say what she wanted to say, and she looked directly at the jewelry merchant. ¡°The royal family will no longer be buying anything from you.¡±

    ¡°Your majesty, have mercy!¡± He begged.

    Iris raised her voice, ¡°How could you sell such jewels? These jewels all have ws!¡±

    It was an unexpected nder. The gems weren¡¯t all wed. Although they weren¡¯t the continent¡¯s number one jewels, they were still of good quality, and the jeweler shook his head in bewilderment. ¡°Oh no, Your Highness, please, please let me exin.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t listen to you. These jewels are enough evidence. No matter how generous we are, how dare you sell us jewels like this?¡± Iris was angry as she put down the loupe, and the jeweler shook his head in dismay.

    The merchant¡¯s stomach hit his ankles, and he felt crushed. In hindsight, he should¡¯ve brought the best jewelry for the royal family. It was the truth that they secretly took the best gems to the Magic Tower. And if the royal family had known about it, the jeweler would¡¯ve been in trouble. When all was said and done, he only had himself to me. And his business would be drastically affected because of losing such a big client like the royal family.

    Sidrain smiled and gloated as he listened to Iris putting the merchant in his ce, not paying attention to the plight of a jeweler. Being assertive was one of the first things he¡¯d learned in life. As Sidrain watched his first love behave in this manner, it made him feel proud. If she asked him to buy all the things in this market, he would¡¯ve bought them all.

    But Iris¡¯s mind was elsewhere, and she wanted to check all the products in the market now to make sure that the royal family wasn¡¯t being taken advantage of by the seemingly dodgy merchants. Her eyes glowed fiercely, and the only person that didn¡¯t feel the harsh gaze was the man in love with her, Sidrain.

    The merchants could see that the King would buy her anything, and they cried inside, feeling that they may lose out on his generosity. They thought it was a festival day, so they¡¯d brought a lot of things, but it turned out to be a dreadful day where their goods were going to be inspected by the royals.

    In the distance, the jeweler noticed another merchant shaking his head. The Queen had admitted that his items were good, so he at least felt secure in his product offerings.

    Following the jeweler, the next merchant in question was the draper. Wizards had always struggled to find quality fabrics because they gave their clothes magical powers. Iris, therefore, had a good eye for cloth as well, as did Rosemary. But Rosemary had an unusual taste, and it was the design side that she was interested in more. But Iris was not familiar with design because she was an expert on the fabric itself.

    ¡°Look me in the eye, draper,¡± she demanded.

    The draper was dumbstruck as he continued to look at the ground. He knew that one wasn¡¯t allowed to look directly into the Queen¡¯s eyes, and it was not something that he wanted to take a chance on at all. From experience, he knew that the Queen was not particr about the quality of the cloth. She¡¯d always seemed to care more about the color of the fabric, the visible things. He¡¯d kept that in mind when he¡¯d chosen the cloth to bring to the market. The various materials were all high-end, but they weren¡¯t the best quality per se.

    The merchant didn¡¯t know what he was going to say, and he felt physically ill as sweat trickled down his back. The royal family had been paying high prices because he told them that all the fabrics were high-end. And now suddenly, the Queen had tasted the water of the Haran¡¯s river and had be an expert in cloth¡¯s overnight!

    Grabbing the draper by the neck like a mouse, she snapped, ¡°Do you think this is the best Lofine of Letaire?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s debatable,¡± he replied, without thinking it through.

 Chapter 53

    ¡°Merchant!¡± Iris raised her voice as she let go of his neck and put her hands on her hips. She then turned to look at Sidrain and said, ¡°If you think they have an innocent personality, you will find that they usually have an unexpected determination to rob you.¡± Sidrain observed Iris with interest and noticed the intensity in her crystal blue eyes as she stared at the fabric on the table.

    The merchant was forced to shrug his shoulders and stammered, ¡°L-L-Lofine is running short of supplies these days, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Iris snapped back.

    ¡°So, they aren¡¯t top quality, but these are still very h-h-high-quality.¡±

    ¡°But why do you charge more than a top-ss Lofine?¡±

    As a youngdy, Iris didn¡¯t know much about the prices of things. She was The Princess of the Magic Tower, and, therefore, all her finances were supervised by ine, her teacher. She had no idea how much she earned or how much she spent.

    However, after years of being on her own after she¡¯d left the tower, earning and spending money, she¡¯d be familiar with the cost of things. But she didn¡¯t know the prices for the medium-ss items because all she bought were top-ss products, so she¡¯d only memorized the prices of them.

    ¡°This is never, ever more expensive than the top Lofine!¡± Iris was getting irate as the merchant tried to make excuses, and she couldn¡¯t believe the way he was acting. But she had a trick up her sleeve to catch him out. ¡°All the Lofine entering the capital is supposed to being through Mr. Enton, the agent of the Dortrune Union, right?¡±

    <em>How does The Queen know Enton?</em> The merchant quivered, and it looked like an earthquake was taking ce in his eyes. Enton was a representative of Gertaire¡¯s Lofine Dortrune. His name was unknown to most experts, but The Queen seemed friendly enough with the representative to call him Mr. Enton. He seemed like an acquaintance of hers, and the merchant was now starting to tremble visibly.

    Enton would never say this fabric was a top-ss product and would cancel the Lofine contract if he found out that the merchant sold it to the royal family, pretending that it was high-end merchandise. Not only that, he was a man who would sue a merchant for doing such a thing.

    ¡°Oh, oh, oh, My Queen!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I was wrong! Please, forgive me!¡± The merchant pleaded and fell to his knees on the hard ground.

    The other merchants swallowed their screams as they watched the serious situation unfolding. Queen Rosemary¡¯s eyes were not normal, and she even knew the name of the Dortrune¡¯s representative. If she knew the name of Lofine¡¯s Dortrune agent, then she probably knew the names of other Dortrune agents as well.

    The other stall owners watched fearfully as the merchant hung onto the hem of her skirt and continued to beg for mercy, ¡°Your Grace! Please forgive me just once! Give me a chance! I want to offer you the highest quality Lofine, Your Grace!¡±

    His pleading was a bit much for Iris¡¯s, and her mind began to weaken again. Seeing the gray-haired old man begging on his stomach made her ufortable, so she leaned down and spoke less harshly, ¡°Hey, get up.¡±

    The jeweler¡¯s eyes shone as he watched from afar.<em> That is it! Queen Rosemary has a weak heart!</em> Seeing an opportunity for redemption, he bolted toward her. It was much better to kneel and beg than to lose a huge client like the royal family.

    ¡°My Queen!¡± The jeweler sprinted and then slid on the ground, which caused a plume of dust to rise in the air. He came to a stop right in front of The Queen. Lying t on the ground, at her feet, he said, ¡°I will treat you very well! I¡¯ll give you the finest jewels. Just this once, please forgive me!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this,¡± Iris said, shaking her head.

    At that moment, all the merchants knew The Queen¡¯s weakness, and they rushed toward her shouting her name.

    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best!¡± A merchant yelled.

    ¡°Could you please make an exception in this case? I¡¯ll give you something wonderful!¡± Shouted another merchant.

    Iris felt like she was in a stampede as the merchants raced toward her from all sides. They roared as they ran, and the ground was vibrating under her feet. <em>Oh my god! </em>Iris was terrified as the people circled her.

    Sidrain, on the other hand, burst intoughter at the ridiculous disy while looking forward to what Iris would decide. The merchants surrounding them wanted to know if she would cut them some ck or not, and they waited with bated breath for her response.

    Iris shouted, ¡°All right, everybody, be quiet! Well, here¡¯s the deal!¡± Iris¡¯s face was burning red. This job was too stimting for her to avoid people, and it was difficult to watch them clinging to her feet. But she couldn¡¯t be cruel to the merchants even if they¡¯d made a fool of the royal family.

    The merchants bowed their heads and smiled with satisfaction as The Queen looked down at them. However, they all knew her weakness now, that she had a soft heart, and they intended to take advantage of her kindness.

    ¡°I¡¯ll reopen the market in a week,¡± Iris continued. The words she said were far from what they had hoped to hear, and the merchants looked up at The Queen in disbelief as she added, ¡°We will allow all qualified merchants, as well as you, to enter. There will be an openpetitive bid for the royal family¡¯s business. Win there, and then your deal will be signed and sealed. If you lose there, you don¡¯t get any deal. I suggest that you win with quality and price!¡±

    The merchants all distorted their faces as if they were about to cry when they realized that The Queen might have a soft heart, but her mind was strong. Queen¡¯s Rosemary¡¯s words were on point. The King also had his arm around her as if showing his support for what she had said.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. See you in a week, folks,¡± the King said firmly, putting an end to the situation. And thus, apetitive public bid began to secure the business of the royal family.

 Chapter 54

    ¡°She¡¯ll be a perfect queen,¡± Elena remarked. She had big dreams for Iris to be the best Queen of all time.

    Sidrain grinned without saying anything and sipped on his wine. He needed a strong drink after the day spent at the market. Feeling overly tired, he wondered if he should put some poison in his wine so that he could fall asleep quickly. The reason for hisck of sleeptely was the fact that Iris ine was around. And each day, his connection to her grew stronger and stronger.

    Out of the blue, he recalled the sound of his voice when he¡¯d stood on her roof. At that moment, he¡¯d known that he could¡¯ve broken through the rooftop, like a god in a thundering rage, or he could¡¯ve opened the window silently, like a night fairy. These thoughts were what caused his insomnia. <em>I¡¯m a fine thirty-year-old man! Why am I behaving like this?</em>

    Iris was also his legal spouse, so he had the right to hug her. But then he remembered that she wasn¡¯t Rosemary, so technically, he didn¡¯t have a right to do so. He didn¡¯t have such enormous rights because of thew, and she didn¡¯t allow him to be intimate with her. Although Sidrain knew all of this, the devil kept whispering in his ear. He wanted to seduce her with his body. He was sure that she¡¯d felt something when he¡¯d kissed her, and he wanted another opportunity to do so.

    As his daydream continued, he thought of lifting her skirt and caressing the inside of her thighs. Sidrain felt as if he were going crazy! He was going to turn into a beast that had no reason left! When she found out about his thoughts, it would shock her!

    ¡°In the capital, there are many des of the Queen. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be a wise and benevolent queen. Are you listening?¡± Elena asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not listening,¡± Sidrain said bluntly, and Elena shut up after hearing the cold tone of his voice. When Sidrain was away from The Queen, he couldn¡¯t try to seduce her and be her sweet lover. And every time they separated, Sidrain would be miserable. But he assumed that it was normal for one to feel that way when one truly cared for their partner.

    Elena sighed to herself. The Princess of the Magic Tower was a woman of many virtues, but she was as ignorant as an eight-year-old girl.

    Iris had no interest in the opposite sex. When she met with a man, her attitude was the same as when she met a woman. Iris treated all people the same and didn¡¯t even recognize their gender. So she¡¯d looked at Sidrain with slight curiosity when he¡¯d kissed the back of her hand. She had not been taught basic etiquette growing up. The princess seemed to have gotten used to it because the tower was a rough ce wheredy-like manners weren¡¯t required.

    ¡°At first, I started with the story of Elehrosa,¡± Elena said after a long silence.

    Sidrain grinned at her words. ¡°Elehrosa? For Iris and I?¡±

    Elehrosa was a blessing that only the High Priestess of the Great Temple could give. If it weren¡¯t for this blessing, the court society wouldn¡¯t have been so free-spirited. However, the non-senior aristocrats did not receive the Elehrosa because they needed to make arge donation to be blessed by it. In the first ce, only those with mansions in the capital were blessed by Elehrosa because it was only possible to receive it in the Great Temple.

    ¡°Well, anyway, the kernel has changed, and it¡¯s been a year, so shouldn¡¯t we all be blessed again? That¡¯s all I can trust in this court society,¡± Elena said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in any other woman, and there aren¡¯t any stupid men that want to go near The Queen now.¡±

    After the crazy spring party, all the men stopped paying attention to The Queen. Although she was beautiful and outstanding, they valued their lives more, and no one in the world wanted to be hit in the face by the glove of the King and Sword Master.

    ¡°But you still have to do it. It¡¯s a custom, Your Grace. Or take a Rosa.¡±

    If Elehrosa could only see the offspring with a blessed opponent. Elehrosa was a contract in which the spirit of the opponent was bound. The two people, then connected to Elehrosa, shared their feelings and their lives, and of course, offspring could only have children of each other¡¯s children. Elehrosa was only valid for one year, but Rosa was a lifelong contract. Sidrain had heard that the Rosa could be destroyed, but no person had tried to do that until now.

    ¡°A Rosa? I honestly haven¡¯t even thought about it,¡± Sidrain replied. In the court society, Elehrosa was a must, but few people received a Rosa. It was a contract that bound the soul. The couple would even die at the same time. If one person died, the other person had a lot to take care of, but who chose to die at the same time their spouse did? Sidrain thought it was irresponsible, especially if there was a child involved.

    But sometimes, people happily received a Rosa. Once upon a time, a former Duchess had received a Rosa. And the Duke hadn¡¯t suffered when the Duchess died of an illness. He¡¯d spent every day with his wife with great pleasure because he knew he wouldn¡¯t be left alone. They also heard that the wife was not emotionally weak, even though she was suffering from illness. And the couple passed away together in their king-size bed, holding hands.

    Sidrain honestly thought it was creepy, and it must¡¯ve been quite a weird moment. What about his own life? He thought it was something that people agreed to when they couldn¡¯t stand their own lives. Sidrain looked at Elena and raised an eyebrow, ¡°I like Iris, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that crazy in love with her.¡±

    Elena grinned at Sidrain¡¯s words. ¡°We have a Rosa in mind, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He asked, looking shocked.

 Chapter 55

    Still reeling from shock, Sidrain opened his eyes wide and stared at Elena, waiting for an exnation.

    ¡°There¡¯s been a little bit of a situation recently. rence brought up the Rosa first,¡± she told him.

    When Elena had put The Queen in danger, she¡¯d feared that she might have to get divorced. It was an unsettling idea, but if the King had banned her from entering the court, she would be expelled from society and then forced to get a divorce. She¡¯d told rence that she was scared, and he then brought up the Rosa idea.

    ¡°If we do a Rosa, no one can divorce us. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time,¡± rence had said. ¡°We have a child to think of, a child!¡± Elena had replied.

    ¡°Rodrick¡¯s already twenty-seven. He can live on his own. Now I want to be tied to you forever with a Rosa, and I don¡¯t want you to be scared of divorce again,¡± rence had said, hoping to alleviate her stress.

    rence was a year younger than Elena. They had met when they were young, and now they were in their fifties. The Rosa was such a heavy topic, and it wasn¡¯t easy to decide on, even if you wanted to love your partner for eternity. If Elena got into a wagon ident, rence would die with her, and the family would lose both of them. There would be a great deal of confusion if an event like that urred.

    rence knew this, and yet he¡¯d said that he wanted to get a Rosa. He¡¯d chosen their love over the responsibility of the world. Elena had cried a lot that day as she¡¯d sat listening to him, nodding her head over and over again.

    ¡°I need two witnesses to swear to God when I do the Rosa. rence is thinking of you, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°I hate Rosa¡¯s, Elena.¡±

    ¡°But you like rence.¡±

    Sidrain clicked his tongue and frowned, shaking his head. He was unwilling to partake in the Rosa and t out refused. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he said, as gently as he could. Elena knew that he wouldn¡¯t change his mind. When she bowed gracefully, Sidrain rested his chin on his hand and asked, ¡°Are you suggesting that I do a Rosa too?¡±

    It sounded funny when he said it, and Elena quickly shook her head, ¡°No, Your Highness. I¡¯m telling you this because how rence looked at me is very simr to how you look at The Queen. Your Highness, you will never see such a woman like her again.¡± Elena¡¯s heart was in the right ce, and she mumbled to herself mostly, ¡°Please don¡¯t miss the opportunity.¡±

    Elena¡¯s words exasperated Sidrain. It had been fourteen years. Iris was the woman he hadn¡¯t forgotten in fourteen years and who seemed to get kinder and more lovely looking every day that he saw her!<em> I know even if you don¡¯t say it! I already know this. I don¡¯t need to hear it from someone else!</em>

    ¡°I know. I know! But she¡­¡± Sidrain lowered his voice. He didn¡¯t want to be angry with Elena. ¡°Keep talking. What about the Elehrosa? Do you think she¡¯ll like that? Do you think she¡¯ll be happy when she finds out that she can only bear my children?¡±

    First of all, Iris, The Queen, dropped the cup of tea she was holding when she heard about the Elehrosa. The teacupnded on the floor with a loud ng and shattered into tiny pieces. Next, her body hardened, and she looked like she¡¯d turned into a statue.

    Elena soon became worried because her face had turned snow-white, and she tried to get her attention. ¡°My Queen?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, yes. There¡¯s that idea.¡± Iris¡¯s bright blue eyes darted about nervously. <em>Pregnancy!</em><em>There is that to consider! Oh, my God.</em> How could she keep forgetting the situation where she might have to bite that dirty thing of Sidrain¡¯s!

    Iris had never heard of Elehrosa before, but she thought she understood how it worked after Elena had exined it to her. It seemed to be a magic contract of sorts. Iris didn¡¯t seem to have a hard time figuring out what it entailed, and then she remembered that there was a day, once a month, that she¡¯d have to spend with Sidrain. <em>I have to run before that day! </em>She was more determined to do that now than ever before.

    Elena watched as Iris nibbled on her bottom lip. She instinctively knew that Iris was thinking of running away, so she grabbed her hand and thought carefully about what to do as she pulled her through the broken ss at her feet.

    Iris¡¯s desire to escape was written all over her face. It was a much more serious matter than Elena had thought.

 Chapter 56

    Elena couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was wrong with the King. He had money, force, and his face was one of the best-looking on the continent. She considered that people had different tastes when ites to looks. Elena thought that the King¡¯s face was handsome, but he was so handsome, that it was almost a curse. His statue-like face could also be intimidating or ufortable for some people to see. He had such a great build that it was as if he wasn¡¯t a human being. But power and wealth weren¡¯t always viewed as good things to have in some people¡¯s eyes.

    But most of all, Sidrain was crazy about this queen, yet she wanted to run away. Elena wouldn¡¯t allow this to happen. Where else would they find another queen like her? Elena thought to herself that there was no chance she¡¯d let her get away with this. If Iris hid in the tower, she was going to bring her back, even if she had to carry her upside down! Finally, they had a perfect queen, and she couldn¡¯t be taken away by the tower.

    Elena breathed deeply and decided to try and calm down. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that people want the birth of the sessor, right?¡±

    Iris nodded her head. ¡°Yes, I am aware of that.

    ¡°We¡¯re the same, you know. We¡¯re both women, and I¡¯m always on your side,¡± Elena said, emphasizing her words about being on The Queen¡¯s side.

    Iris nodded again, ¡°Yes, I understand that.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t tell me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    ¡°When you were in bed with the King, did you feel ufortable? I might be able to help you with that.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all.¡±

    She was lying right now. Elena could read her like a book, but Iris insisted that it wasn¡¯t the case. Elena tried tofort Iris and somehow bring up the s*x topic. But Iris was adamant that she was okay and just shook her head, not saying anything. Elena had no choice but to take a step back when she looked as if she was going to faint.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to be difficult, Your Grace. All you have to do is lie down.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    ¡°If you have any difficulties, please tell me. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±

    Iris couldn¡¯t possibly tell her because what she had to do with Sidrain was humiliating. <em>The King wants me to bite his sausage! It¡¯s dirty! And, he wants to exchange saliva</em>, <em>which is even more disgusting.</em> Iris couldn¡¯t understand why she had forgotten about this until now!

    There was only one person Iris could trust, and she didn¡¯t trust anyone else. She liked only one person, and she didn¡¯t care for anyone else. He was her savior, teacher, parent, friend, and world. It was the only normal rtionship she knew. That one person had always been enough for her.

    ***

    That evening, Iris sat on her bed, looking desperately into her ivory bracelet. No matter how long she waited, her teacher didn¡¯t answer. Iris looked at the bracelet countless times as she wiped away the tears that dripped onto her arm. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to cry about,¡± Iris said, trying to be brave. ¡°Nothing¡¯s happened yet.¡±

    She looked in the mirror and saw a strange woman with red eyes looking back at her. ¡°Everyone does it at some point in their life. So it won¡¯t be that scary.¡± She tried to force a smile while giving herself a pep-talk, ¡°Others do it when they¡¯re sixteen or seventeen, and I¡¯m now twenty-eight years old, so I¡¯ll be fine. Elehrosa or whatever. I can do it.¡±

    Iris then chuckled to herself when she thought about knocking the King out. But she couldn¡¯t even do that because he was the Swordmaster. Iris then closed her eyes tightly and sat in the dim light, epting that she couldn¡¯t do anything about the situation. Iris felt lonelier than she¡¯d ever felt before, especially since there was no answer from the ivory bracelet.

    ¡°Teacher! Teacher, why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± Iris called out as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. She wore the ivory bracelet on her wrist and held it tightly as sheid in bed. <em>Let¡¯s sleep. Let¡¯s hurry up and fall asleep. This feeling will be gone by the morning.</em>

    She tossed and turned as she tried to fall asleep in the darkness of the silent room. And on the roof was a man who was sighing and looking up at the star-studded sky. After hearing her pleas to her teacher, Sidrain now wanted to kill the owner of the Magic Tower. He wondered what her teacher could be so involved that he¡¯d just left his student on her own.

    Sidrain didn¡¯t want to give her to the Magic tower, and he hated her crying like that alone. Why did she shed tears alone when he was there tofort her all night and would hug her whenever she reached out?

    Sidrain caressed the tiles on the cold roof. The woman he loved was crying alone beneath him in her bed, and there was nothing that he could do. She was scared but trying to fight the fear by herself. In a ce where Iris knew nothing, she tried desperately to study and aplish something, enduring all the difort alone.

    ¡°What can I do for you, mydy, My Queen?¡± Sidrain closed his eyes, feeling tears well up in them. He didn¡¯t want to go back to his bedroom and leave her alone.

 Chapter 57

    The morning of the publicpetitive bidding arrived. It was a glorious sunny day without a cloud in sight, and for some reason, it seemed like the people of the capital were having a festival. It was the first time publicpetitive bidding had taken ce, and the crowd was quite festive. Under normal circumstances, the Queen, King, and other high-ranking officials would only deal with selected merchants. Therefore, bribery wasmonce, and the game was advantageous to the rich. The deals were very beneficial because of their size and significance. But there were only a few merchants who could make deals with the royals. But this time, it was different because all the merchants had the opportunity to win the bid!

    There were all sorts of bets going on in the bustling market, and the King left it entirely up to the Queen, who chose a public bidding method. Three days ago, the Queen received a private application for a list of items to bid for and the cost of each one. And today, she checked the merchandise out herself.

    If there ever was a festive atmosphere outside the pce, it was today, and the market hummed with activity. Tensions were high, and the merchants rushed about.

    ¡°Get more!¡± A merchant called to his assistant.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work! Where is it?!¡± Someone else shouted, sounding panicked.

    ¡°Clean it! Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Ady yelled.

    Everyone was screaming and shouting at each other. Unlikest time, the proportion of women was much higher. And so the hostesses hurried about as they prepared for the day. It had be almost a matter of life and death to win the bidding. Men carried luggage, and women double-checked the items to ensure that they were in pristine condition.

    Although the Queen had a soft heart, she was incredibly picky and wouldn¡¯t just ept anything. In the end, there was only an orthogonal method. Jewelers and merchants were particrly sensitive today. ¡°Wipe it off! Are you deaf?¡± A merchant shouted to his hostess, who wasn¡¯t paying attention to what she was doing. He¡¯d been the one who¡¯d annoyed the Queen thest time, and he didn¡¯t want a repeat of that.

    ¡°Oops,¡± the hostess said, shaking her head and making pig noises.

    ***

    ¡°Tighten the corset. What are you doing?¡± Ruth pretended that she didn¡¯t hear anything and ordered the maids sharply.

    Iris held onto the wooden bedpost and closed her eyes tightly. Two maids were fussing over her and tightening the corset. Her waist was thin, but thedies wanted to make it look thinner still, and Iris felt like her back was going to break. She tried to protest, but she could barely breathe, and the only thing that came out of her mouth was a gurgling sound.

    ¡°There¡¯s a dance today, Your Highness. Everyone in the capital is praising you, and everyone¡¯s eyes will be on you,¡± Ruth informed her.

    No one had told Iris there was a dance today, and she was confused. But she couldn¡¯t respond because fearful thoughts flooded her mind, and her eye¡¯s felt like they were going to pop out of her head! The maids were going to kill her if they pulled the corset any tighter. She¡¯d never see her teacher again because she¡¯d be dead! They¡¯d split her in half, and she¡¯d die in this room. But she knew the maids were experts. One of the maids made Iris gasp for breath when she yanked the corset hard, but after tightening her waist, she finally put Iris in a dress.

    Iris then went to stand in front of therge oval mirror and admired the beautiful turquoise dress with a pop of fresh green and embroidered roses. There were colorful rose ribbons on the upper body and whitece on the shoulders and waist. And the sleeves were rich in color and quality. The neckline was low, and she had an emerald-green ne around her delicate throat. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and the emeralds and diamonds wereyered to resemble a chandelier.

    <em>I can¡¯t breathe, and my throat feels heavy. </em>Iris felt sorry for herself because she needed to walk in all of this. She admired Rosemary now because she wondered how the Queen had walked around all day in such attire. Rosemary must¡¯ve sat like this and eaten delicious food or danced at times too. But Iris didn¡¯t know if she could manage to do all of those things so gracefully.

    The maids then braided her hair in aplicated way and put it up. And soon, her ears felt heavy. A number of strings of pearls and blue jade jewels had been braided together in her hair. And a white rose had then been ced inside the hairdo. Thest items Iris put on were rose-colored shoes and a small, elegant hat.

    Iris was still struggling to breathe, and her ears felt even heavier, as did her neck. And to make matters worse, the ivory bracelet got removed by a maid. She felt miserable in her pretty outfit as she walked out of the bedroom.

    ¡°Your Highness, how gracefully you walk.¡± When Iris stepped outside, she heard someone admiring her, and she chuckled to herself. Of course, it was magical power that assisted her grace. She¡¯d secretly cast a spell on her body so that she couldn¡¯t feel the weight of everything. Therefore, she felt as light as if she were floating on water. Although in reality, the outfit would put a lot of pressure on her body. And the graceful walk itself was not what she could do, so she¡¯d cast a spell on her shoes to imitate the steps of the most elegant-looking woman, Elena In Sethang.

    Iris had wanted to admire Rosemary, although she didn¡¯t forget that Rosemary had been trying to kill her. She thought Rosemary had been a woman of respect but had soon discovered it was an illusion.

 Chapter 58

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a Lupe,¡± Iris said. The jewelry shop owner, who had been in troublest time, disappeared, and the hostess tried to sell the Lupe, a special fabric used by the royal family, with a seething smile, but Iris refused. She¡¯d brought her own Lupe.

    The jeweler¡¯s face distorted when he saw the Lupe because he was almost positive that it was the type that a sorcerer would use. It was expensive and a uselessly detailed Lupe, and he became suspicious why the Queen had one.

    The hostess felt frustrated and took out her most prized piece of jewelry, ¡°Herees number twelve.¡±

    Elena stood next to her, looking at the documents, and replied, ¡°It¡¯s a jewel called the blue scales of the mermaid.¡± Elena had felt ufortable with the Queen¡¯s respect for themoner and decided to move on.

    Although Elena was also the official representative of the Queen, she was not in the sight of the merchant now, who then replied as passionately as the Queen, ¡°Yes, Your Highness, to tell you about this gem. Two hundred years ago, a great man sent the corpses of knights for his beloved concubine!¡±

    The Queen cut off her words, ¡°There¡¯s a w. I mean, it¡¯s been two hundred years, so I¡¯m not surprised. But still, it¡¯s a w. I guess the gem went to the owner who couldn¡¯t take care of it.¡±

    Iris called Elena while looking at the mermaid¡¯s blue scales and noticed a fishy smelling from it. ¡°Elena, how much is it?¡±

    The hostess felt embarrassed. The mermaid¡¯s blue scales were famous and good-quality jewelry, although there were some ws. It was a work of art, and she thought it would suit the vanity of the Queen. But it seemed to have been a long-shot choice.

    When Elena told her the price, Iris was stunned and looked up. When her eyes met the hostess, she saw that her teeth were chattering in her mouth, and Iris realized she was trying to scam her.

    Iris was dumbfounded, and the hostess was shocked as well. She was well aware of Rosemary¡¯s taste. It was a famous jewel, and the Queen struggled to find jewelry that would further enhance her looks. She knew that the Queen used to be like that, but why did she suddenly be a practical woman?

    ¡°Well, well, Your Highness. I think we got it wrong. Again, if you give me some time,¡±

    ¡°You had two chances. I don¡¯t think you need any more opportunities.¡±

    ¡°No, no, My Queen!¡±

    As soon as the hostess tried to rush in, Wendy held up a sword and blocked her. She didn¡¯t swing the sword but held it in ce to stop the merchant from getting any closer.

    ¡°What are you doing to the Queen?¡± Wendy asked firmly. A cold glow glistened in Wendy¡¯s eyes. Guards would die or kill for their masters without giving it a second thought. The merchant knew this and stepped back immediately.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine. Wendy, stop it.¡± Iris was embarrassed and touched Wendy¡¯s sword carefully. It was okay with her, and once again, Wendy lowered the sword.

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± But it wasn¡¯t just Wendy. All the guards were now on edge. the Queen seemed to have changed, and that¡¯s why she¡¯d be more popr. It had been dangerous for Irisst time, so how could it be safe this time?

    It was no secret that in the past, the Queen had hated other women. She¡¯dined about living here, so she¡¯d always brought along her private guards. But after falling into the Harance River, the changed Queen seemed to entrust her safety to the women. Even when she was in danger, her beliefs didn¡¯t change.

    Women were somewhat disadvantagedpared to knights. Not only physically disadvantaged, but they also became a bit lonely. Because men were traditionally more of the professional working groups, they were the preferred contractors for various jobs. Women were inevitably excluded from literature and many other things.

    But if the beloved Queen Rosemary had women as guards, it would make a statement to society. These women knights were now betting their pride on her change of attitude. And they liked the Queen, who seemed a little crazy for some reason. If protecting someone was the duty of the knights, they wanted to protect her.

    That was how they felt. And this was especially true of Lily En Oswald, themander of the Guard and the Queen¡¯s escort. Rarely was it seen that a woman rose to the head of the Guard, but that was as far as she could go career-wise. However, it had then urred to Wendy that with the Queen by her side, she may be able to move higher up the ranks. Recent events had rekindled ambition among the women, as opposed to giving up on their careers.

    Elena knew why these women were overprotective of the Queen. But she pretended not to know. The women here wouldn¡¯t want her to know because they knew that Elena would use it mercilessly if she could take advantage of their minds. And Elena was sure that they all felt the same way.

    Elena wanted to do something great since she¡¯d be the Queen¡¯s official representative. She didn¡¯t want to look after a crazy bitch. She wished to do fun and interesting things, like public bidding. And now her dream was finallying true. Elena beamed as she looked at Iris¡¯s back.<em> If you think I¡¯m going to give up on you, you¡¯re mistaken, Your Majesty. You must remain as our Queen to the end!</em>

    Iris shivered, unsure of why she felt chilly, so she wore the Lupe again, thinking it was still spring and she might be wearing something too low-cut.

    Eventually, a significant number of the merchants had had their opportunity at the publicpetitive bidding. Iris stood on the podium at sunset, naming each merchant and exining why they had the right to trade. It was fair as well as a reliable exnation, but some people hadints. It was impossible to exin in a way that everyone could understand and be satisfied with because it was a matter of great interest for them.

    But she was the Queen even if she had a naive face and a sincere exnation, and all the women behind her were outstanding prosecutors, who had be women of honor. No one dared to dispute when the women behind were staring right into their souls.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 59

    ¡°The public bidding has officially ended. You all did a great job!¡± Iris thanked the merchants and stepped down from the podium.

    The crowd became rowdy because there was a mixture of people who had liked the event, angry people, those who felt sorry for themselves, and others who knew that this would happen. Tensions were high again as their emotions erupted.

    Iris seemed to have gotten used to people now, and she had a new sense of self-awareness. She looked back at the crowd as she rubbed her cheek once and then left. In the distance, she heard the sounds of fireworks to signal the beginning of the ball, and she felt a knot in her stomach.

    ¡°The public bidding has made a significant impression on the citizens, Your Grace. To commemorate this event, today, masquerade balls will take place in various parts of the capital. That¡¯s why the palace is also hosting one,¡± Ruth said, sounding excited.

    Iris nodded at the maid¡¯s words, ¡°The masquerade ball doesn¡¯t announce who¡¯s who, so none of the servants will introduce me, I assume.¡±

    The head maid interrupted, ¡°But I¡¯m sure everyone will notice the Queen.¡±

    ¡°Of course, with this beautiful mask and beautiful figure? And what about her honey-blonde hair? I¡¯m sure they will all know who it is,¡± one of the maids said gleefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure a lot of gentlemen will ask for a dance too. Your Highness, you still have to dance at least once. If you dance too much, you¡¯ll lose your dignity,¡± the head maid added. Iris was not good at dancing, and she blinked rapidly behind her mask at the thought of having to be on the dance floor.

    ***

    Elena sat next to Iris in the wagon and smiled faintly. People didn¡¯t know that the Queen was Iris Elaine, not Rosemary. Nevertheless, their attitudes had changed a lot. People who were previously unable to speak to Rosemary were now talking to her with ease. She knew that more people would soon get used to her. Queen Rosemary has gone crazy because of the Haran¡¯s river, but she will become the perfect mother of state. Elena looked carefully at the Queen¡¯s profile and noticed she was blinking nervously. I¡¯m sure you can do some incredible things, Your Grace.

    The only hurdle was the fact that the Queen wasn¡¯t fond of this position. She didn¡¯t want this throne, and she didn¡¯t want to be with the King. All she wanted was to go back to where she came from originally. Elena could still sense her strong desire to escape.

    However, she¡¯d seen that same look on the faces of many princesses who¡¯d gotten married. In time, they adapted to their new roles, and Elena was hoping that Iris would do so too. She knew it was a selfish idea, and she bit her lips. But they needed a queen and not a crazy woman.

    The society of ladies needed a strong leader. Society didn¡¯t function properly when the leader was out of office. It was especially true in places where women leaders traveled. Sometimes, ladies got subjected to great insults or even death. And yet others got socially exterminated. The former queen did such things for fun. But this queen certainly wouldn¡¯t. She was a fair and unshakable queen that they so desperately needed as a leader.

    Sidrain also favored Iris, and it was advantageous to be a queen liked by the king. A queen not adored and trusted by the king was like an old-aged man sitting in the backroom because the power of a queen came from the king. Rosemary¡¯s power was only half of what it could be because King Sidrain hated her. Yet Rosemary had still been powerful.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Elena murmured, looking at Iris. She made an unspeakable plea. I¡¯ll do everything I can, so please remain our queen.

    Meanwhile, the wagon moved towards the grand banquet hall, and Iris gazed out the window, deep in thought. The Magic Tower never held balls. They wanted nothing to do with such social events. At the Tower, there was a gathering of people who only focused on magic. And most of the people started talking about magic first thing in the morning when meeting at a restaurant at breakfast time.

    Of course, because they were human, there were groups within the Magic Tower with various political positions, values, and different circumstances. But what was more controversial than all those scandals was the latest magic story. In short, it was a meeting place for magic enthusiasts. The Magic Tower regarded events like a ball as a waste of time. It had been a long time since the Magic Tower held a social event because most of the people there were busy in workshops and devoted to creating their magic formulas with no interest in attending such events.

    When the wagon came to a stop, the ladies rushed to check Iris¡¯s clothes as they moved from the public competitive bidding venue to the grand banquet hall where the masquerade ball was. They took off her hat and adjusted her hairstyle. Since Iris¡¯s dress had been picked out earlier, with the ball in mind, only a tiny amount of trimming was enough to turn it into a formal ball gown. Finally, the maid put a fancy mask on Iris¡¯s face. It was adorned with dark purple jewels and fitted her face perfectly.

    Iris thought she¡¯d gotten used to people by now but realized she hadn¡¯t as she rubbed her cheek nervously. She was worried about how many gentlemen she would reject when they asked for a dance, for the simple reason, she didn¡¯t know how to dance.

 Chapter 60

    Once inside the massive hall, Iris watched men and women entering and making their way to open seats. She sat alone in a big chair and looked around the party, wondering why everyone was standing so far away when there was an open seat next to her. But Iris didn¡¯t know it was out of respect.

    First of all, gentlemen were afraid of King Sidrain. They were terrified of him because he was so attached to the Queen, or more like obsessed with her. Who would dare ask the Queen to dance publicly when the punishment would be the underworld if they touched her inappropriately? What if a strange rumor started when the king wasn¡¯t around? What would they do then? What would they do if they had to face the Sword Master? They wanted to live and fully enjoy their lives. Therefore, they didn¡¯t go near the Queen and instead admired her from afar. Although she was stunningly beautiful, the men didn¡¯t want to risk their lives.

    On the other hand, the ladies were terrified of Elena In Sethang, who stood next to the Queen. She was wearing a mask, but they knew it was Elena. The woman standing next to the Queen glared at the people as if she would kill them if they said something wrong.

    Although the Queen was slightly out of her mind these days, she was more likable. But Elena was vowing with her eyes that if anyone talked nonsense to her, she would slit their throat. Elena In Sethang wouldn¡¯t resort to killing them but would pass an insulting and embarrassing comment.

    ¡°Elena,¡± Iris called her quietly. Elena bowed her head and put her ear closer to the Queen as she spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t think we should sit here.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think that?¡±

    Iris looked around and muttered uncomfortably, ¡°I think they¡¯re all standing because of us.¡±

    She was a commoner indeed, and Elena gently patted Iris on the shoulder. ¡°It is because you are more precious than them. Never mind them.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s a masquerade ball, so it¡¯s okay if they don¡¯t know who I am, right?¡± Elena closed her mouth, and Iris rose. ¡°If we can¡¯t sit together, I think it¡¯s right for me not to sit here. This seat is too big for me to occupy alone.¡± Iris fidgeted, and Elena tried to say again that she didn¡¯t have to, but they were interrupted.

    It was then that a man appeared in front of them. ¡°Can I ask you to dance, miss?¡±

    Elena glared at him, ¡°What a nut job this is.¡± She was seething as she thought that this was a queen who didn¡¯t like to be in the presence of other men. And now, this stranger wanted her to dance. Was he crazy enough that he wanted to die?

    Iris recognized the voice right away. She couldn¡¯t help but know who he was. She hadn¡¯t misheard his voice since she¡¯d first met him. Master! When Iris looked at him, he grinned behind the mask, and tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of him smiling with his kind face.

    Her teacher, Elaine, then reached out a hand to Iris, ¡°My lady.¡±

    Iris held her teacher¡¯s hand as tightly as she could, ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Your Grace!¡± Elena looked at the Queen¡¯s back in shock as she was led away by the man. She was dumbstruck as she watched him walking away. He was tall but not as tall as His Highness, and he was an average build. King Sidrain had a much larger physique. And unlike him, the stranger had no red hair, so it wasn¡¯t His Highness. But yet, the Queen had accepted his dance request without hesitating. Elena managed to hold back from wanting to stop the Queen. What justification would she use to stop her? It was a masquerade ball, after all.

    Ignorant of Elena¡¯s heart, Iris took Elaine¡¯s hand and walked confidently to the dance floor. The teacher then recited an ancient language in a whisper, ¡°I, Elaine Rossi, ask Iris Elaine if I can occupy your body. Your body will move according to my will, and it will only be a single piece of music from now on.¡±

    Iris followed suit and whispered quickly, ¡°I, Iris Elaine, accept Elaine Rossi¡¯s request. You may occupy my body for the next piece of music. I will fully conform to your will.¡±

    When the next tune played, people¡¯s eyes were alternating between the Queen and the unfamiliar man when they walked onto the dance floor of the banquet hall. Iris and the stranger didn¡¯t seem to feel it, but everyone had a very ominous foreboding. Something sinister was approaching like a storm.

    Although it was a sunny day, thunder was rumbling outside. An ominous premonition was never wrong. As if to affirm this, the banquet door swung open, and a red-haired man with a prominent, tall, muscular body, almost like armor, walked in. He wore a colorful mask and had an air of authority about him. But suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the dance floor, and the people all swallowed their saliva.

    Iris was dancing with some son of a b*tch, and Sidrain became confused about what he should do. First of all, Iris didn¡¯t know how to dance. Had she not begged him to prevent her from dancing before? Sidrain was dumbstruck as he watched Iris dancing in the middle of the dance floor like she¡¯d been dancing all her life.

    ¡°You have some guts,¡± Sidrain said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Sid, Sid, Sid.¡± Count Portwall hastily soothed Sidrain when he saw the look on his face. At times like this, the only person who could calm the King was the baby brother.

    ¡°The Queen danced to only one song. She can¡¯t reject every request, you know?¡±

 Chapter 61

    For the entire night, only one brave soul requested to dance with Iris and she accepted it almost immediately. All eyes fixated on the queen and her mystery dance partner as they gracefully took a spot in the middle of the dance floor.

    The bright and dazzling lights that covered the entire hall already made Sidrain¡¯s head throb since earlier and witnessing the scene in front of him unfold made him feel even worse. It wasn¡¯t a matter of who she was dancing with right now, he disliked the idea of her being with anyone else but him.

    The queen was staring directly into the man¡¯s eyes. She twirled away from her partner while holding firmly onto his hand. Her beauty easily rivaled that of a goddess and the way she seemed to effortlessly float and glide across the ballroom was just as captivating. However, it was Sidrain who should be holding her hand, not that measly bastard who came from nowhere.

    Bang! Sidrain¡¯s thoughts were temporarily interrupted by the loud crashing sound outside. The place was on the verge of a thunder strike but this was the least of the concerns of the people in the ballroom. They were shaken for a few seconds but then continued on with the party as if nothing happened.

    ¡°Who the fuck is that guy?¡± Sidrain impatiently questioned as he grabbed Portwall¡¯s arm and brought him to corner where Elena was.

    Portwall thought unfairly, What have I done to deserve this treatment? Why did our mother give birth to this crown prince?

    ¡°I have no idea, Your Grace. It¡¯s a masquerade after all.¡± Portwall replied, sensing how serious Sidrain was about the matter.

    ¡°How do you not know? When did the masquerade become an unidentified ball?¡± Sidrain retorted back in disbelief.

    It is impossible for someone to meet a complete stranger at a masquerade and form a romantic connection immediately. That simply cannot be. One would have to know who the other person is and must have met before at least once to have that bond. It may be acceptable to not know other people in masquerades held outside. But this is a masquerade inside the court where everyone knows everybody. You can practically tell each other apart just by their manner of walking. And what happens when a stranger shows up in such events? He becomes an outcast, almost like an invisible ghost haunting the halls. Afterall, everyone knows who are worthy dealing with.

    ¡°You let a stranger dance with her?¡±

    Sidrain¡¯s anger was immediately redirected to Elena. Sidrain, even in his right mind, would never allow Iris to dance with an acquaintance or even the most decent guy in the world. Elena simply shrugged her shoulders as the King¡¯s voice rose.

    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s a masquerade. Isn¡¯t providing theatrical opportunities and freedom for all the functions of masquerades?¡± Elena calmly responded.

    ¡°Bullsh*t.¡± Sidrain laughed sarcastically before walking away.

    ¡°Sid! Wait!¡± Portwall loudly called onto him on, but Sidrain blocked him out and proceeded to head to the dance floor.

    He could feel a vicious pit brewing in his stomach, something he has never felt before. His mind was a mess and all he could think of was how he was never able to properly hold her hands in his. And how he was never able to get a first dance with her. The only interaction they had so far was when he hugged her and she was forced to hug him back. And whenever he thinks back to that time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel he was a good-for-nothing scoundrel.

    But seeing Iris right now, smiling in the arms of a man he didn¡¯t know feels like a sharp stab to his chest. She seemed happy and content spinning and settling into the stranger¡¯s arms. The two looked like a couple and it made Sidrain burn with jealousy. He couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. He needed to act.

    As Sidrain made his way to the dance floor, the dancing couples tactfully moved away and paved him a path to go through. Everyone watched the king with half-fear and half-interest. They thought the young king to be indifferent and cold-blooded, but it turned out he was just as human as anyone else. It simply happened that this was the first time he showed his emotions like this for everyone to witness.

    When he almost lost his queen because of the accident, did he finally realize how precious she was to him?

    It was quite difficult for the onlookers to piece together how the king had fallen for the queen, whom he previously loathed so much. However the queen, albeit her occasional crazy antics, had a distinct charm that everyone liked and acknowledged. In hindsight, they could understand why he had fallen for her. As the crowd became immersed within their own thoughts and analysis of the scene in front of them, Sidrain finally reached his destination.

    ¡°My lady.¡±

    It was only Iris who nervously jumped at the sound of the familiar husky voice. Elaine was actually watching the king approach the entire time. When Iris turned her head, all she could see was the hardened mouth of the Sidrain and his ice-cold piercing gaze.

    Judging from his behavior he seems angry. But why? Was I supposed to dance with the king alone? Nobody told me that though.

    While Iris was still trying to process the situation, Sidrain reached out his hand.

    ¡°Come here.¡±

    Iris could sense his burgeoning anger and wanted nothing more than to accept his offered hand. But her body had a mind of its own right now. She continued to dance and spin on and on. She was overflowing with the elegance and confidence of a seasoned queen who has attended hundreds of parties and danced for decades. She swiveled back to her teacher¡¯s arms, with her back against him.

    Iris¡¯ body was under the influence of magic and she had no control over it until the end of the song. Even against her wishes, she had to keep on dancing.

    Oh no. This is bad.

 Chapter 62

    Seeing Sidrain¡¯s eyes widen with disbelief and anger, Iris wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t. How she¡¯d like to just tell him the truth. I¡¯m Iris Elaine. I¡¯m not a queen, I just happened to come into this body using magic. Ah, I can¡¯t tell you the truth. It¡¯s a long story!

    ¡°T-teacher. Your Highness is extremely angry.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± Elaine grabbed Iris¡¯ waist. He pulled her close to him, and dipped her back, matching their movements to the rhythm of the music. Elaine squinted and casted a spell on her upper body. ¡°What about me? Do you think I am not angry too?¡±

    From the moment they met in the ball, Iris has been bombarded with complaints and incessant nagging from her teacher.

    ¡°T-that Uhm, somehow happened.¡±

    ¡°Help me understand then. I¡¯m just baffled, Iris. How did you end up helping the royal family? I wish to be frank with you and let me just say it¡¯s getting difficult to get supplies to the Magic Tower now.¡±

    Iris momentarily twirled away from Elaine before elegantly settling back into his arms.

    ¡°Now everyone is making such a fuss about the public bidding. We¡¯re under the heavy scrutiny of the public and the Magic Tower can¡¯t focus on getting any research done!¡±

    Elaine came to Iris after the recent commotions. It became apparent that the wiser Iris became as a queen, the more problems there were for the Magic Tower. This has put Elaine in a tight situation. He lost sleep trying to patch things up on their side.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°And that woman! The woman whose son got infected with the fungus. You were the one who told her to go to the Magic Tower, didn¡¯t you? Oh my God, Iris! Do you know what you¡¯ve done? Now all kinds of people come to the Tower whenever they¡¯re sick! They think the tower is a hospital!¡±

    Iris twirled again under Elaine¡¯s arm.

    ¡°But it¡¯s right to treat the fungus in the Magic Tower, Master.¡±

    The truth is, magic fungus can be treated with traditional medicinal plants. As such, magic isn¡¯t necessary to treat them. But magicians are still socially responsible for magic fungus, in a sense.

    ¡°Right! The problem is that not many people know if it¡¯s magic fungus or not, and now people are coming to the Magic Tower whenever they¡¯re sick! We¡¯re not a hospital, we¡¯re not philanthropists!¡±

    ¡°But that boy I sent to you Master, he was indeed infected with magic fungus and was supposed to be treated at the Magic Tower. Wasn¡¯t that the case, I mean.¡± Iris coyly smiled and tried to placate her agitated teacher somehow.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business whether she and the baby die or not, Iris!¡± Elaine was evidently annoyed and made no efforts to hide it.

    Iris realized there was nothing more she could say at the moment. She politely bowed her head without saying anything. Elaine swiftly placed a hand on her chin and forced her to look up and meet his fiery eyes.

    Rosemary¡¯s deep blue eyes reflected nothing but pain. It would have been better had the person in front of him truly been Rosemary at this moment. Elaine clicked his tongue. Knowing it was Iris behind those blue eyes made things more complicated. Iris remained in her solitude. Elaine sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a slip of the tongue.¡± Elaine expounded further when Iris didn¡¯t answer. ¡°It¡¯s just a slip of the tongue. The lady¡¯s child has been cured and is recovering well. They¡¯re heading home in a wagon. Iris, don¡¯t do this. It was a slip of the tongue.¡±

    Only then did Iris speak.

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°But Iris, you have to meet me halfway. The people I have to protect are not those people, unfortunately. My utmost priority and duty is to protect the Magic Tower. You of all people should understand that.¡±

    Iris sighed. She smiled faintly as she listened to Elaine.

    ¡°Yes, I know, teacher.¡±

    The Magic Tower.  A spire of pride.

    Iris, however, felt that pride was sometimes brutal. The Magic Tower was a sword ready to cut down anything that threatens their pride. Iris deeply loved the Magic Tower and appreciated every moment she spent there learning about magic, but she never thought that the people of the tower could be this blind and apathetic to the plight of the people outside it.

    ¡°The Magicians of the Tower have been receiving complaints and backlash. Being an institution built from taxes, some claim that the Magic Tower should serve a public purpose. It would take months to discuss all the details, but what I¡¯m saying is that we¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    This has been the purpose of Elaine coming tonight to meet her.

    ¡°You¡¯re one of us, Iris. You have to come back.¡±

    It was a strange thing, Iris thought to herself. She always felt she should go back someday and yet she feels herself waver after being told just that.

    Her attention turned to the unanswered ivory bracelet and she tried to swallow her tears repeatedly as memories came flooding back to her. It was terrifying going here. Everyone was scary and everything was cloaked with mystery. Now, her teacher is here to scold her. She felt helpless and lost. There¡¯s nothing much she can do. There¡¯s nothing she knows.

    And yet despite all this, Iris couldn¡¯t find it in her heart to nod her head at that moment.

    Iris looked up at Elaine in immaculate silence. In front of her is the teacher she loved, the teacher she appreciated. He¡¯s now infiltrating the ball with a mask on for her, and he¡¯s expecting her to go along with his request right now, drop everything, and just go back. Her mind was running a thousand thoughts right now.

    Why is it that the Magic Tower adamantly refuses to do a public bidding?

    Why isn¡¯t the protection of people an objective of the Magic Tower? These are people who suffered damages because of the existence of magic. Moreover, according to her teacher, the Magic Tower is a tax-based institution, so shouldn¡¯t it be only fair that the people demand them to serve a public purpose. Despite the clashing beliefs and views on the matter, the Magic Tower has vowed to cure the magic fungus. And so, it was their responsibility to treat the boy. What is so different in that case from other people seeking the same help from them?

    For the first time in her life, Iris questioned why. It made her flinch. Iris was hesitating and Elaine clearly saw it too.

    ¡°Iris!¡± Elaine squeezed her slender forearm, desperate to bring Iris back to her senses. ¡°You are my daughter! You¡¯re my disciple!¡±

    ¡°I know. Well, I¡¯m your disciple. I¡¯ve never forgotten that, teacher.¡±

    ¡°If you haven¡¯t, then why are your eyes full of confusion, Iris? I am your teacher, and you¡¯ll always value me the most! You should never dare put anyone else above me!¡±

    It was then that Sidrain showed up.

    ¡°My lady.¡± Iris heard the king¡¯s voice. As she turned her head, the king offered his hands.

    ¡°Come here.¡± He firmly instructed Iris.

    ¡°T-teacher. Your Highness is extremely angry.¡±

    Please undo the magic spell you put on me¡­

 Chapter 63

    Elaine laughed when Iris spoke. Even though he was angry, the student in his arms cared about him more than anyone else. It was instinctive.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he placed his hand on Iris¡¯ back. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not angry?¡±

    Her eyes grew wide with fear and anxiety. He noticed, but didn¡¯t say a thing.

    Elaine took a moment to introspect. Iris didn¡¯t know a thing. It was purely instinctive behaviour. She acted like that because it was right to help and act fair towards those she felt sorry for. She wasn¡¯t even well versed in politics. But she wasn¡¯t to blame. He did this to her. He raised her that way. He had to, and a small part of him regretted it. He was 23 when he realised that Iris was too ignorant of reality. ¡®Princess of the Magic Tower¡¯, they called her.

    Bang!

    The king¡¯s sword flew off and struck a painting on the wall. The calm background music came to a sudden stop. Elaine released Iris from his magical control. She stumbled but the king swiftly and lightly caught her before her body touched the floor.

    ¡°There¡¯s a rat in my palace!¡±

    It was evident that the Sidrain was livid, and, with all intents and purposes, he meant to kill this rat. His face showed no intention of going easy on him. Iris was a queen, and was now favoured by the king. Everyone knew that. So how dare this man lay his hand on her? Such a rat deserved to die. Sidrain already warned everyone that if they so much as touch the queen during the party, the only way out would be a direct duel with the king himself.

    Iris was shivering in his arms quite like a leaf. This was unusual, a simple glance at her would tell that something was off. She¡¯d never tremble this much ¨C at least not when she¡¯s almost committed a crime against a man she barely knew.

    ¡°Well, well, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°No, let go of your anger¡­¡± Iris tried sounding out her voice but she was too nervous. ¡°Please¡­¡±

    Her white hands, holding Sidrain¡¯s shirt, were paler than usual. His pulse grew quicker. He knew who the man in the mask was. Elaine Rossi, her teacher ¨C the only person Iris valued more than herself, and she was about to beg for her teacher¡¯s life to be spared.

    ¡°My Lady, what should I do with you?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you like. But you must spare him. He meant to do no harm,¡± she begged.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re shaking, you are afraid that I was going to duel with him?¡±

    She nodded her head ever so slightly. The shivering still persistent.

    ¡°Then there is nothing to fear. If that is what you want, then he doesn¡¯t have to die tonight.¡±

    She lifted up her head until she could see his face, then whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He held her tight in his arms until the shaking subsided.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, no one will harm you. No one can hurt you. Not while I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll make sure of it. So, just relax.¡±

    She closed her eyes and immersed herself in her arms. She felt safe. At first, she thought he was a strange and scary man, but after living with him for a while, she began to grow fond of him.

    She knew he loved her more than anything, and would do anything to make her happy, even though many a times she went behind his back.

    ¡®If he loves Rosemary, then he deserves to know what happened to her. He is her spouse and lover¡­ even if something should go wrong, I¡¯m still obliged to tell him the truth¡­¡¯ Iris thought.

    But something was amiss. Rosemary requested to meet with Iris and asked for poison. She was plotting treason, and having an affair outside the court. Iris couldn¡¯t wrap her head around it. The king still loved Rosemary even though she once tried to kill him. How much of a fool was he?

    She looked up at him, still encumbered in his arms, ¡°Everything¡¯s Ok, right?¡±

    He hugged her again, not knowing what she was thinking. His servants were secretly aiding his wife to commit treason. She wrinkled her face even more, blinking her blue tear-filled eyes, now akin to the sea. She didn¡¯t know what to do. She couldn¡¯t just tell him. How was she to explain it? Just the sheer thought of seeing him heartbroken made her feel like crying. All she could do for now was hug him.

    Sidrain was surprised by this. This was the first time she hugged him since the sausage chopping incident. Her voluptuous breasts gently pressed against his body. Her scent made him ecstatic. She was a woman, there was no denying it.

    Gently, he lifted up her chin. He couldn¡¯t believe it but here she was, Iris Elaine, his first love.

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡± Elaine, stunned, slurped out the words without knowing. In fact, he shouldn¡¯t have been there. The royals did not send any invitation to the Magic Tower.

    It was surreal. Iris, his disciple, was hugging the king right in front of him!

    ¡°Fuck off!¡± The king commanded.

    There was a strange feeling around the room. Knowing the king¡¯s personality, Elaine knew that the king could have killed him without a second thought. But he didn¡¯t, at least, not for now. ¡®It¡¯s bound to happen sooner or later,¡¯ Elaine thought.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll just let me off this easily?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you to fuck off?¡± The king was trying to remain calm in front of Iris.

    The guards came running. They all drew their swords at Elaine. He pulled out his in response. He could have taken them all out if he wanted to, but not in front of Iris. Not while she was in Sidrain¡¯s arms. He was forced to step down. The guards forcefully held him and dragged him out of the room.

    Worried, Iris asked, ¡°Will¡­ will he be taken to the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Sidrain looked down at her and said, ¡°He¡¯s just being kicked out. If I send him there, then my lady¡¯s tears won¡¯t dry up. Isn¡¯t that right, Ris?¡±

    Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡®I-Ris? Did he just call me Ris? Or Iris? Is it possible that he knows who I am?¡¯ Her pulse grew quicker.

    Did he find out? How?

    She looked up at him inquisitively.

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember? I used to call you that since you were a child, Rosemary. My nickname for you was Ris.¡±

    Rosemary¡¯s nickname wasn¡¯t Rose, nor Marie, but was Ris?

    Iris was na?ve, but she was, by no means, an idiot. She looked up at Sidrain again, and asked, ¡°Remember?¡±

    She tried shaking her head, but she couldn¡¯t say she couldn¡¯t remember.

    Suddenly, he remembered something else, ¡°But I didn¡¯t love my queen until a month ago.¡±

    ¡®Not until a month ago,¡¯ the words echoed in her mind. This means he knew who she was.

    But, if he knew everything, and, if the queen he loved wasn¡¯t Rosemary, then, ¡°Wh¡­ Why me?¡±

 Chapter 64

    What if I¡¯m wrong? What if he really called Rosemary ¡°Ris¡±? Iris second-guessed herself and couldn¡¯t help but ask. In response to her query, Sidrain raised his eyebrows as if he was surprised but then proceeded to smirk playfully at her.

    ¡°I am destined to be in love,¡± he whispered in Iris¡¯ ear, his hot breath lightly grazing Iris¡¯ neck.

    ¡°Since when?¡± Iris continued to prod.

    ¡°Since 14 years ago. In front of your door,¡± Sidrain quickly responded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t tell me you know who I am?¡± Iris¡¯ voice trembled, worried that her secret had been found out by the King.

    Sidrain didn¡¯t say anything. Amidst this momentary silence, he slowly intertwined his hands with the hands of his first love. It was a surreal moment for him. He felt calmness wash over his body yet his heart pounded loudly against his chest at the same time.

    ¡°Ris, you know what? I¡¯ll tell you a secret story, too.¡±

    Iris nodded at him. She found it difficult to breathe, as she expectantly awaited his response. It felt like an eternity before Sidrain finally spoke.

    ¡°14 years ago you were my girl, and now you are my queen, Ris. Whoever you are, remember that you are my queen and this fact will never change. I will never let anyone take you away from me. Never.¡±

    Iris lifted her gaze and looked at Sidrain. She was so close that she could only see his eyes piercing against her soul, but she couldn¡¯t exactly recognize the expression on his face.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to kill me or else,¡± His voice softly caressed her ear, almost like a soothing music reserved just for her.

    ***

    The sun slowly peaked through the horizon, signaling the beginning of a new day, and the sky appeared like a beautiful canvas painted with light hues of orange, pink, and blue.

    As soon as Iris opened her eyes, she noticed a man lying next to her. He didn¡¯t seem to be breathing. She guesses it was probably because of his face. In a good way, his features were symmetrical, but in a bad way, he lacked individuality, as he appeared almost like a sculpted granite statue. He was a personification of a statue.

    Iris was compelled to reach out and touch the tip of his nose, even though she knew his face always looked like this. You¡¯re not breathing, are you? She jumped to her feet. Uh, what should I do?

    As a full-fledged wizard, she could distinguish living creatures from nonliving things in a split second. But the person in front of her was no ordinary man. He was confusing and intriguing, which made her restless. She gathered courage to rouse the man from his deep slumber and muttered in a voice as loud as an ant.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    Iris then reached out and touched the man¡¯s neck. Fortunately, his pulse was beating. She let out a sigh of relief. Should I be worried? Maybe the Sword Master never breathes because he¡¯s assimilated with a sword? Even if he¡¯s a Sword Master, if he doesn¡¯t breathe then¡­

    While lost in thought, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist. She couldn¡¯t even scream despite the sudden spike in adrenaline. Soon, she heard the man chuckle mischievously. As she opened her eyes, she was sitting atop the king¡¯s body. The king looked pleased at her surprised reaction and was smiling charmingly at her.

    ¡°Hi, Ris,¡± he deeply muttered, voice still raspy from sleep.

    Last night¡¯s events passed like a flash at his words and Iris felt a chill run down her spine, like electricity coursing through her every nerve. Iris looked down at the king.

    The king entrusted her to Elena yesterday, and shortly after, Elena hurriedly brought her out of the party. No one seemed to have heard the conversation between the King and Elena, but Iris could sense that Elena acted with the intention of saving her from an imminent chaos.

    Iris was immediately accompanied back to the castle, and as soon as she reached her bedroom, all her handmaiden hastened to take off all her clothes and accessories as quickly as possible. The bathtub had been prepared for her and as soon as she stepped in and felt the relaxing warm water against her skin, she became extremely drowsy. She had a lot to think about that night, but she couldn¡¯t process anything because of how overwhelmed she felt. She was beyond exhausted both mentally and physically. Eventually, she let herself wind down from all the tension bottled inside her. It only took a couple of minutes before she fell asleep, so deeply, that one might even mistake her as a corpse.

    And now the morning has finally arrived.

    Last night a man who wasn¡¯t there was now lying next to her, hugging her, and putting her on top of him to greet her with a sense of familiarity. He even called her ¡®Ris¡¯ again.

    ¡°Your Highness, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Call me Sid. That¡¯s what people close to me call me.¡±

    Why is he addressing me this way? Iris thought to herself, her eyes widening in disbelief, and Sidrain laughed at the sight.

    ¡°My baby brother, my nanny. There are a few that call me by that nickname. ¡±

    ¡°That sounds disrespectful,¡± Iris commented and pouted adorably.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s the least disrespectful thing you¡¯ve ever done to me. But you know what?¡± Sidrain pulled Iris closer and whispered sexily against her ear, his husky voice making her cheeks flush bright red. ¡°I like it when you disrespect me.¡±

    And he truly meant it. Iris could tell.

    Sidrain wanted Iris to be a little more selfish towards him. He wanted her to wish and beg for something. Anything at all and he¡¯d give it to her in a blink. Not knowing what Iris fancied made him nervous. He had tried to buy her a bunch of jewelry and diamonds, but she merely ended up using them for the public bidding. He¡¯d admit that her idea was great and the people of the capital praised her for her generosity, but the fact remains that he still hasn¡¯t bought her anything she¡¯d like to keep for herself. Meanwhile, she had done all she could to contribute to the royal palace.

    ¡°But Your Highness¡­¡± Iris called him nervously, but Sidrain shook his head.

    ¡°Sid,¡± he corrected her.

    ¡°S-Sid.¡±

    Iris didn¡¯t get along with people and had a hard time turning people down, so she often gave in easily to requests. She eventually called the King, ¡®Sid¡¯.

    The moment she called him Sid, his ears burned as if he had a fever. It made him gulp. The way his name rolled off her luscious mouth was sweet and sultry in his ears. He never liked his name as much as he did when Iris said it. It was like burning hot chocolate, melting all his reasoning and logic.

 Chapter 65

    ¡°Yes, Ris.¡±

    Iris blinked her eyes. The king knew who she was but pretended not to know. He called her Ris and treated her like a queen.

    Yesterday, the King told her, ¡°You¡¯re going to have to kill me or else.¡± But he was the strongest man on the continent, a dragon killer to add. How could she kill him? No one could achieve such feat; it was more like a declaration of death. Sidrain was a living enigma she couldn¡¯t solve.

    Iris swallowed her dry saliva. She had a lot to say, but she didn¡¯t know where to start.

    Why do you like me? What happened in front of my door 14 years ago? I¡¯m not your queen. I don¡¯t know much about the Queen¡¯s work and I¡¯m a wizard. I have a workshop and house fairies. I have to go back.

    But he was not so easy. Sidrain¡¯s enemy might be her teacher for all she knew. Iris may have been caught in a trap with no means of escape. A dead end.

    Sidrain burst into laughter as many emotions swept across Iris¡¯ face in a span of a few seconds. She was an open book at times. ¡°My queen. Are you very confused?¡± he asked with a smile.

    ¡°Yes, a little.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll do my best to spell it out for you as straightforwardly as possible.¡± Sidrain said and tucked Iris¡¯ hair behind her ears. She didn¡¯t resist as his lips touched hers.

    ¡°We¡¯re a couple, Ris.¡± Sidrain whispered in a deep, inviting voice.

    ¡°Oh, I know.¡±

    The king¡¯s husky voice sent a strange sensation down her body. Iris didn¡¯t know yet what that feeling was but it was exciting and intoxicating. She only nodded innocently while laying on top of the king¡¯s body.

    ¡°You seem to have some misunderstanding, but¡­ I don¡¯t really want anything from you.¡± Sidrain¡¯s lips pressed down on Iris¡¯ lips again, more forcefully this time. He then bit her lower lip playfully, urging her to let her guard down with him. ¡°I just want to do it for you. I want your whole body,¡± Sidrain added, excitement unhidden in his words, before completely devouring his wife¡¯s lips.

    The kiss was soft yet passionate. And when her tongue tried to escape, he didn¡¯t bother to chase it. He took his time to explore every inch of her mouth, taking note of the places she seemed to like best. Iris¡¯ body began to feel weird, but she couldn¡¯t help it. The original owner of this body was a woman weak against pleasure. Her body craved it like water in the desert. Every touch set her skin ablaze. As she and her husband only tried having intercourse once a month, it took little to excite her.

    The Sidrain right now wasn¡¯t a knight nor a King. He was simply a man filled with passion and longing for his loved one. He knew Elaine would soon return with plans to disturb his peace. But he was also aware how much Iris trusted her teacher; she would believe everything Elaine told her. He had to try another way to make Iris see the truth, and it would take him extreme measures. But he needed a shortcut for now.

    And at this moment, he himself was the shortcut. He wanted to hold this sweet woman. She called him Sid and he called her Ris. He had now confessed how he truly felt for her. He bared down his heart and offered it to her. Confession is a strange thing, and from the moment you start, it fills every part of your body even more. If you don¡¯t pour it out, your heart might explode.

    A lustful groan escaped Iris¡¯ now wet lips. She shivered on top of Sidrain. He could see her perky breasts under her thin clothing, and unlike before, her nipples had grown harder and wwew now visible under her soft satin pajamas. Unable to control himself, Sidrain gently cupped her breast in one hand. He had big hands, but it was barely big enough for him to hold her bountiful mounds. Iris moaned and quivered as he gently massaged her bosom.

    ¡°Ris, we¡¯re going to be a perfect couple from today.¡± Sidrain gently spoke. The whisper contained a his madness but Iris didn¡¯t feel it. She was desperate to resist the rush of pleasure.

    ¡°No, it feels¡­ weird, oh¡­!¡± She struggled hard to get away from Sidrain and his roaming hands to no avail. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to get one arm off of her even if she tried her best.

    Sidrain spoke as he nibbled on Iris¡¯ earlobes. ¡°It¡¯s not weird. It¡¯s a good thing, Ris. This is a very good thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh, no. It¡¯s weird. It¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s, uh, there, don¡¯t¡­¡± Iris was finding it hard to form coherent sentences with Sidrain¡¯s alluring antics.

    ¡°I assure you. This is a very good thing.¡±

    With that said, Sidrain squeezed Iris¡¯ breast firmly. At that moment, Iris twisted her body with her eyes wide open from pleasure. Seeing her gasp as she felt her stomach twist with a foreign feeling, a contented smile formed on Sidrain¡¯s lips.

    ¡°My lady. Today, you¡¯re officially my queen.¡±

    For once, Iris was able to hear Sidrain¡¯s voice clearly. The insanity that permeated her body a while ago dulled her senses and made her lose control. Iris couldn¡¯t decide how to feel about it.

    ***

    Iris couldn¡¯t exactly comprehend what Sidrain was saying but she did get a rough idea of it. Sidrain wished to have a physical relationship with Iris ¨C as husband and wife.

    This has caused an inner turmoil within Iris because she didn¡¯t know if she should consent to it or not. No, she would definitely regret it as she wasn¡¯t ready to take it to the next level with him. And she knew that Sidrain would regret it too, if he forced her to do something she wasn¡¯t prepared for.

    This has always been the case between the two of them. Even if Sidrain wasn¡¯t the most perceptive man in the world, he knew they would both regret making hasty decisions, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

    It was Elaine, her teacher, who instructed her to spend time in the workshop to study the people and their world. Iris heeded his advice and opened the workshop and eventually got a little used to interacting with them. Over time, with the help of attending a few festivities and other social events, she gradually became accustomed to the people as well. At first she was overly cautious whenever she was put under the spotlight, or even when she was given attention by few individuals.

    However, after becoming the Queen, she had grown to be more comfortable with people and their stares ¨C like a butterfly flaunting her vibrant colors after being sheltered inside her cocoon for a long time.

    But the truth was, she always regretted leaving the magic tower. She never liked stepping out that place she¡¯d always known since she was a child. It was unfortunate that she had suffered a terrible death and her soul was forced to possess a different body.

 Chapter 66

    If Sidrain did anything against her will, Iris would make sure he¡¯d regret it. This life was now hers and what she wanted to do with it rested entirely on her hands. It was Elaine, her teacher, who taught her that valuable lesson. A lesson she¡¯d keep forever.

    ¡°I wish to be alone for today,¡± Iris muttered in a soft but firm voice.

    At the queen¡¯s request for solitude, Elena and the maids headed out of the room quietly. The door clicked as the last person left. At long last, Iris was by herself and proceeded to rest on the sofa, admiring the magnificent view outside her window. Quiet moments gave space to clearer thoughts, though she had already made her decision since long ago. Her mind and heart was already set on it.

    Iris picked up her neglected teacup and noticed it had already cooled down.

    ¡°Come out, Reiden.¡± She summoned her house fairy with an unwavering resolve and promptly sent out a letter to Sidrain.

    ¡®My King, I shall wait for you at the place where the public bidding took place. I have made all the necessary preparations for tonight and readied the picnic mat as well. I am aware of your plans for the two of us and would like to do it there. Please do come on your own.¡¯

    ***

    Sidrain stared at the letter Iris sent with disbelief and confusion. He had read it for the umpteenth time and still could not believe his eyes. Thoughts flooded his senses and he couldn¡¯t think straight. I know what you¡¯re trying to do, Iris, but doing it outdoors and on a picnic mat nonetheless? Especially on our first night together as a couple? That seems a little¡­

    ¡°About the bridge project, Your Highness.¡± A voice snapped him back to reality for a split second.

    ¡°Wait, this is a serious matter, so wait a moment,¡± was all he could reply as he instinctively tucked the letter away from everyone else.

    He rose from his seat and walked away, still fully immersed in his own world.  A picnic mat? Do you mind if we do it there?  He paused and tried to imagine the scene in his head. It would be their first night, and they would be under the starry sky. Perhaps it¡¯ll be romantic, he thought. No, it can¡¯t be. It¡¯s definitely weird. I mean, anyone can tell it¡¯s weird. Right?

    And this was more complicated than it seemed. Sidrain was unsure how events would unfold. Looking back, he thought he deserved a prize from his wife for suppressing his bodily desires until now. It was a grave struggle how much he wanted to hold Iris yet not being able to. Nevertheless, he had to, he knew she didn¡¯t want him the way he wanted her.

    And she still didn¡¯t want him. This he knew and kept in his heart, which hurt him like hell. He had been hurt many times before and believed there was no more room for pain. But boy was he wrong. An unrequited love, a one-sided longing for someone, hurt in ways he couldn¡¯t begin to fathom. All he knew was that if she wanted him, he¡¯d feel as if he had been handed the whole world.

    You¡¯re the light in my life. The best thing I can think of to ever grace this gloomy world. No matter what you look like, you will always be dazzling in my eyes. This is what you are to me, Iris.

    These were the desperate pleas buried deep in Sidrain¡¯s heart.

    He¡¯d been told by everyone surrounding him that he was handsome, but it didn¡¯t matter if his wife didn¡¯t think this way too. The others¡¯ opinion didn¡¯t really matter to him. He just wanted to look a little better in Iris¡¯ eyes. That would be more than enough for him.

    ¡°What did the Queen look like when she sent this letter?¡± Sidrain discreetly whispered to the chief as he inquired.

    ¡°She seemed determined to do something, Your Majesty,¡± the chief carefully replied to him.

    ¡°Did she say it was a serious matter?¡±

    ¡°Yes. More than ever, Sir.¡±

    I think I¡¯m right. But why does this feel strange?

    ¡°Prepare several coats of fur for the picnic mat.¡± Sidrain ordered to the chief.

    He thought that if they were going to consummate their relationship and officially share their first night as man and wife tonight, she was better on top of him. That way, she wouldn¡¯t get hurt. However, just in case, it would still be better to lay out some fur. Afterall, it might be cold because it was still spring. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be prepared.

    ¡°To cover,¡± Sidrain curtly justified after noticing how confused the chief was with the sudden request out of nowhere.

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry it myself.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The chief looked up at him in surprise.

    Hearing no further answer from the King, the chief decided to follow the instructions without hesitation.

    ***

    Sidrain didn¡¯t understand why Iris asked him to come alone, and why she chose the outdoors out of all the places. But her situation was indeed complicated. It was an inevitable occurrence as long as she was living inside Rosemary¡¯s body.

    Rosemary was Sidrain¡¯s queen and was therefore obliged to give birth to a successor. Iris didn¡¯t fully understand everything that has been going on, but this morning, Sidrain surmised that she might have grasped some of these.

    He was conflicted with the idea that Iris might just be doing this out of her responsibility as a queen to produce an heir, which was he was willing to do anything she wanted, even an outdoor lovemaking. It didn¡¯t matter if it was bizarre or unsanitary. If Iris became his, he would be ecstatic. Public intercourse was a little thing compared to her sacrifices. So, Iris. Please, don¡¯t reject me.

    It took Sidrain long enough to finally return to his business meeting.

 Chapter 67

    That night, he eagerly loaded up his horse with the things the chief packed for him. He prepared everything he thought they might need until the morning and also brought a cape to cover her with in case the weather became too chilly. He hadn¡¯t passed the palace gate yet, but he was more than excited for his trip.

    The road ahead of him seemed brighter and every step towards his destination felt exhilarating to him. As he was mindlessly traipsing down the road, he spotted a hazy figure walking towards him. He wasn¡¯t sure who it could be, but upon closer scrutiny, he finally realized whose silhouette it was. It was the person he was supposed to meet, Iris, who was casually dressed in a baggy shirt and pants. She looked like a boy from afar, especially with her hair loosely tied up in a bun.

    ¡°Ris?¡± Sidrain called out. He couldn¡¯t hide the surprise in his voice, and Iris looked up after hearing her name.

    It looked strange. Aside from her being dressed out of her usual attire, he wasn¡¯t really sure whether Rosemary even owned such clothes. She was carrying a lot of luggage too. The luggage was big enough for three people, so from a distance, it looked like the luggage was walking. It was a round, full moon-like bag, he observed, and Iris was carrying it with painstaking effort.

    ¡°What¡¯s all that, Ris? Give it to me, I¡¯ll hold it for you.¡±

    Iris instinctively pulled the baggage away when he tried to take it from her. ¡°No,¡± she flatly refused.

    ¡°Why?¡± Sidrain couldn¡¯t help but ask back.

    ¡°It¡¯s a burden I need to carry.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as that. We¡¯re going to share a burden. Give it to me.¡± Sidrain gallantly jumped off the horse, but Iris stepped back again. She stumbled but managed to regain her balance.

    ¡°Never.¡± Iris said as she shook her head.

    Looking at her face, Sidrain could tell she was serious. He was bewildered at what was transpiring in front of him. The woman he loved carried huge baggage, stubbornly refusing his help. He couldn¡¯t figure out what to do next.

    Do I have to unpack and carry her luggage? It¡¯s not hard, but why should I do that? Why the hell isn¡¯t Iris giving me her luggage? Sidrain fretted as he stared at Iris and asked. ¡°Can¡¯t we do it here? Do we really have to go all the way there?¡±

    At these words, Iris immediately looked up, saying, ¡°Oh!¡± She glanced around the vicinity before nodding energetically. It was still a long way from their agreed meeting place, but the vacant lot they were currently in looked suitable for her. She smilingly looked at Sidrain and said something in ancient language.

    In an instant, the area was enclosed with a barrier. Sidrain just remembered that Iris was a wizard, but her behavior was very unusual. Then she said, ¡°Hey, hey, I¡¯ve been thinking.¡± Sidrain felt an ominous premonition at these words.

    ¡°Well, you said you wanted to have a physical relationship with me. But I, uh, don¡¯t think I love you. Not yet. I mean I do like you, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s love. But, uh, so, uh, anyway, I¡¯m not yet sure. But you wanted to do it today, Your Highness.¡± Iris spoke nervously with a hint of red in her cheeks.

    She rubbed her face and gathered her hair up. Then she opened her luggage which contained a huge pile of magical scrolls. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t just do it yet. I mean,¡± she said as she rummaged through her luggage, took out a thin lace glove, and threw it towards Sidrain¡¯s direction. She expected him to catch it but Sidrain was too shocked to react and the gloves hit his face.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to challenge you to a duel.¡±

    Sidrain¡¯s brain was malfunctioning and wanted to simply deny the reality at this point.

    His first love had asked for a duel because she didn¡¯t want to sleep with him.

    ***

    ¡°Well, well, take out your sword, Your Highness.¡±

    Iris, who said so, quickly began to recite a spell in an ancient language. Her mana began to increase enormously. Sidrain knew she meant to attack him with all her might. He was the Sword Master and no matter how great a wizard she was, she couldn¡¯t beat him in a duel. Despite knowing that, Iris was doing her best to resist him. Through a duel. Did she despise the idea of sleeping with him so badly that she¡¯d rather engage him in a losing fight? Sidrain¡¯s heart ached at this idea.

    ¡°Stop.¡± Sidrain didn¡¯t want to think about anything now.

    ¡°Oh, no, no! Well, your Highness, you¡¯re right to do it if you want to. This is your wife¡¯s body. But I think it¡¯s better to do this because I, Iris, have free will! Now, pick up your sword!¡± Iris said desperately. She seemed to have thought this through.

    For the first time since he knew Iris, he wanted her to stop talking.

    Iris opened her eyes widely and reversed her mana incantation. Before she knew it, Sidrain collapsed. It wasn¡¯t like this when he caught a dragon. His legs were now weak and he couldn¡¯t stand.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    It was hard to answer and so Sidrain chose not to. Soon Iris¡¯s mana returned to normal and the barrier she created around the perimeter vanished. Iris carefully approached and squatted down next to Sidrain.

    ¡°Hey, are you not feeling well?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Sidrain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is happening but let me see if I can fix it!¡±

    ¡°Ris, if you don¡¯t shut up, I think I might lose sexual attraction towards you for two weeks.¡± Sidrain buried his face between his legs and muttered, ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d shut up. My lady, I love you, but I hate you a little right now.¡±

    Iris, bewildered, sat next to him and asked, ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    You did nothing wrong. I¡¯m the bad guy for trying to take advantage of you under the guise of being your husband. I should be heavily punished by the heavens. Yes, that¡¯s what it should be like for me.

    ¡°You know, if I lost, I was really going to do it with you,¡± said Iris.

    ¡°Oh, yeah? And what did I say just now?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What happens if you don¡¯t shut up?¡±

    As soon as she remembered, Iris shut up immediately.

    ***

    They were under the pitch black sky in the middle of spring. The stars twinkled brightly as if begging to be noticed by the pair. The scenery could have been perfect for a romantic evening, but right now, Sidrain couldn¡¯t afford to raise his head. Next to him was Iris gently patting his back to make sure he was feeling okay.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. Did I do something wrong?¡± Iris nervously asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Sidrain replied, softly staring back into Iris¡¯ worry-filled blue eyes.

    This question and answer played back like a broken record until dawn arrived to mark the start of a new day.

    The following week, of course, Sidrain didn¡¯t lose even an ounce of sexual attraction towards Iris. Every morning, without fail, Iris was gently woken up by a soft, loving kiss from a half-lidded and still sleepy Sidrain. Not too bad for a morning routine, Iris caught herself thinking.

 Chapter 68

    When Iris was asleep, Sidrain would suddenly slip into her bed. Kissing was a daily routine. He kissed her without hesitation, and she was at his mercy like sandcastles being swept away by the waves. Iris always tried to come to her senses. She tried hard every night, but she had fallen for him, hard.

    ¡°You said you had lost all sexual attraction!¡± She protested albeit a little embarrassedly.

    ¡°That didn¡¯t include my fingers and tongue,¡± he said as he took another step towards her.

    ¡°You have to take responsibility,¡± he said, his face inches away from hers, ¡°If I lose sexual attraction, you have to take responsibility somehow. I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m going to do anything to you. I just want to see your face when you experience heaven.¡±

    She tried protesting, she was telling him not to do it every day, but once he started touching her, she lost all strength in her body and her arms felt too weak to push him away. And as time went on, she found that she didn¡¯t want to push him away.

    This feeling was strange, but it wasn¡¯t bad. In fact, it felt good. This hot and dizzying sensation was addictive. It was not easy to reject. Moreover, she was the one receiving all the pleasure. He didn¡¯t ask for anything in return. He never requested to do the strange things or positions she saw in the book.

    In fact, he was always fully dressed. He would only take off her top then suck on her nipples with his lips and rub them with his fingers.

    ¡°What¡¯s my lady¡¯s favorite thing to do?¡±

    His fingers roamed her chest; tugging and teasing as it explored. However, the touch was full of affection. It didn¡¯t hurt her. She always felt nothing but thrilling joy. He didn¡¯t insult her, even if he teased her.

    ¡°Stop, stop, now¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Not yet. Today, my queen has only experienced heaven once,¡± he said.

    He told her he was going to take her to heaven and a warmth spread from her chest all the way to her inner thigh and across her entire body. He wanted her to experience the sensation repeatedly.

    When he had no morning schedule, he would do this to her all morning. Then she couldn¡¯t think of anything. Her mind became senseless and she felt as if her brain became like melted jelly.

    ¡°If you made me lose sexual attraction, I have to see you experience heaven two or three more times,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Oh, not my ears. Ah!¡±

    ¡°You like that the most,¡± he said a smile playing on his lips

    Sidrain¡¯s thick tongue swirled in Iris¡¯s ear. As it went in and out over and over again, Iris felt helpless. Even if she tried to run away, her thin body was firmly trapped within Sidrain¡¯s strong arms.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Iris burst into a moan while tightly clutching Sidrain¡¯s arms. Her thighs trembled. Her thighs were firmly held by Sidrain¡¯s big hands.

    ***

    Iris decided to read, ¡°Everything about pregnancy! From how to get pregnant, to how to give birth without getting sick!¡±

    She wondered why she hadn¡¯t read it properly last time. She thought it was a book that needed to be read properly. It was a necessary book for Iris, since she felt that her relationship with Sidrain has changed these days.

    She didn¡¯t hate it.

    And that was where all of Iris¡¯ problems stemmed from. She didn¡¯t hate everything Sidrain did to her. Was it right to be used this way? She thought about it. If she really didn¡¯t like it, she would¡¯ve used magic scrolls and thrown gloves at him as she was a person who valued her free will.

    But she didn¡¯t hate it, actually, she thought it felt good.

    Not only the thrill she got from everything, but Sidrain was good at making her feel certain things. It was difficult to say exactly how good it was, but Sidrain was now her favorite person after her teacher. In fact, despite asking him to duel a few nights ago, Iris had begun to grow fond of Sidrain little by little.

    That night, Sidrain had crouched in a corner and sat silent until dawn broke.

    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± she¡¯d asked hesitantly.

    ¡°No,¡± he¡¯d replied, his voice cold.

    And that was all he had said but he¡¯d looked slightly surprised that she was aware she had done something wrong.

    By the time it was almost morning, he¡¯d stood up with a sigh and looked back at her. It wasn¡¯t long before he frowned, pulled something out of his luggage and wrapped it around her.

    ¡°Did you wear light clothes because you were planning to fight me?¡± he¡¯d asked softly as he wrapped the fur around her.

    Her body had heated up in an instant, and she¡¯d realized how cold she was.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to control mana when my clothes are too heavy. It weighs me down too much,¡± she¡¯d said rather embarrassedly.

    ¡°I see,¡± he¡¯d said and then smiled. He then strode up and picked up her things. She quickly reached out to stop him.

    ¡°Oh, I got it,¡± she¡¯d began.

    ¡°The duel is over, and I lost. So let me carry it. I¡¯m the loser,¡± he¡¯d said.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 69

    It wasn¡¯t what Iris was expecting. Iris had stood still with the fur on, and he¡¯d slung the bag across his shoulder. She¡¯d reached out her hands again as she wanted to take her things to the workshop at the magic tower.

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s too heavy for you to carry. Why did you bring this? You should¡¯ve asked me to help you with this,¡± Sidrain had said. He was happy to carry her things for her.

    Iris had laughed with her head down, ¡°I never thought of that.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t thought of riding a horse because she was inside the palace. Sidrain had only laughed. Unlike before, the atmosphere was quite comfortable. Iris once again held out her arms, but Sidrain shook his head to refuse.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you carry this.¡±

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not going to be carrying it either,¡± she¡¯d chuckled softly.

    ¡°Then?¡± Sidrain had said, confused.

    Iris had made her way to the pond and pointed at something. She then began making a passage between the pond and her workshop by chanting spells in ancient words. She¡¯d picked up a scroll that was sticking out and threw it into the pond because Sidrain still wouldn¡¯t return her luggage. As the scroll fell into the pond, it slipped and disappeared.

    Sidrain¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You opened a portal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s connected to my workshop so give my things to me now.¡±

    At Iris¡¯ words, Sidrain put down her things at once. The two then sat side by side and threw scrolls into the pond. Since the portal could not be opened too wide, scrolls had to be thrown one by one. Iris had thrown one, and Sidrain another one. They kept throwing until morning came and birds began to chirp.

    ¡°If you throw it like this, won¡¯t it be a problem later?¡± Sidrain had asked.

    Scrolls were expensive. The portal was connected to her workshop, but Sidrain had been worried about whether they could throw it so recklessly. Iris shook her head.

    ¡°I have house fairies, so they¡¯ll clean it up,¡± she¡¯d reassured.

    ¡°House fairies? Oh, I did hear that wizards can make contracts with them. How many do you have?¡±

    ¡°8 fairies.¡±

    ¡°That many?¡±

    ¡°My teacher says it¡¯s a waste of mana consumption, but I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Sidrain fell into thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°I heard that Elaine is not a strong magical wizard.¡±

    Iris had decided to quit pretending she was not Iris anymore. She smiled at the name Elaine. She¡¯d always been happy to hear that name, but it was a name that she missed. A name that warmed her heart whenever she heard it.

    ¡°He¡¯s a genius. A wizard with such a sense will never be born again,¡± she¡¯d said, her voice filled with great reverence.

    Sidrain turned and looked at Iris for a moment. She looked cute tossing the scrolls into the pond. To be honest, the proposal of the previous duel was so shocking that he thought he would feel down for a week, but the reality was that he felt like he was revived in half a day.

    He still wanted to hug her.

    But the feeling at the moment had been good. He liked the tranquility, so he didn¡¯t reach out to her and continued throwing scrolls when it was his turn.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Iris had begun, ¡°I heard you were a Sword Master, and I heard you were assimilated with a sword.¡±

    It was what all the wizards were curious about. Was the Sword Master assimilated with his sword? When he was the crown prince, his parents had once begged him to show off his sword skills when a great wizard visited. But he had refused.

    Sidrain had told his parents, ¡°This is not for entertainment, mom and dad.¡±

    ¡°Do you wish to see?¡±

    However, he wanted to show Iris. As long as she enjoyed it, he could show it to her over and over again.

    Iris¡¯ eyes shone. ¡°Will it be okay for you? If you don¡¯t want to or anything-¡±

    ¡°Not at all. This is a part of me,¡± he¡¯d smiled.

    ¡°I was a little curious about it¡­¡± Iris cautiously said with eyes of conflict. Maybe if it weren¡¯t too rude, but she was a little curious.

    Sidrain knew that wizards had strong caution. On the other hand, he wanted her to see it because he liked her so much.

    He had slowly removed the sword from his chest. Iris had watched with wonder as the burning sword was pulled out of his heart. It wasn¡¯t long before Sidrain handed Iris his sword. It was the first time he had let someone else touch his sword. But he just wanted to let her.

    ¡°My sword is a thousand-year-old sword and is named the Testalia,¡± he¡¯d said proudly.

    Iris carefully examined the sword. It was engulfed in black flames, but it was not hot. It felt as if the sword was creating the flames for her.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it uncomfortable to keep this sword in your heart?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°How did you become assimilated with this sword? Did you feel something the moment you saw it? Did you have a hunch that it was a sword that fit you?¡± she softly asked, her eyes still admiring the sword.

    Sidrain had replied as if it were nothing, ¡°No, I took the risk. Even if I could¡¯ve died when I stabbed myself in the heart with this sword.¡±

 Chapter 70

    ¡°No,¡± Iris couldn¡¯t believe her ears, ¡°in the heart?¡±

    No, no way.

    Iris looked at Sidrain thinking that there was no way. As she stared at his un-human-like handsome face, he shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing.

    ¡°Yeah, I stabbed the heart first.¡±

    ¡°Wh-why?¡± Iris asked quizzically.

    Why, why did you do something that crazy? Are you insane?! Iris couldn¡¯t help her widened eyes.

    Sidrain read her heart correctly. Honestly, most people that knew about this thought like her, ¡®Are you insane, are you crazy, are you sick?!¡¯ But Sidrain thought that was a bit overboard.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a long story.¡±

    That story was something that he didn¡¯t want to talk about but if she wanted, he would. Iris had the upper hand when it came to emotions. He hinted quite obviously that he didn¡¯t really want to talk about it, perhaps hoping that Iris would say that he wouldn¡¯t have to if he didn¡¯t want to.

    Iris¡¯s will, however, was so strong that she wanted to listen to it even if it took three nights and four days to tell. No matter how long of a story it was, she was listening.

    How, in what way, a person would feel so hopeless that they felt they didn¡¯t have any choice but to stab themselves in the heart first, that too with a magical sword.

    Sidrain stood up as he reconfirmed Iris¡¯s will to listen in her blue eyes. It happened to be that Iris¡¯s bag was completely empty. Iris really brought the picnic mat as one of her workshop items which Sidrain found cute. Sidrain threw the bag in a pond.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you on our way back.¡±

    Sidrain helped Iris on the horse he had brought. The faithful horse let out a neigh as someone other than its master got on, but as Sidrain reassured it, it calmed down.

    The king dragged the horse and walked like a servant. It was disrespectful, but Sidrain who was doing it didn¡¯t seem to find it so.

    ¡°You are his Majesty. I¡¯ll walk. M-my clothes are comfortable. I can¡¯t let Your Majesty walk while I¡¯m on a horse,¡± Iris couldn¡¯t help her discomfort.

    ¡°You are a lady and I¡¯m your knight, so this is the right thing to do,¡± he said simply.

    But you¡¯re a king.

    Iris wanted to point that out but there was no way Sidrain, the actual king, would be swayed and it wasn¡¯t as if he had forgotten that fact, so she sat quietly. Meanwhile, Sidrain slowly opened his mouth.

    ¡°So, it was when I was twenty years old.¡±

    ***

    In conclusion, Elaine¡¯s method of telling people¡¯s hearts was never wrong. Sidrain was a victor in life, and while he never had to come down from the victor¡¯s rank once, there were times when he almost had to.

    When Sidrain was twenty, he was faced with a rather unusual situation. The En Letaires had never once become imperials and within the palace, there was an argument that the royal family had to change. The argument soon grew so big that they couldn¡¯t hold it down. Sidrain¡¯s father, the then King, left the task of resolving the dispute to Sidrain who was the Crown Prince.

    ¡°You want me to¡­ subdue the dragon?¡±

    The twenty-year-old Sidrain listened to the order, his breathing hitched. He had to ask again because he couldn¡¯t believe it. But the order remained the same.

    ¡°Yes, the Crown Prince yourself.¡±

    This order was basically a death sentence. The King¡¯s plan was to have the Crown Prince killed and in doing so have the public¡¯s opinion turn to favor him. He¡¯d then use that as a shield to calm the nobles¡¯ aggressive requests.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I will do as you wish.¡±

    Sidrain couldn¡¯t refuse. He was the Crown Prince, and so he had the obligation to do what was best for the royal family; he knew better than anyone why the King had made such a decision.

    He kissed the king¡¯s wrinkled hand and then walked the long hallway in a daze.

    Replaceable. That one word circled around his head. Replaceable. Everything could be.

    Everything he was able to enjoy and everything he had to endure was something his siblings could have been experiencing as well but since he was the eldest, he had to experience it all. The intense education lessons, the immense power that burdened him and now the order that was basically telling him to walk into his death.

    Replaceable.

    In this palace, the only person that wasn¡¯t replaceable was the King. Other than that, everyone was replaceable. Everyone knew that well. Meet someone other than your companion, and if there was benefit then there was a divorce.

    People were all selfish and didn¡¯t bother hiding their greed. There was no reason to. Anyone could be replaced at any moment, so why would they bother. The future wasn¡¯t guaranteed. If their value decreased, then they could be thrown away at any moment. Everyone knew that so they all tried to enjoy the moment. Sidrain was the same. He was afraid of a day like today, hoping that it would never come.

    But that day had come.

    The dragon subjugation group started to form. The knights who were ordered to face the dragon were in the same boat as Sidrain as they accepted the order and in turn their fate.

    It took about a year to prepare the whole thing and people forgot that the royal family had to be replaced during that time.

    Dragon subjugation! How noble of a task. Especially by the Crown Prince himself! They had pride in and supported the royal family and so, the request by the nobles was quieted for now.

 Chapter 71

    The night before they left after finishing the prepping, Sidrain opened the palace treasury. As he was the leader of the dragon subjugation group, the soldiers standing guard opened the treasury without question. He dismissed everyone as he said he wanted to be alone, and then went in front of the burning sword that he had once seen when he was young.

    Testalia.

    Thousands of years ago, a slayer killed a red dragon and used its essence to create the magic sword. The forever burning sword which only the slayer could wield was brought as kept in the palace treasury.

    No one who is replaceable can kill the dragon and if you can¡¯t kill the dragon, you can¡¯t come back alive.

    Sidrain knew well that was the king¡¯s intention.

    He didn¡¯t blame the king. Everyone in the palace was like this. The replaceables. In the end, he was one of them.

    Before he reached for the Testalia, he suddenly remembered a memory that wasn¡¯t replaceable, that no one could have experienced.

    Iris Elaine.

    Ah, the girl who fainted while screaming. The child that showed many halos. Wish I could¡¯ve seen her face. If he was to die here and now, only that would have been his regret.

    It would¡¯ve been better if I could¡¯ve kissed her.

    Irreplaceable.

    I guess I had one of those too. Goodbye, Iris Elaine.

    In his final moments, Sidrain didn¡¯t say goodbye to his parents nor his siblings. Only to the girl whom he didn¡¯t know if he would or would not remember. The only thing irreplaceable to him. He said goodbye to the only thing that was shiny and beautiful.

    Then he grabbed the Testalia and plunged it through his chest.

    He was burned. The fire spread out the entire body through his heart; it was too hot and painful.

    That night, Sidrain accepted Testalia with the pain of wandering through death. In the palace treasury where there was no one, he held in his screams. He clenched his teeth while shaking uncontrollably and his lips were completely ripped by the time he calmed.

    For the entire night, he had to fight the pain that made him wish he were dead. It was like being tortured. For the entire night, he accepted the torture from Testalia.

    By the time the sun rose, he became one with Testalia and fainted.

    ***

    ¡°If there was no Testalia, Your Majesty would¡¯ve been¡­¡± Iris, after hearing the story, carefully spoke and Sidrain smiled.

    ¡°Dead, yes. Though even with Testalia, the dragon was tough.¡±

    Even with all the most competent and courageous knights and Testalia, it was hard to subdue the dragon. The dragon was the epitome of all living things. He just couldn¡¯t beat it. He barely held on with his will to live. That he just had to kill that thing in the end.

    He had to.

    Most of the knights that came with him were dead, and for vengeance for those who were dead and to save those who were left, he had to kill the dragon. Out of the people who were still alive was his baby brother Count Portwall.

    ¡°Then when I came back, my father was assassinated.¡±

    The nobles must have thought that the Crown Prince would be murdered by the dragon. So, they assassinated the king and waited for the news. They were planning on switching the royal family with the announcement of the Crown Prince¡¯s death, but the Crown Prince, although he looked worse for the wear, came back victorious.

    ¡°S-Sid.¡±

    Iris didn¡¯t know what she should say. If it was a story like this, she wished she hadn¡¯t asked. As she just moved her lips to speak, Sidrain smiled. He stretched out his hand.

    ¡°If you feel sorry, could you hold my hand, my lady?¡±

    Iris immediately grabbed his hand. She grabbed his hand as tightly as she could. But that strength was only enough to make him feel good, so Sidrain laughed.

    Sidrain knew after coming back. That even the king was replaceable. That no one in the palace was irreplaceable.

    Just like that, Sidrain became cold blooded.

    While he was finding the people responsible for assassinating the king, his heart was becoming ice cold. Out of the many rooms in his heart, there was warmth in only one place. That place held Iris Elaine.

    And she showed up after going into his wife¡¯s body.

    ¡°Iris,¡± Sidrain called to her, and Iris nodded. ¡°Honestly, I wanted to call this name all the time. Iris Elaine.¡±

    ¡°You can say it any time.¡± As Iris quickly responded, he said it cheerfully.

    ¡°Right, I can now,¡± Sidrain laughed.

    That laughter was so beautiful yet so lonely that it forced Iris to avert her gaze.

    The world was becoming brighter. Iris grabbed Sidrain¡¯s hand. She was on the horse, and he was on the ground and they walked back to the palace holding hands. It was a quiet road.

    This poor and lovely man.

    She thought he was the victor of life as he had everything, but it wasn¡¯t all that. Thinking about it, he was always smiling. He was usually always in his own world and was seen as weird and scary, but he laughed often beside her.

    He said he always wanted to call her Iris.

    Iris for a moment knew that she liked him. Apart from her teacher, this was the first morning that she thought for the first time in a long time that she liked someone.

 Chapter 72

    Thus, Iris made up her mind and opened a book entitled ¡°Everything about pregnancy! From how to get pregnant to how to give birth without getting sick; all the ways to cover it!¡± No matter how scary the contents of the book could get, Iris was determined to be brave. She has decided to read everything without surrendering.

    Two hours later, however, she realized that she was thoroughly fooled by a con artist¡¯s play. She threw the book without even realizing it.

    What?! Lay towards the north if you don¡¯t want pain during child labour?! Doesn¡¯t matter which way I lie, it¡¯d still hurt! I¡¯m not an obstetrician but I would know this! I can¡¯t believe I was fooled by such a book! I should¡¯ve read it till the end!

    Regret filled her as she thought about how she took it out on the wrong person.

    She knew it. There was no pose she could hold where pee comes out in one¡¯s mouth. Why would anyone do such a crazy thing?

    Iris glared at the book. If the author wasn¡¯t someone from a hundred years ago, she would¡¯ve cursed him to have a misfortunate day.

    How could you be so misinformed! Especially someone who writes!

    She was angry. Then she thought of the person she had to apologize to. She was mean to a man, and it was very one sided. She was fooled by a slander which unfairly framed him. He wouldn¡¯t have known but she felt that she had to apologize. For sure there were moments that he would¡¯ve thought that her actions were weird.

    I must apologize. She resolved and stood up.

    And Sidrain, for certain, was suffering from dissatisfaction.

    Iris questioned how anyone could have someone¡¯s mouth hold the place where pee comes out, but to Sidrain oral s*x was very normal. He received such action from every woman he had relation with, and he never thought it was weird. Since he was like that, he was in a painful position.

    It wasn¡¯t because Iris didn¡¯t do it to him. He was okay with Iris not doing it. It was heaven to him just to see Iris m*aning. He was happy to see Iris just lying down.

    Truthfully, he didn¡¯t really want Iris to do anything to him. There was so much he wanted to do so it was better that she was the one lying down. He really had so much he wanted to do to her and wanted so much to know her body well.

    That body wasn¡¯t Rosemary anymore. He had held her body when she was Rosemary so he could tell that now they were completely different. The reactions were completely different and nowadays, even the touch felt different.

    When it was Rosemary, the body felt a bit smoother. But now, the body was a bit more supple and soft. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the magical power or the habits of the person inside but it was true.

    That body was completely different now and Sidrain didn¡¯t know it. It became something he thought he knew but he didn¡¯t and Sidrain was going insane. He wanted to know. Few things underneath her clothes.

    Her breasts. God her breasts. Whenever he grabbed them, his body became hot. He wanted to suck on it, but Iris flounced like a mermaid out of water by his mere touch. Ah, his lady was too pure, and he wasn¡¯t. He wanted to take her to more and more of a lewd place. It was like chaining a horse that just wanted to run.

    I need you, Ris. I need you. Just give me something, please.

    He didn¡¯t know what exactly he could get from her to settle his desire, but he needed something.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Magic Tower is sending people back. This is a serious matter,¡± said Count Portwell, which Sidrain realized was a polite way of telling him that this was serious, and that he needed to pay attention.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    He was. It was just that his mind was in a swamp.

    ¡°There was an outbreak of magical mold, and the Magic Tower is ignoring it, this can¡¯t be right. They said they are the pride of the spire, and the Magic Tower is never wrong. They were all talk but now they¡¯re ignoring the problem? Then what do the people do?¡±

    ¡°What is the source of the magical mold outbreak?¡±

    ¡°The Magic Tower doesn¡¯t know,¡± Clarence En Sethang answered, and the meeting room bustled with murmurs.

    Irresponsible! Cowardly! They should know!

    As there were many murmurs going around, Sidrain forcefully drained his mind with the desire of Iris¡¯s fair body, filled it with the magical mold and answered.

    ¡°So? Did they say they¡¯ll look into it?¡±

    ¡°It was their stance that it had nothing to do with them, but I¡¯m pressuring them.¡±

    ¡°Pressuring isn¡¯t enough.¡±

    Clarence lowered his head at the king¡¯s cold remark.

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°I will not forgive it if the Magic Tower does not attend to this problem.¡±

    The king¡¯s subjects lowered their heads in agreement at his order. The king was cold, and his actions were clear so the Magic Tower wouldn¡¯t be able to get off easily. No matter what, the king wouldn¡¯t let this go quietly and gave assurance that this would be resolved somehow.

    Ah, please give me the patience and power to carry out all duties as king, Ruthna.

    Sidrain prayed to Ruthna inside. He worried about his people, but even then, his young hot blood and emotions towards his beautiful wife came first. He knew his responsibility and he would take care of it, but his mind could not be rid of Iris¡¯s body, scent, and voice. He couldn¡¯t focus.

 Chapter 73

    At that moment, the royal attendant came and whispered in Sidrain¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Queen wishes to see you, what should I do?¡±

    For a moment, it felt like Sidrain heard an arrow shooting in his ear.

    ¡°Bring her in.¡±

    He dismissed his subjects and Iris entered. She wore an ivory-coloured dress. The dress that became one with her fair skin outlined her thin waist.

    Her hair was loosely tied and kept to one side which exposed her neck and the top of her breasts. As she didn¡¯t have any accessories on her neck, her skin was on full display making Sidrain even more crazy. He already knew how it would taste when he sucked on her neck.

    ¡°Is it¡­ not a good time?¡± Iris turned to the door.

    She knew she had to apologize and that the apology had to be quick. As soon as possible because when an apology comes late, it is disrespectful to the person. An apology at her convenience wasn¡¯t really an apology, was what was on her mind when she came barging in.

    Then she realized that her barging in was also at her convenience. They would meet at night, or by tomorrow morning. She could¡¯ve apologized then. Maybe she was a nuisance to him working.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s perfect,¡± Sidrain shook his head.

    Iris looked at him for a moment and let out a soft laugh, ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ris?¡± Sidrain asked directly.

    Iris couldn¡¯t help but think that he was busy. She thought that she needed to say it quickly and leave so she took out the book and opened her mouth.

    ¡°I wanted to apologize for misunderstanding,¡± she said and quickly closed her mouth as she looked up.

    Sidrain was looking down at her. He didn¡¯t say anything and didn¡¯t do anything. He just kept looking down at her. But the vein in his neck was prominent and the fingers on his crossed arms tapped lightly. Just by that she knew what state he was in.

    He wanted to hug her. Kiss her and touch her. It was so obvious that he was holding those desires in that she stepped back.

    ¡°Why?¡± Sidrain asked. His voice was much lower than usual, which made her doubt become a certainty.

    ¡°Wh-what?¡±

    ¡°You stepped back.¡±

    Iris took another step back as he approached her again. Sidrain raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Ris?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡­¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°W-want to do it.¡±

    Iris was usually direct when it came to this. She said what she thought honestly but, in this moment, she could feel that it was the wrong choice. Her words were like a key unchaining him.

    Sidrain uncrossed his arms. As he took a step towards her, Iris, with her eyes wide open like a stalked prey, took two steps back.

    ¡°And what is it that I want to do?¡±

    ¡°Sid.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, Ris. Me, what do I want to do?¡±

    Iris went around the round table in the meeting room and got away from Sidrain. Iris shook her head hinting at the round table between them.

    ¡°Sid, this is a meeting room.¡±

    ¡°Yes, in my palace.¡±

    ¡°Sid,¡± Iris shook her head.

    At that moment, Sidrain jumped over the round table to Iris¡¯s side. He quickly stood in front of Iris, lifted her up and sat her on the table.

    ¡°Kiss me.¡±

    ¡°This is-¡±

    ¡°I know, the meeting room. Kiss me so I can proceed to have a meeting. Then, I think my head will become a bit clearer,¡± Sidrain mumbled.

    Iris looked up at him for a bit and stretched out her hand. She always felt like he was a statue. She was worried that he didn¡¯t even breathe due to his stoic nature. But right now, he looked as uncomfortable as anyone could be and she could tell how much he longed for a kiss.

    Iris ran her fingers through Sidrain¡¯s hair and carefully tugged it to lower him towards her. He came down as she pulled. As their lips touched, Iris felt a large hand around her waist. That hand was holding back its desire to pull her in. She knew clearly.

    She slowly opened her mouth and the man¡¯s lips followed, giving her tongue permission to slip in. The kiss began slowly and softly and quickly turned passionate.

    The kiss was aggressive and storm-like. It was just like Sidrain himself.

    ***

    Elaine and the Magic Tower elders showed up at nine o¡¯clock next morning. Iris had heard the news from Elena in her study.

    I¡¯m in the same building as the teacher but I can¡¯t meet him, how sad, she thought.

    As Elena talked, her face darkened, ¡°The atmosphere inside is quite serious.¡±

    Elena came into the palace at lunch time and met her husband Clarence before coming. Clarence shook his head and explained what was happening,

    ¡°The king and Elaine are fighting like they are sworn enemies. The negotiation is all but over but they can¡¯t end it. Two of them are attacking each other like mad men. The reason is because of the magical mold but no one thinks that. It seems like there¡¯s something emotional about this, but they don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I want to go home, honey,¡± Clarence held onto Elena and bawled.

    Of course, it looked quite like he was overreacting but if Clarence was like this, one could imagine what was going on in there.

    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a conflict about letting magical mold spread.¡±

    Iris couldn¡¯t understand so she looked up from the book she was studying. She was currently memorizing the history of the royal family, and the family trees of the nobles.

 Chapter 74

    ¡°The magical mold¡­. has spread?¡± Iris asked.

    How can magical mold spread?

    Elena realized that this was a worse problem than she had anticipated as she saw Iris¡¯s quizzical expression. This lady wasn¡¯t Rosemary but Iris Elaine, a well-known princess of the Magic Tower.

    ¡°Is it weird that it spread?¡± Elena carefully asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡± Iris shook her head despite herself as she spoke.

    Though it was mold, it wasn¡¯t contagious. It was a by-product of incorrect magic, sort of like a left-over floatage. For something like that to be spreading meant that someone was using a massive amount of incorrect magic. But is that possible?

    A person who performed magic incorrectly meant that they hadn¡¯t gotten formal magic education. Even if they were born with magical power, it was weak enough for Magic Tower not to have sensed it.

    How would people like that perform massive magic?

    ¡°Have you heard the type of mold that was spreading?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I heard it was honsy,¡± Elena replied.

    So, it¡¯s honsy?

    Iris looked around. She saw maid Anna changing the water in the flower vase. She was infected by honsy mold for sure. Where did she get contaminated by honsy mold?

    Elena didn¡¯t bother Iris who was deep in her thoughts. She felt like Iris would do something big, it was more of a prayer really. She wanted her queen to do something. A hope that this beautiful queen would shine brighter than just her looks.

    She carefully cleaned up the books in front of Iris and gave a look to the head maid. The head maid observed the atmosphere and dismissed the other maids quietly. In the study only Iris, Elena and the head maid were left.

    If the mold is honsy, that is weirder.

    Unlike other by-products, honsy was a real uncommon mold and it was only created if the person with very strong magical powers performed incorrect magic. Strong magic power was required but the people possessing them, like Iris, would get the Magic Tower alerted the moment they activated it and immediately put it in the custody of the Tower.

    Magic Tower was never wrong.

    The person who activated it wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the sight of the Magic Tower.

    What happened then? Iris squinted. She couldn¡¯t figure out the answer.

    ***

    That night, Sidrain came into Iris¡¯s bed again. His lips explored Iris¡¯s fair neck without hesitation.

    ¡°Mm, mm!¡± As Iris moaned, his thick legs came between her thin ones. Iris panted and mumbled to him, who was trying to get her legs to open by force.

    ¡°W-wait, mm, Sid, wait.¡±

    ¡°I was dying the entire day. Ris, I wanted to do this so bad, I was really going crazy.¡±

    Their lips met. Her spit was aggressively taken. Iris no longer thought that was dirty. She just blanked out. Iris let go of everything in Sidrain¡¯s arms. She just melted. She didn¡¯t know how but didn¡¯t mind it. No, she liked it. She felt weird, she didn¡¯t exactly like it, truthfully felt like she took a lot of bad medicine, but she couldn¡¯t refuse the ecstasy.

    ¡°Ah, mmm, w-wait. Ah!¡±

    ¡°Ris, can I suck on here today? Let me know what it tastes like.¡± Sidrain growled as his fingers twisted Iris¡¯s n*pple. Each time he did, Iris cried, throwing her head back.

    Sidrain caressed Iris¡¯s bre*sts and waited for her permission. Meanwhile, his gaze went towards her legs. As she couldn¡¯t contain her excitement she rubbed her legs together, and since his leg was in between hers, her legs were rubbing against his. It was sensational.

    ¡°Ris, please.¡±

    ¡°Uh, I have, something, to¡­.¡±

    Iris twisted her body like she really had something to say. It didn¡¯t seem like she knew that that¡¯s what drove men even crazier. Sidrain begged.

    ¡°I¡¯ll listen after I suck on it. Once I know what it tastes like, hm?¡±

    ¡°Th-then just a little, ah!¡±

    That moment Sidrain didn¡¯t wait any longer and bit her bre*st.

    It was a n*pple of a well-shaped bre*st. The n*pple was a little thick but unlike its image, it was a weak peak. The moment it came into his mouth, he felt that it wanted to run away. When the tongue touched it, it trembled. It was probably her trembling, but he felt like it was the tout flesh.

    Iris¡¯s peaks were smooth and soft, having no wrinkles. The fact that her n*pple was slightly darker than her white skin made it more sensational. When he let go after sucking on it to his content, the thick n*pple was very red. That n*pple looked like Iris that was trapped in Rosemary¡¯s body.

    When he touched her bre*st, it was firm yet malleable. Her skin was so soft that it would leave a mark if he grabbed too strongly but she wanted him to grab them hard. Her bre*st was so sensitive that she would feel a little joy when he touched them so couldn¡¯t imagine the ecstasy that would fill her body after they were grabbed hard.

    Iris wrapped her arms around Sidrain¡¯s neck and kept letting out high pitched moans. At some point she couldn¡¯t hold them back at all. That made Sidrain even crazier.

 Chapter 75

    Every time Sidrain fondled Iris¡¯s n*pples with his fingers, Iris would moan and squirm as the feeling spread across her entire body. If he played with it with his tongue, her legs would tighten around him.

    Sidrain knew these were all foreign to Iris and he found it so beautiful; he kept his hands caressing Iris¡¯s bre*sts and had not explored her below yet. It wasn¡¯t like she would allow entry below anyway. He barely got permission to play with her bre*sts with his mouth today.

    He sucked on her bre*st to the point where it was completely soaked and red. Sidrain felt like he had reached climax upon seeing Iris shiver under his touch. But soon enough, after countless moans and quivers, Iris evaded Sidrain and quickly put on her pajamas.

    ¡°Ris.¡± Sidrain sent her a pleading look, but Iris shook her head with her red eyes.

    ¡°S-stop.¡±

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t even tasted the other side.¡±

    ¡°Th-there¡­¡±

    ¡°Will you give it to me in the morning?¡±

    Iris¡¯s lips parted. The inside of her panties was already wet. She wanted to change but she didn¡¯t know where her clothes were kept, so she wanted to secretly clean up the current one at night. It was during these moments that she was relieved she was a wizard. But she wouldn¡¯t have time to do that in the morning.

    ¡°Sid, that¡¯s¡­.¡±

    ¡°When are you going to give it to me? You gave me permission, hm?¡±

    ¡°To-tomorrow night.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to give me both sides tomorrow night?¡± Sidrain raised his eyebrows.

    Iris had no choice but to nod. The thought of it caused more wetness on her underwear. She anticipated it.

    As Sidrain finally conceded, Iris crawled on the bed, and as she crawled her behind was exposed and Sidrain exclaimed to Ruthna inside. Dear Ruthna, give me patience. The silhouette of her round b*tt was shown over her thin pajamas. He wanted to bite it.

    Ah, I curse myself for being a guy. Sidrain looked up at the ceiling and barely averted his gaze from her behind. Iris brought a paper, pen, and ink and put it in front of Sidrain.

    ¡°I heard honsy mold was spreading. That the Magic Tower wouldn¡¯t take responsibility¡­¡±

    Iris closed her mouth for a moment. She couldn¡¯t believe that her teacher, Elaine, would make such a decision. Honsy mold was something that a wizard like her could fix quickly, but if left alone, it could take away one¡¯s life. She couldn¡¯t believe that the Magic Tower would ignore such disease.

    ¡®The thing I have to guard is the Magic Tower.¡¯

    Iris could hear her teacher¡¯s voice.

    But teacher, what good is the Magic Tower if people are dying?

    Iris always said what she wanted, but she just couldn¡¯t ask this. Iris then held back what she wanted to ask. She felt like she would hear something she shouldn¡¯t hear. She felt like she would reach the point of no return, so unlike herself she chose to ignore it.

    Maybe she should¡¯ve asked.

    If the Magic Tower wouldn¡¯t do anything when major circumstances occur, such as war, disaster or pandemic, then the people wouldn¡¯t support the Magic Tower. The Magic Tower¡¯s budget came from taxes. If the people turned their backs against the Magic Tower, it wouldn¡¯t be able to exist.

    It was a painful thought to entertain that the teacher she thought so dearly of had different values than herself. Iris momentarily bit her lips and continued.

    ¡°Anyway, I thought about the honsy mold and truthfully, the structures of the honsy molds are quite simple and it is not too hard to cure. If the palace can pledge support for some items, we¡¯d be able to fix quite a bit with just my power and,¡± Iris moved her pen quickly as she thought about if her power wasn¡¯t enough, ¡°There are many magical swordsmen in the palace anyways. We can convert their magic power.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t do that.¡± Sidrain, after listening to all this, shook his head.

    When Iris lifted her head, he caressed her cheek with an apologetic expression. At which she moaned despite herself. The excitement left in her body was reacting to his touch. He removed his hand and before she could even say anything, he talked.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± He apologized shortly and continued, ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t convert the magic power of the swordsmen. They are an army. Their magic power must remain in the army. We can¡¯t just use it at any time.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so,¡± said Iris disappointedly.

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. We are in a palace and always have to think about our defense.¡±

    Iris nodded. She put a huge ¡®x¡¯ mark as she crossed out the word magical swordsmen.

    ¡°Ah, then¡­.¡± Iris mumbled while drawing. ¡°Honsy molds roughly acts like this; 100 days of incubation period, 30 days of progression and then death. We can save the patients that haven¡¯t reached death yet with medicine. If we¡¯re saving the people who already entered 30 days of progression, the amount of medicine I can make with my power is for around 27 people per day. And I know you may not understand the magic formula I thought of¡­¡±

    Iris quickly wrote down the formula. Of course, Sidrain didn¡¯t understand a single word. Every magic formula was made with numbers and ancient language so only those who had formal education could understand.

 Chapter 76

    However, even if one had undergone formal education, it would be hard to understand. Iris Elaine had terrible handwriting. Sidrain couldn¡¯t even distinguish numbers between words. Iris had a peculiar talent of making each syllable look like an indecipherable symbol which looked like caterpillars.

    ¡°And if we lower the antidote amount to 10 then we can make the medicine that slows the progress of honsy mold by about 254 per day. That doesn¡¯t take much mana. I can do this every day. This is saying if the Magic Tower really doesn¡¯t do anything. Honestly,¡± mumbled Iris as she drew more caterpillars on the paper. Sidrain looked down thinking those were words.

    ¡°The reason the Magic Tower is stepping away from this is because they don¡¯t want any attention. They really hate having guests over. So I think it would work if we put a facility for patients somewhere and ask the Magic Tower to supply the medicine.¡±

    Iris prayed this was true. She hoped they could do at least that much. She hoped that her teacher was someone who cared about the people at least that much.

    ¡°In the facility, I can take care of the people who are most affected, as it takes a bit of mana. And, uh, we can receive medicine from the Magic Tower. Ah, the ingredient fee can be provided from the national budget. And overall if we make the medicine that will slow the progression of honsy molds, then we¡¯ll buy some time. If then, hm, I think it would be possible.¡±

    Sidrain quietly asked after listening. ¡°The Magic Tower can make the antidote and also make the medicine that will slow the progression?¡±

    He thought of the congress that was being held next month. In the case of En Letaire, the representatives of each class are gathered. The House of Commons was the representative of peasants, and the Senates was the representative of nobles. The national budget had to be passed from the House of Commons first. The legislation that was passed by the House of Commons could be cut by the Senate but in case of the national budget matter, it could only reach the Senates if it passed the House of Commons.

    He was curious as to what would happen to the Magic Tower budget if this news spread. He expected much backlash from the House of Commons.

    The Magic Tower and the Royals were completely opposite. Sidrain and Elaine kept checking and attacking each other. Elaine wouldn¡¯t let go of such thing and neither would Sidrain.

    Iris continued, ¡°It¡¯s subtle. And the medicine to slow the progression is made by me. It¡¯s my formula¡­ It¡¯s likely to have an effect but I don¡¯t know how much. I have to try it. But I think it shouldn¡¯t have aftereffects¡­ This, Your Majesty has to understand it, but the majority of the wizards in the Magic Tower aren¡¯t interested in medical magic. The only person that¡¯s interested is me, so they can for sure cure the honsy molds, but didn¡¯t think of making an antidote or medicine that will slow the progression. The Magic Tower is a place of research, not a place of healing. Honestly, I think the healing should be done by the temple.¡±

    Sidrain stared at Iris and she avoided his stare. As the Magic Tower wouldn¡¯t do anything, she was trying so hard to do it herself and be on the Magic Tower¡¯s side. To her, it was like home. Elaine was her everything. If there wasn¡¯t an accident of her coming into Rosemary¡¯s body then she would still be a knight of the Magic Tower.

    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Sidrain. He didn¡¯t want to say that the Magic Tower shouldn¡¯t ignore the national disaster. He could see that Iris was trying her best and that he didn¡¯t want to burden her further. He hugged her and patted her back. ¡°Okay, Ris. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve done well.¡±

    Iris blinked in his embrace. She didn¡¯t want to cry but she felt melancholic. If the Magic Tower really doesn¡¯t help with the antidote, she felt like she would be very disappointed at the Magic Tower. Her home. She thought she would feel disappointment for the first time to Elaine, who was like a parent, a friend and a teacher to her.

    Afraid of it happening, she closed her eyes in Sidrain¡¯s embrace. She hoped that such day would never come. She hoped that the sun wouldn¡¯t rise tomorrow, even though she thought of herself weak for having such thoughts..

    The ink bottle was knocked over and ink spilled over the bed but neither of them moved. Black ink tainted the white sheets. It was gradual, but what was white soon became black.

    ***

    The Magic Tower didn¡¯t refuse. The Magic Tower took Iris¡¯s formula and started making the antidotes and the medicine that will slow the progress simultaneously. The mana of the nation¡¯s best wizards were strong and they could make enormous amounts of antidotes. They were willing to make the antidotes to make the crowd that surrounded the tower disappear and the people were grateful that the Magic Tower was creating the antidotes. The popularity of the Magic Tower increased.

    But it was nothing compared to the popularity that the Royal Family received.

    The Royal Family made the treatment center and Iris went to the facility to save the people who were in the direst situation. She did whatever she could with magic but that was all she could do. The rest was up to Elena En Sethang. She managed people, gave them instructions, checked the supplies, and was in charge of flow of the patients. It was her duty to keep the crowd that wanted to see the Queen. The crowd wanted the Queen.

 Chapter 77

    The Queen could do magic? They all wondered.

    It was possible. The Royals or sometimes nobles had people who had mana from time to time. But the Queen? Their queen possessed mana? She could do magic? She¡¯s saving people with that? Personally in the treatment center?

    The crowd went frenzy for the Queen and wanted to see her. They wanted to hold her hand and if not that, wanted to see even a string of her hair. The world was trembling with their chant for the Queen.

    At that point Elena did something outrageous. Working with Lily En Oswald, she had all the Queen¡¯s guard knights wear red armour. It wasn¡¯t red like the rose. It was red like blood.

    Every knight looked frightening. They appeared as reapers of the queen. The reapers that wouldn¡¯t let the queen do anything. They marched around the queen, their armor making a threatening clanking sound every time they took a step. If something little happened to the Queen they were sure to swing their swords. They looked cruel. They were cruel.

    And in a few days the wives of the nobles started to appear.

    ¡°You will help?¡±

    Iris stared blankly at a noble¡¯s wife with a blank face. She knew who she was as she memorized, but what would a precious marchioness do in the treatment facility?

    But the marchioness was a sly woman. She knew well what she should be doing for her husband and her family at times like this. She should be on the queen¡¯s side, help and take a bit of grand credit the queen will be receiving. The marchioness in as plain of a clothes as possible, brought dozens of maids with her.

    It seems like it¡¯s starting. Elena smiled inside. Everyone was noticing the power of the Queen.

    Just like she expected, with the marchioness starting to show up, the other nobles¡¯ wives showed up in plain clothes on purpose with their maids as well. They also sent the message to places, checked the supplies, calculated the wages for the people working, and helped Elena with her duties. They weren¡¯t a big help but it was very meaningful that the wives were voluntarily helping the queen.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Os Viscountess and Mutarion Countess will be visiting today.¡±

    Iris awkwardly smiled as she received such notice every day. They all bowed politely in front of Iris and then kissed the back of her hand. They praised her work and showed their willingness to do anything. Iris looked at Elena uncomfortably each time. She didn¡¯t know what she should be saying.

    It was an early summer night when the honsy mold started to disappear and the treatment center was surrounded by more of the crowd that wanted to see the queen than the patients.

    Iris was receiving a kiss from today¡¯s attendee. Nowadays, it was their daughters also showing up with the nobles¡¯ wives. It was when all the ladies were showing up and testing Iris¡¯s memorization skill.

    Another lady appeared then. She was pretty. Her brunette locks that had shade of red were loosely tied up and she was wearing somewhat of a fitting dress. Elena thought it was a bit rustic but Iris thought she was just a cute lady. Her eyes were brown and her lips were thin and a little tilted. At a certain angle one might say she looked a little out of shape.

    But it was certainly a pretty face. It wasn¡¯t an extraordinary face that would make people turn around on the street to look at her again, but it also wasn¡¯t so plain. She probably heard that she was cute when she was little but became a little plain as she grew up. She came and bowed to Iris and Iris also received her greeting with an uncomfortable face.

    ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of Count Surah,¡± interrupted Elena.

    That moment, Iris¡¯s eyes were wide open. Her step sister, Margaret En Surah, suddenly appeared. She thought she forgot about her but her heart started thumping hard.

    The Queen¡¯s face had become white as a sheet.

    Elena En Sethang, the woman who thought that observing the Queen¡¯s face was the most important and interesting thing in the world was very carefully observing the Queen¡¯s face. The Queen¡¯s blue eyes were burning more brightly and anyone could tell that she was excited.

    To what? Elena looked at the daughter of Count Surah. To that country girl?

    Until now the Queen never showed any emotion to any noble ladies she saw. No matter how beautiful, how charismatic, she only greeted them with an uncomfortable face. She was never overwhelmed. Elena considered that to be a good point. Iris was someone born without being affected by others. For someone high up, that was the most useful trait.

    But now she was trying hard not to tremble. Others wouldn¡¯t see it, but Elena, who considered knowing everything about the Queen the most important thing in the world, could see it.

    She looked at Margaret En Surah¡¯s face again. She looked at her clothes again too. Her actions and her expressions.

    The country girl was full of ambition, Elena presumed. Out of all the ladies from the countryside, there was a lady who was most mature and had the most sense. She was also an attractive lady who knew her place.

 Chapter 78

    But from time to time, unlike this Margaret En Surah, there were ambitious women, ignorant of their position, who tried their best to be on the queen¡¯s side. Little did they know, they were whom society deemed as unattractive. They were looked down upon by the society of the capital¡¯s noble ladies.

    Why was the queen acting like this to someone like her?

    As Elena was finding it strange, something even stranger happened. The queen shook her head and refused a kiss from Margaret En Surah. Instead of stretching out her hand to receive the kiss of submission, she mumbled with her face as white as a sheet, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Then she turned her back.

    As the queen left the tent that was made as a drawing room, there was a cold silence amongst the noble ladies.

    Queen Rosemary became a different person after the accident. She was shy but she was kind to everyone. She was the most kind to old ladies or kids on the street. Her reapers, the royal guards, hated it but the queen from time to time bowed and accepted the hands that the kids stretched out. ¡®What is your name?¡¯ ¡®Listen to your mother.¡¯ She even said these things to the children.

    She always respected the noble ladies and was kind to them. Since she declared she could perform magic, she checked the status of the noble ladies as well. Out of all the noble ladies that came to help the queen, there was no one who was unwell. Whether their back hurt or their head hurt, all of them were cured by the queen. It was such an elegant mercy that no matter what their stance was politically, the noble ladies forgot it for a moment and gave their pure gratitude.

    This treating centre was becoming a place of politics. Certainly, like Elena, there were people who didn¡¯t forget their political ideals in front of the queen, but even she thought that it was alright that everyone was happy. Everyone spent tea time with the queen, and everyone was happy. The queen didn¡¯t talk much but she listened and everyone cherished the time they could talk to the queen about themselves. The queen was their idol and their crown.

    But the queen ignored that rustic girl.

    Who is that girl?

    Who is that girl that Her Highness is ignoring her?

    Why is Her Highness offended?

    She¡¯s not the one to be offended easily, what did that wench do?

    The aggressive gaze of the noble ladies headed toward Margaret En Surah.

    All of those questions went through Elena¡¯s head. She didn¡¯t know why the queen was acting like that but she knew that the girl was the one that was shaking the ever so calm soul of the 1ueen. It couldn¡¯t be for a good reason.

    I¡¯m going to find out who you are. When Elena was just looking at Margaret, Marchioness Lasian, who was just below Elena and the first person to come to the treating centre when it opened with her maids, smiled.

    ¡°Everyone, she is Margaret En Surah. What should she do?¡±

    The Count Surah Family had a count title but right now they were a regional noble that had less power than a viscount. Their manor was small and had close to nothing and almost nothing really came out from their manor as well. The only reason that they could send Margaret to the capital with having just a little bit of farmland was because she married a merchant that had quite a bit of money and then divorced him, bringing a large amount of alimony with her. She used that money to travel to the capital.

    She promised herself that she wouldn¡¯t lose to the noble ladies in the capital but when she came, she noticed that she couldn¡¯t compare. But she still had hope. If she got on the good side of the Queen, she was sure that her life would change!

    But that Queen¡­

    That moment, a noble lady spoke and tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°Count Surah, from north right?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Ah, where? Ah, there. There. Oh my. It¡¯s beside our manor.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re beside your manor? Our manor is beside yours¡­ Ah, it¡¯s that cute little manor in between our manors.¡±

    ¡°Cute little manor? Oh my, I¡¯m jealous. Our manor, let¡¯s see, looks like a rhino. So inelegant.¡±

    ¡°Our manor is a giraffe.¡±

    Everyone was laughing, but their eyes weren¡¯t.

    ¡°So, what shall she do?¡± Marchioness Lasian asked.

    Margaret was trembling as the noble ladies were blatantly condescending. What did she do to deserve this? She couldn¡¯t understand. What did she do wrong? She just lived life as hard as she could. She was born into a noble family but her parents lacked so she had to marry a merchant. He was also way older, dirty and a pig that was no good and also cheated on her. Cheating? She was a noble and how can a lowly person like him bring in a noble like her as a wife and dare to cheat?

    Unable to forgive him, she brought the woman to her and beat her with a whip a few times. It was something maids go through and she was a peasant so she should be punished, but the pig she called her husband showed up and asked for a divorce immediately. Just like that, she was divorced. It was his fault so she took large alimony, but it couldn¡¯t heal her shredded pride.

 Chapter 79

    ¡°If she¡¯s from the north, wouldn¡¯t she be good at laundry?¡±

    Some noble lady spoke again and everyone followed.

    ¡°Laundry is important.¡±

    ¡°Then should we tell her to do laundry together?¡±

    ¡°There is way too much laundry with the patients¡¯ pus. It¡¯s not an easy job.¡±

    ¡°Of course. We have to supervise her well. We have to check whether each piece of clothing is clean. The Queen also said that cleanliness is important.¡±

    ¡°She is yet to marry and has stamina, she could supervise there all day. And if we need more hands, we could go.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, that sounds good.¡±

    Once more, the laughter of the noble ladies leaked out of the tent.

    Me, they want me to do laundry? Especially the laundry with the patient¡¯s pus? Margaret¡¯s face blushed in crimson red. She wanted to scream and lash out her anger immediately but she held it in, trembling. They were all noble ladies with statuses higher than her. She couldn¡¯t do anything against them.

    Wait until I get the Queen¡¯s attention. I will make every one of you wenches lick my boot. Margaret was desperate.

    ***

    That night, Sidrain saw no light emanating from Iris¡¯s room and thought it was odd. She hadn¡¯t turned off her light recently. Iris was embarrassed every time Sidrain visited, but she waited for him with the lights on.

    ¡°Ris?¡±

    Sidrain had received a report from the head of the maid that the queen was acting weird all day. He also received the same report from Elena. No, it wasn¡¯t a report. Elena came with her eyes ablaze, asking if he knew who Margaret En Surah was. There was definitely something between her and the queen, she said, and that the Queen was shaken by her appearance. Elena was determined to reveal that girl¡¯s identity.

    As Sidrain listened to Elena¡¯s rambles, he thought, it¡¯s possible that she was more obsessive with Iris than I am.

    He scolded her, saying that she shouldn¡¯t go around all crazy and go take care of the queen, but as soon as she saw the dark room, he felt that something was off.

    ¡°Ris, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Sidrain sat on Iris¡¯ bed and carefully called her. But she didn¡¯t answer. She put the sheet over her head like a turtle and was trying her hardest to pretend to be sleeping.

    ¡°My lady, really why are you doing this?¡± Sidrain laid behind her and hugged her with the sheet.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Why, already?¡±

    Iris doesn¡¯t sleep early.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Iris stuttered. Her voice sounded depressed so Sidrain remembered the name Elena mentioned.

    Margaret En Surah.

    Who is that girl?

    ¡°My lady really can¡¯t lie, but you don¡¯t want to tell me?¡±

    ¡°N, nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Ris.¡± As he called her name as if trying to comfort her, Iris didn¡¯t talk for a moment. Eventually she mumbled, ¡°Have you ever had a nightmare before, Sid?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°A nightmare that recurs often?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course. The day I¡¯m assimilated with Testalia. Or dreams I have when my condition isn¡¯t the best.¡±

    Then Iris carefully took out her head from the sheet. Her face could be barely seen under the moonlight. Her eyes were a little swollen, she had been crying.

    ¡°I have it too,¡± spoke Iris.

    ¡°Right,¡± nodded Sidrain.

    ¡°I have a nightmare. It¡¯s something I dream about as I was about to forget it¡­ I know that I don¡¯t have to go through it again but I still dream about it from time to time. Whenever I¡¯m not well or I¡¯m tired.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s a dream so I¡¯m okay. Dreams go away when morning comes. But¡­¡± What if it becomes the reality? Iris couldn¡¯t say it.

    She hated everything, from the reason she was crying, was feeling depressed, and feeling agitated. She wasn¡¯t Iris then and even now her appearance wasn¡¯t Iris, but Rosemary. She could¡¯ve been more confident. But the moment she heard Margaret¡¯s name, the only thing she could do was run away. She was scared.

    ¡°A nightmare¡­ The nightmare I have is usually twenty, twenty one, twenty two, nightmares around then. When does Ris have a nightmare?¡± Sidrain whispered. His voice was so sweet and trustworthy. Iris wanted to believe anything he said.

    ¡°When I was little,¡± answered Iris.

    ¡°Around when you went into the Magic Tower?¡±

    ¡°B, before I went into the Magic Tower.¡±

    ¡°Then you were really little. Iris, when you have a nightmare,¡± Iris closed her eyes as Sidrain whispered. He closed the distance between their lips, then soon caressed her cheek and her neck. ¡°Especially in the middle of the night.¡± Sirain didn¡¯t look at Iris¡¯ face. She thought he was a caring man. So he couldn¡¯t show her this face. ¡°You just have to destroy it.¡±

    Iris hugged her without a word. Thank you, she wanted to say. But she didn¡¯t understand his real intentions.

    ***

    (Manifestor: Iris Elaine.

    Manifesting place: Surah Rones)

    Sidrain pressed down on the paper. Iris was agitated the moment she saw Margaret En Surah. The agitation was stronger than his expectation. She mentioned nightmares and didn¡¯t say anything else, but her nightmare seemed to be worse than he assumed. And she was from Surah Rones, which was Count Surah¡¯s mansion. Was this coincidence?

    It was like a dog barking a poem.

    ¡°Retendon.¡±

    A knight came up at Sid¡¯s calling. He was with Sidrain when he went to kill a dragon. He usually wore a helmet so one couldn¡¯t see his face.

    Count Retendon En Mutarion.

 Chapter 80

    He was one of the main subjugates of Sidrain, the man who was only the second child of a viscount became a count due to the huge contribution he had after subjugating the dragon.

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I heard that Iris Elaine was manifested in Surah Rones, I need to know what kind of a child Iris Elaine was when she was alive. Find out as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s through guild, I will be able to find out in about a week.¡±

    ¡°Quickly, and in secret. Everything you can.¡±

    Iris Elaine? Retendon En Mutarion thought it was a pretty random name but still bowed politely and left the King¡¯s office. While he was walking down the hallway, he thought of a subjugate of his own whom he could send to the guild. But isn¡¯t she already dead?

    Was the Magic Tower still holding her responsible?

    The Magic Tower thought that the Queen killed Iris Elaine, which was probably true. The Queen nowadays has become too kind, but the actual Queen wasn¡¯t like that. Retendon saw the Queen¡¯s slyness through and through and also believed that a person doesn¡¯t change. Humans don¡¯t change. Underneath everything their base remains the same. The Queen was probably the same.

    It was probably because of the shock of almost drowning but that would disappear soon. Poor common people, he thought. When will they know that the Queen they know is just a product of whim.

    Well, it¡¯s not something I care about.

    His master wasn¡¯t the Magic Tower nor the Queen, but the King. The leader of the dragon subjugation team. The dragon slayer. The person who allowed him to return alive. He doesn¡¯t believe nor follow other than him.

    Retendon marched down the hallway. Count Portwall was passing by him and then called him.

    ¡°Count Mutarion?¡±

    ¡°Count Portwall.¡±

    They were both counts and now they were in similar positions in the palace, but their actual position was very different. One started as the second child of a viscount and then became a count due to his contribution in slaying the dragon, and the other got his position of being the crown prince¡¯s close friend, which was a guaranteed position. But two of them were fairly close as they were comrades that had to face the dragon together.

    ¡°How about tonight?¡±

    Mutarion dragged Portwall to a corner. They were so close that it looked like they were going to kiss while whispering.

    ¡°I¡¯m good after I finish what His Majesty assigned me.¡±

    Mutarion laughed challengingly.

    ¡°Good, my condition is great today. I¡¯m going to break your body so clean up before you come. Ok?¡±

    ¡°Break it, I¡¯m honoured. Wasn¡¯t it you who were underneath me crying?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see today.¡±

    Such conversation sparked rumours of the two of them being homos*xuals but the truth was that they were the partner for battle boxing that the Empire had banned. Two of them went to a corner and pretended to be a low class to participate in the battle boxing and beat each other up. Then, they use the money from the bets to drink a lot of cheap drinks. It was their way of getting away from their job. But it was a pretty lowly activity for someone from the palace to enjoy it, but they chose to be misunderstood as homos*xuals. They knew it was a harmless rumor.

    When a servant was passing by, Portwall pulled Mutarion and Mutarion didn¡¯t refuse. They shared a light kiss to add fuel to the gossip. As the maid left, the two of them belched immediately and uttered profanities at each other.

    ¡°Every time I touch your lips with mine, I give praise to all the women who you had a relationship with,¡± Mutarion mumbled. Both of them knew that a french kiss would bring more substance to the rumour and protect their hobby, but they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to engage in a passionate kiss, as they were both men.

    ¡°Whenever I touch your dry and thin lips,¡± Portwall hissed, ¡°I wonder why your mother was so mean to her second child. Didn¡¯t she give too much to her first child? The feeling of your lips, it¡¯s trash.¡±

    The worst, worst, worst. Portwall repeated three times and Mutarion¡¯s face became contorted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you usually not say something like that to someone who was born as a second child and lived a rough life?¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re doing  ten better than your brother now. And you said your life was rough but half of it was similar to mine. I was born as the first child of Count Portwall, but I grew up soft.¡±

    Mutarion smiled. He was born as the second child of a lowly viscount family and was recruited as a member of the dragon subjugation group that was basically a suicide mission. At the time, his face showed that his life was over. Then he met Portwall who was laughing and saying that he stole a bunch of booze from his father.

    Portwall was a true nutcase. The closest friend to this nutcase was Sidrain. The man who was bearing the most came assimilated with a magic sword and then took the most expensive drink that this nutcase stole.

    The dragon subjugation was honestly a pretty fun experience. Until they met the dragon, there were only humorous conversations along the way. Portwall was really funny and the Crown Prince Sidrain was a cunning man.

    It was fun, Mutarion thought. Until we met the dragon. Until we were massacred by the ancient beast.

 Chapter 81

    ¡°You sure grew up soft.¡±

    Portwall smiled at Mutarion¡¯s sarcastic remark. ¡°You lived a similar life as your closest friend to the king. So don¡¯t think that your life was rough, man.¡± Portwall said as he patted Mutarion¡¯s shoulders, and bid his goodbye as he made his way to Sidrain¡¯s office.

    ¡°What did you order to Retendon, Your Majesty?¡±

    Portwall came in asking. He constantly asked Sidrain numerous things as if they were nothing, owing to the close bond between them. They were best of friends; no, they were brothers. Both of them believed that they were brothers. Portwall didn¡¯t harbor any trust for his blood-siblings and neither did Sidrain. When they had been chosen to be a part in the suicide mission, they knew they were abandoned by their family. Since then, they didn¡¯t believe in their own blood.

    ¡°I told him to find out about Iris Elaine at the guild,¡± replied Sidrain.

    ¡°Sid, is the Queen really Iris Elaine?¡±

    Iris hadn¡¯t bothered hiding her magic abilities. Portwall, who knew Rosemary very well, asked Sidrain then what had happened. How Sidrain, who hated Rosemary with passion, came to love her, and at the same time, how the queen was able to perform magic. As he asked strongly, Sidrain eventually told him the truth.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As Sidrain answered while looking at the document, Portwell sighed.

    ¡°The princess of the Magic Tower is our Queen?¡±

    ¡°It has pros and cons.¡±

    Portwell let out a ridiculed laugh at Sidrain¡¯s words.

    ¡°You put her crazy father as the con, right Sid? If Elaine knows, we¡¯ll be damned. Elaine¡¯s love for his students, especially Iris, is known to the people. There¡¯s no way he would let Iris become the Queen. And if he knows that we know, the Magic Tower will fight.¡±

    ¡°She is my queen.¡±

    Sidrain had told Portwall from the beginning: the story of how they met when they¡¯re sixteen. Since then, Sidrain couldn¡¯t forget his first love. Portwall finally understood what Sidrain meant when he spat out ¡°She¡¯s my first love¡± during the crazy spring party.

    ¡°You¡¯ve only met her once, Sid. Just once. You didn¡¯t even see her face!¡± Portwall had said as if it was the most ridiculous thing he¡¯d heard from his brother.

    ¡°I know. Just once. I didn¡¯t see her face,¡± Sidrain had replied.

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°I heard her voice through the light. I felt her presence behind the door. The first time I felt there was an obstacle, she allowed me to overcome it. I don¡¯t believe in Ruthna. I never felt her presence. But that day I felt the presence of a goddess. From very close. I found out what a goddess is.¡±

    At Sidrain¡¯s words, Portwall could no longer stifle his utter disbelief and had said, ¡°Oh my god, Sid. Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°I lived by logic. I didn¡¯t go find her and I didn¡¯t reveal myself to her. I was going to bury the memory. I buried it! But she came to me! She came into my wife¡¯s body and into my embrace¡­. Damn, now that I met her again, she¡¯s become more lovely. What can I do?¡±

    Sidrain had looked with complete sincerity and seriousness to his brother that Portwall could not help but scream the words ¡°Your Majesty!¡± to Sidrain, begging him to return to his senses. He was a King, and the King need not such hopeless dreams! But Sidrain had merely shaken his head.

    ¡°I did all what I had to do. I killed the dragon and became a king and attended to all my responsibilities. I can¡¯t let this woman go, Pow.¡± Sidrain had declared. ¡°I will not lose this woman. My Queen, I swear to Ruthna, is only this woman, Iris Elaine. I will put my fate on it.¡±

    Portwall knew that day that his friend, his brother, his King, had become crazy. It took him a couple of days to accept it. There was nothing he could do. If the King had lost his mind, what could he possibly do? If Sidrain has gone crazy, I¡¯ll just have to make the world crazy too!

    Pow Portwall was Sidrain¡¯s true brother. The fact that they were both foolish boys made them brothers.

    Portwall shrugged his shoulders, ¡°If Your Majesty says that then she is our Queen. But the Queen doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of hiding nor is good at lying. We¡¯re going to be caught and you¡¯ll have to prepare for a confrontation with the Magic Tower.¡±

    But if Iris was willing to return to the Magic Tower, which once had been her home, it would be an entirely different story.

    Sidrain swallowed his nervousness. There was no denying that Iris would make such a choice. He still couldn¡¯t even forget the shock of her challenging him to a duel.

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the lawyers. This will become the trial of the century,¡± Sidrain said.

    Portwall scratched his head. Well, it might be a good choice to accept the princess of the Magic Tower as Queen. She held a vast amount of magic power and was one of the pride of the Magic Tower. To take her away was like taking an entire sword away from the Magic Tower.

    Portwall could see the future where the master of Magic Tower, Elaine, breathes fire like a dragon once he discovers the truth, but he chose to look at the good side. More so, he promised himself to beat Mutarion at the boxing match tonight.

    ***

    A week later, when Sidrain discovered the story of Iris¡¯ childhood, he furiously threw the report from the guild. Portwall had been with Sidrain, and he thought that it had been a while since he saw Sidrain livid. He picked up papers from the ground and skimmed through the documents. Portwall then knew that his rage wouldn¡¯t calm easily.

 Chapter 82

    Iris Elaine was born between Count Surah and his maid. It was more of a r*pe if anything. The maid couldn¡¯t handle Countess¡¯s abuse so she took her own life, leaving the child behind to be treated worse than a slave. The only reason the child was able to leave such abuse was because she could perform magic.

    Elaine was Iris¡¯s saviour. The reason she followed him blindly was because he came to save her at the most convenient time for her. Then she was able to receive formal education and live a new life, but she avoided people.

    Sidrain remembered when he met young Iris. She had screamed and had fainted afterwards. His heart felt restless as it seemed like she was reminded of her abused days when she saw his appearance.

    Count Surah, Count Surah. Sidrain repeated it a few times inside. To be honest, Count Surah was like an ant from Sidrain¡¯s perspective. Such a weak family that he could get rid of them with a press of a finger. Iris was abused by such family. She could¡¯ve possibly been abused all of her life.

    Ah, but he knew. Someone else is feeling the pain she felt right now. But everyone in the world was feeling their own type of pain. Like how he had to participate in dragon subjugation, everyone had their own pain and had to go through with it in their own way. She was lucky considering all this. Sidrain could understand all of this.

    In his head.

    In his heart, he didn¡¯t understand and didn¡¯t want to. He had something for using his power. And someone else was also very good at it too.

    ¡°Call Elena En Sethang.¡±

    The official deputy of the Queen. Elaine, the Queen¡¯s fanatic that everyone knew.

    ***

    Margaret En Surah was no one to be curious about. Her life began peaceful, but was soon disturbed when one lowly girl slave was able to perform magic.

    To Margaret, Iris, the girl slave, was like a double-edged sword. Margaret was able to grow her self-esteem thanks to that girl slave and blossom her unique arrogant charm. But her sadistic personality  was also born with it. Margaret was a woman who could not stand without abusing or insulting someone. She had to live her life with someone being beneath her. Or else she couldn¡¯t even confirm her own existence.

    Her life was pitiful but that also quickly went away when one looked at the way she acted. She insulted the weaker people and could only be satisfied by seeing them in pain, but to the people in power she tried her best to be on their connection to taste power. This was probably because of her parents¡¯ education and probably because there were many events that scratched her pride as a daughter of a small territory noble.

    Anyways, since that lowly girl slave Iris disappeared, her father grieved why it had to be Iris and not Margaret. He openly insulted her, saying she¡¯s useless. Margaret returned the same insult when she married a merchant. How because her father was useless that she has to marry a merchant instead of a noble. It was give and take. From a certain perspective, it was quite a fair father and daughter relationship.

    Everyone compared Margaret to Iris. Iris Elaine. As the name got more famous, Margaret¡¯s pride was shattered more and more. Then when she was divorced and came back home, her father openly treated her like trash. Margaret took her alimony and came to the capital.

    I will make my father and everyone regret it. I will not return before then! I heard the Queen is soft hearted so I will be on her good side and grab power!

    This was Margaret¡¯s life and the beginning of the misfortune for Count Surah¡¯s family.

    ***

    ¡°Our schedule is full, Miss.¡±

    They didn¡¯t even seem sorry. Rejection from fourth stores. Every store was the same. They rejoiced when she said she¡¯s here to fit a dress for a ball, but the moment she gave her name, they rejected her. Margaret decided to give a different name at the fifth store.

    ¡°Widney Ross.¡±

    When she chose to give another name, she remembered her ex-husband¡¯s lover¡¯s name. She wasn¡¯t even a noble! Since she wasn¡¯t a noble, she expected a rejection but she was surprised. The store clerk smiled politely and led her inside.

    Dress shops were the same everywhere. It was like a salon for noble ladies. To hear rumours there was no place like it. Margaret carefully opened her mouth after being measured.

    ¡°The store before me said their schedule is full.¡±

    ¡°Oh, in a season like this? Which store?¡±

    As Margaret gave the name, the employee seemed puzzled.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±

    ¡°I saw the person before me being sent away because of the schedule so I couldn¡¯t even get in.¡±

    ¡°A person before you? Did you hear her name?¡±

    ¡°Margret¡­. What was it? Sirah? Surah?¡±

    As Margaret carefully said her name ,the employee laughed, ¡°You must be talking about the daughter of the Count Surah. It¡¯ll be hard for her to fit a dress anywhere in the capital.¡±

    So it was me they were rejecting, she thought, gritting her teeth, but plastered an elegant smile on her lips.

 Chapter 83

    ¡°Oh, why?¡±

    Margaret was annoyed that she had to be polite to a commoner since she said she was a commoner, but she had no choice. This store was the last dress shop that she could go in. There weren¡¯t many dress shops that noble ladies regularly went to.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know,¡± the employee said rather proudly, ¡°In the palace society there¡¯s somewhat of a rank. Her Majesty the Queen is at the top. There is a rumour that Miss Surah did something to displease her.¡±

    ¡°R, really?¡±

    I did? Margaret remembered the short meeting with the Queen. Was I not formal enough? She couldn¡¯t be so sure.

    ¡°To displease the Queen in the noble lady society basically means she¡¯s done. She probably displeased the Queen¡¯s connections, like Duchess Sethang and Marchioness Lasian.¡±

    Marchioness Lasian. Margret gritted her teeth. ¡°What shall we make her do?¡± That annoying voice still wouldn¡¯t leave her ears.

    ¡°Why was the Queen so upset with Miss Surah?¡±

    ¡°Well, people like me wouldn¡¯t know? But since the carriage accident, she became kind like a new person¡­.. So Count Surah¡¯s daughter must have done something wrong.¡±

    ¡°But that might not be true¡­¡± Margaret didn¡¯t do anything wrong but she was afraid that she would be revealed as Margaret En Surah, not Widney Ross, so she chose her words carefully.

    The employee scoffed like it was nonsense.

    ¡°Her Majesty the Queen is the one that defeated the magical mold. That country noble daughter must have done something wrong.¡±

    The employees left while speaking. The employee, who said she¡¯ll return with a sample of cloth, saw Margert¡¯s hand and opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°Oh my, why are your hands like this?¡±

    Margaret hid it out of surprise.

    ¡°It, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not nothing¡­ Oh my, your hands are all dry. The housework must be tough.¡±

    It was hard to supervise the laundering of patients¡¯ clothes. She had to pick up each and every one of the wet laundry and check whether it was done properly. The hanging was done by the maids of Marchioness Lasian. But if there was even one laundry that wasn¡¯t done properly, Marchioness Lasian came over and gave an earful: since the Queen was trying her best for the people, they should do the same and focus, all the while pointing out Margaret¡¯s mistake to everyone.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡±

    ¡°Our store has a policy of a deposit fee of half price. That¡¯s ok, Miss?¡± The employee asked suddenly as she seemed to be worried about her finances. The employee was examining Margaret¡¯s appearance. She couldn¡¯t hold back.

    ¡°What are you saying, you lowly brat!¡± Margaret threw tea at the employee¡¯s face and screamed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    The employee was flustered as she got hit by tea in the face.

    ¡°How dare you treat me like poor?! Tell the owner to come out! To treat a noble like this!¡±

    ¡°A noble? Miss, you said you weren¡¯t a noble just before?¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­!¡±

    ¡°Miss, what did you say your name was?¡±

    The employee crossed her arms and asked. As she yelled, big men came inside. It was the guards that were placed in case something like this happens.

    Margaret¡¯s face turned white.

    ***

    Iris wasn¡¯t feeling well for a while. Her mana wasn¡¯t really depleted. Her mana was on top of the chart even in Magic Tower¡¯s history. But she lost her strength as she met all kinds of people. It was hard for her. Furthermore, she met Margaret.

    ¡°Are you that unwell?¡± Sidrain lied beside Iris and whispered. His big hand was on Iris¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that much.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re still unwell. Are you still having nightmares?¡±

    Iris dug herself into Sidrain¡¯s embrace instead of answering. He kindly and strongly hugged her.

    Little by little, she liked him more each day. He didn¡¯t keep asking her what she didn¡¯t want to talk about and instead locked her into his embrace. Margaret could never come when she¡¯s in there. She knew it showed weakness but she had to calm herself little by little like this. Margaret was scary. She looked like a scary monster that bullied her when she was little.

    She knew that wasn¡¯t the case in the head but she still didn¡¯t want to face it.

    ¡°There are times you want to run away even though you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Iris mumbled. She seemed embarrassed that she wanted to run away.

    Sidrain almost hugged her tighter because he felt pity. But that would only hurt her.

    ¡°It¡¯s tiring to think that you shouldn¡¯t run away. You should run if you want to, Ris.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Run away anytime. I¡¯ll get rid of anything. Nightmares or anything.¡±

    Sidrain¡¯s voice was kind.

    He came to see Iris every morning, day, night. It wasn¡¯t only him that came to see Iris. Elena En Sethang came to see her at noon. She came looking perfect as always and never would ask Iris to work. She would just tell her to rest and patted the blanket that Iris was in.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything, Your Highness. You¡¯ve got rid of the honsy mold. You¡¯ve done enough as the mother of the nation.¡±

 Chapter 84

    Elena didn¡¯t want Iris to come out of her bed but wanted her to still be attended to for bath and eat in her bed. She brought delicious desserts and scooped them in Iris¡¯s mouth. As she was still fascinated by the desserts from far away countries that even while she was being depressed, her eyes widened as she ate them.

    ¡°I have a son. His name is Rodrick and he is twenty seven.¡±

    Elena told her random stories.

    ¡°It¡¯s not because I¡¯m his mother, but he¡¯s a good child. He¡¯s fair and smart. He is working under foreign minister and it seems like they like his talent. He will become the Duke Sethang and he will become one of the people to lead this nation.¡±

    ¡°I, I see.¡±

    ¡°But sometimes I wonder, whether that child knows his fortune.¡±

    Iris blinked. She didn¡¯t understand what Elena meant. Elena continued her story-telling.

    ¡°There is no way of choosing one¡¯s parents. That child is becoming Duke Sethang because he was born as a son between me and Clarence. Of course, it was Ruthna¡¯s intention. But it is also certain that he was born with tremendous fortune. Every one of us has pockets full of fortune and misfortune, so we have to open them and deal with them as we live. Every light has a shadow and my child will also have to open his own pocket of misfortune someday,¡± Elena breathed a sigh before she continued.

    ¡° It¡¯s possible that he might not have parents as his shield. The title of Duke is like a double edged sword. He might be treated as a traitor and be killed or have to live his entire life locked in a tower. The more you have, the more you have to protect. Of course, it¡¯s still better to have more than to have nothing. So in that sense, my child is a fortunate one. He will always have to be thankful of that fortune and live in fear of the misfortune that fortune will bring. Will a day come when he will understand all of this, Your Highness?¡±

    Elena¡¯s eyes softly drooped at the corners. She was revealing Iris her intimate thoughts. It was a sincere and deep conversation. Iris slowly answered as she was thinking.

    ¡°He is your child so he might have realized this already. Children grow up like they¡¯re educated. I also¡­¡± Learned everything from my teacher, Iris barely swallowed her words. ¡°I also learned lots from my parents.¡±

    Elena smirked at Iris¡¯s answer. Rosemary¡¯s father was a mess. He was the worst parent in the palace. People said that Rosemary was like her father, though nowadays that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    Elena said as she covered Iris with a blanket. She checked the room meticulously and then brushed her hair carefully with her fingers. It wasn¡¯t something to do to a queen, but Iris accepted it like she was her mother. Elena whispered to Iris, who closed her eyes and was feeling the hand brushing.

    ¡°Fortune to misfortune, misfortune to fortune. In the end, they¡¯re together like light and shadow, Your Highness.¡±

    Iris was able to recover from her depressive state and resume her duties thanks to Elena¡¯s consoling speech. Iris always considered her most fortunate moment to be when she met Elaine. At the time, Elaine was able to reach first as Iris was in Surah Rones. Elaine was researching something around the place at the time.

    If she had to be born in Surah Rones to become Elaine¡¯s student. If she had to go through all of that because of that. Iris would gladly go through again.

    ¡°I was thinking about hosting a dinner with all the ladies that helped with the treatment centre for your birthday. How would you like that?¡± Elena asked.

    Iris momentarily stopped flipping the pages of the documents. Her heart thumped at Elena¡¯s suggestion; nonetheless, she nodded her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    Elena also heard about Iris¡¯s experience of being abused. She was enraged at the time. How could he abuse his own child because of his insecurity of being poor! She discovered the ugly history of Iris¡¯ birth; she didn¡¯t know where she should start being angry.

    My Queen, to be sick because of these beast-like human, this servant is very angry. She was going to show how bitter life could be to Count Surah¡¯s family.

    Margaret In Surah, the unfortunate lady who would be the first to taste Elena¡¯s poison, was trembling today as well.

    ¡°My god, what kind of crazy person did that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She wouldn¡¯t say her name in the end. But isn¡¯t it amusing? To try to fit a dress using someone else¡¯s name, and to yell that she¡¯s noble out of nowhere. Ah, right.¡± The noble lady that was talking squinted, looked at where Margaret was and spoke, ¡°I heard that her hands were rough from all the laundry?¡±

    Everyone pretended they didn¡¯t know while they chatted. Oh my, she must be crazy. No pride! I would¡¯ve killed myself! Everyone spoke up as if they wanted everyone to hear and Margaret shook every time.

 Chapter 85

    It was the Queen¡¯s breakfast meeting. As it was for the noble ladies who helped with the treating centre, Margaret had to show up. She had to wear a dress at a place where commoners go and overpay to fit a dress as she couldn¡¯t go to the dress shops where noble ladies went.

    At Elena En Sethang¡¯s appearance, all the ladies stood from their seats. Margaret bit her lips as they lightly bowed to the Duchess. Elena looked around and found Margaret then approached her. ¡°Miss Surah, you¡¯ve done well taking care of rough work,¡± she said with an elegant smile.

    Margaret¡¯s eyes opened wide at the Duchess¡¯s kind words. Elena En Sethang. The Queen¡¯s official deputy and her assistant. To have her be kind to her was unbelievable.

    ¡°N, no. As long as the Queen needs me, I will always work hard.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, what a good attitude for such a young lady.¡±

    The Duchess grabbed Margaret¡¯s hands. Even though she was in her late 40s, the Duchess¡¯s hands were smooth as silk. Her hands on the other hand¡­

    Margaret tried to hide her hands out of shame, but the Duchess shook her hands.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Be proud. You¡¯ve done so much for the Queen.¡±

    Yes, she does laundry very well. She can¡¯t fit a dress. Ah, but can she throw tea well?

    The ladies let out an evil laughter. Margaret¡¯s face blushed bright red and veins could be seen along her neck. The Duchess turned around while patting her hands, ¡°Stop.¡±

    All the cruel jokes stopped with that one word.

    Margaret¡¯s eyes shone. It¡¯s this lady. She had to be on the Duchess¡¯s good side for her future to be bright. ¡°M, madam. I really¡­ can do whatever. For the Queen and for you.¡± Margaret pretended to be na?ve and stammered as she bowed politely.

    But Elena En Sethang was laughed inside. She was the queen bee of the society of ladies. That wasn¡¯t something anyone could do. Margaret¡¯s greedy eyes and her pretenses of naivety. It was all a child¡¯s play for Elena. As she glanced to her side, Marchioness Lasian was looking at her confused.

    Her face screamed: What are you doing with that young trash, madam?

    Elena just smiled.

    ***

    The Queen¡¯s breakfast meeting was held in a restaurant full with soft morning sunlight.

    Margaret never saw such a beautiful restaurant in her entire life. Beautiful coloured glasses, crystal chandeliers, pretty glasses, fancy chairs, extravagant food, and ladies who look more beautiful than all of this. She couldn¡¯t believe her luck for being part of all of this. Especially¡­

    ¡°The Queen is entering.¡±

    She shuddered when the Queen entered, looking more beautiful and fancy than anyone.

    Rosemary En Letaire. The Queen of En Letaire. She was twenty three this year and her beauty was comparable to a rose basked in morning dew. Her elegant and small face had beauty that seemed to be holding some sort of secret. Her shoulders were round and her skin was as white as snow. Unlike her elegant face, her silhouette was sensual. She wore a white dress and blue heels; she was the personification of elegance.

    ¡°Elena.¡±

    The Queen looked for Elena after she entered. Elena En Sethang light bowed at such trust.

    ¡°Yes, my Queen. Elena En Sethang, at your service.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡±

    Margaret saw that the Queen spoke with Elena the most. It seemed like it¡¯s true that she was the closest person to the Queen. She sat on the left of the Queen.

    The next person she spoke to was obviously¡­

    ¡°Marchioness Lasian.¡±

    As the Queen turned her head, Marchioness Lasian, sitting at her right, smiled softly and bowed, ¡°At your service.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well at the treatment centre.¡±

    The Queen congratulated the Marchioness in a low voice.

    ¡°Not at all. Lasians are loyal servant of the Royal family so use us as you please.¡±

    Margaret was waiting for the Queen to speak to her but it was no use. The Queen only spoke to Duchess En Sethan and Marchioness Lasian before taking her seat. As the Queen settled down, the ladies sat down in turn. Of course, Margaret had to stand until the very end.

    She could barely hear what the Queen, the Duchess and the Marchioness were talking about. The table in the restaurant was so long that Margaret had to eat the very end of it. No one around her spoke to her. They smirked at her dress. The only reason they weren¡¯t doing it openly was because Duchess Sethang had told them to stop.

    With only one word, all the hateful criticism stopped.

    Margaret kept glancing towards the Duchess and the Queen. The Queen kept coming into her eyes.

    The Queen that was three years younger than Margaret truly was beautiful. She looked like she lived off of only dews. The person everyone in the nation loves and all the noble ladies to self-proclaim to be loyal servants. The lady that the King loves very dearly.

    What kind of fortune was she born with that she got to live a perfect life like that?

 Chapter 86

    Margaret was very envious of Queen Rosemary. Unlike her, whose father only had a tiny garden, the Queen was born from a high class noble in the capital and was engaged to the crown prince, who loved her dearly. What kind of luck did she have?

    She was more jealous because they were almost the same age. Margaret kept glancing towards the queen, fiddling with her hands. A noble lady seated beside her didn¡¯t bother hiding her displeasure as she clicked her tongue at Margaret¡¯s graceless attitude. ¡°How classless,¡± she muttered. It sounded as though she was talking to herself but it was obvious whom her words were directed to. Margaret blushed. The ladies started complaining.

    ¡°Why are you acting like a rat?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop. She¡¯s from the country so she might not have had the time to learn capital formality.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, Viscountess, you¡¯re so kind. I should learn that but from a young age, I had a weak stomach so I lose appetite when I see something dirty.¡±

    They whispered in case Elena might hear, but they made sure they talked loud enough for Margaret to hear their foul conversations. Margaret clenched on the handle of the knife until her knuckles turned white and hurt. Wait until I get on Queen and Sethang¡¯s good side. People like you, people like you¡­.!

    At that moment, something miraculous happened.

    ¡°The Queen is calling you,¡± a maid approached and spoke to her very politely.

    At first, Margaret didn¡¯t know who she was talking to, and then pointed at herself out of surprise.

    ¡°M, m, me?!¡±

    Her voice was so loud that it echoed in the restaurant.

    Every noble lady looked at Margaret simultaneously. Some of them closed their ears like they were surprised at such a loud noise and some of them frowned.

    But Margaret didn¡¯t blush this time. The Queen called her. That was not something to be embarrassed about. She raised her head confidently and stood up. As she was standing up, she hit the lady that called her classless with her elbow. She felt better when the lady yelled. The Queen called her!

    Margaret slowly walked. She wanted to show herself to the Queen. Who other than her was summoned personally by the queen? It was just her. She walked with slow elegant steps, redeeming herself before the noble ladies.

    As she arrived in front of the Queen, she bowed politely, ¡°Your Majesty, she is Margaret En Surah. She was in charge of supervising the laundry at the treating centre and she worked until her hands became ruined.¡±

    Duchess Sethang grabbed Margaret¡¯s hands at her words. Margaret quickly showed her hand. She should¡¯ve ruined them more. She had regrets. If I knew this was happening, I should¡¯ve ruined my hands more!

    ¡°She should be complimented by you, Your Majesty,¡± Elena said.

    Iris looked at Margaret¡¯s hands. Her hands were a little dry but that was that. Her palms were still soft as if they¡¯ve never worked a day in her life, which explains she couldn¡¯t handle such a measly task. Iris remembered when she was doing Margaret¡¯s laundry all the while being hit by her. Was it miserable? No, at that time, she knew nothing. She only realized the misery she had been forced to feel and experience when her savior, Elaine, adopted her.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Do I have to compliment Margaret? Iris asked herself. Do I really have to? If she didn¡¯t have to, she didn¡¯t want to. She didn¡¯t want to compliment her and didn¡¯t want to fix Margaret¡¯s hands. She didn¡¯t want to use her magic on her body. She didn¡¯t want to move a finger.

    Elena bowed deeply, looking a little troubled, ¡°No, Her Majesty. I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡±

    Of course, Elena wasn¡¯t troubled one bit. She didn¡¯t think the Queen should complement a wretch like Margaret from the beginning. She thought that the soft-hearted Queen might heal her worn out hands and compliment her, but she didn¡¯t mind whether she did or not. Her plan was only starting anyway.

    Marchioness Lasian could be seen looking over from across interestingly. She spent a long time with Elena in the palace social. She knew better than anyone that Elena wouldn¡¯t act like a mother to such a despicable woman who came from the country. What was going on? She was very curious. Elena normally wouldn¡¯t even look at her kind. Kinds who didn¡¯t know their place. She didn¡¯t even look down on them. It was Elena¡¯s point to not even give them contempt.

    Iris would normally abide with Elena¡¯s suggestions, but to Margaret, she didn¡¯t want to. Even if they felt discomfort, Iris looked away. Her eyes crossed with Marchioness Lasian.

    Marchioness Lasian took it as an opportunity to say, ¡°Your Majesty, I brought a musician so would you care to listen?¡±

    ¡°A musician?¡± Iris arched her eyebrow.

    ¡°Yes, he plays the lute and he is very good.¡±

    Marchioness Lasian clapped her hands like nothing happened, and the maids brought in the musician.

    And it was like nothing actually happened. The musician started playing the lute. With romantic music, the atmosphere was alive and joyous again. Like nothing happened, and like Margaret En Surah didn¡¯t exist from the beginning.

    Everything became tranquil for everyone, except for one person.

    Elena didn¡¯t look at Margaret on purpose. She only glimpsed at Margaret through the reflection on the glass. Margaret was stifling her shame and anger, but her trembling hands betrayed her.

    She¡¯s too easy, Elena shook her head.

 Chapter 87

    Three days later, Elena met an unwelcome guest.

    ¡°A lady called Margaret En Surah has been waiting for four hours, ma¡¯am.¡±

    She wondered how she felt when she was killing time for four hours drinking tea. Elena smirked. She opened the envelope and then shook her head, ¡°Tell her I will not see her.¡±

    ¡°She said she won¡¯t leave until she sees you.¡±

    It seemed like Margaret came determined, but Elena had no intention of making it easy for her. Officially, Margaret was embarrassed by the Queen after Elena praised her. It was only right for her to not meet Margaret out of anger.

    She shouldn¡¯t meet her easily. ¡°Take her out,¡± Elena hummed.

    Not long after, there was a scream outside. Elena neared the window; Margaret was being forcefully hurled outside.

    ¡°Let go! Let go! How dare you lowly things touch a noble! You will be punished by the law! Let go!¡± she screamed.

    Elena laughed at the sight. It had rained last night, her only decent dress might have been ruined in the mud.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you go easily! If I succeed, I¡¯m going to kill you all!¡± Margaret screamed at the top of her lungs, even reaching Elena¡¯s study.

    She¡¯s this easy? Elena scoffed. It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t clever, but she was just plain stupid. To be fighting with a child like this, too easy.

    Elena laughed. She felt like an elephant fighting an ant. She was going to use that foul woman and her stupidity and greed to destroy her name and family. Honestly, it was too easy that it was boring.

    Elena¡¯s fingers flipped open the letter written to her. As she read the content, her laughing ceased at once. A message that seemed to be from a spy was urgently written.

    (Duke Zeneth coming back. ETA on 29th.)

    Duke Zeneth, who was the most infamous lover of the prior Queen Rosemary, not the current Queen Iris, was returning. Oh my god. The Duke would ask to see the Queen the moment he comes back!

    ¡°Rowan!¡±

    Elena hurriedly called the butler, who showed up at once.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the King. Prepare the carriage!¡± She yelled sharply.

    ***

    That night, Iris waited for Sidrain with a strange feeling.

    He always came to Iris at the same time. Ever since Iris looked down since meeting Margaret, he stayed with Iris until she fell asleep. He didn¡¯t do anything odd, he only hugged her and told her everything was okay. If she wanted to run, she could. He assured her he would destroy her nightmare. It felt as if he knew about her nightmare even though he didn¡¯t.

    His embrace was comfortable and now that he was nowhere by her side, Iris felt a little lonely. She didn¡¯t know why but she missed his touch little by little. She wasn¡¯t missing the pleasure, but she wanted him to show his passion towards her again. It was the first that anyone wanted her that much. The courtship was sweet and intense. It was her first time, and she felt flustered, but later she became addicted. Without his presence, her heart felt a little empty.

    Other people were still uncomfortable to her. Even Elena¡¯s presence was uncomfortable. The maids always surrounded her and Iris was tired of being exposed to people all the time. Sidrain was different. When he touched her and caressed her, she felt like she was going into a deeper part of a cave. Only he could give her that feeling.

    As he didn¡¯t come past midnight, Iris was restless. Did something happen?

    It was when she got up from the bed and wore the ivory bracelet that the door opened, revealing Sidrain.

    ¡°Sid!¡±

    Iris ran to him in surprise and he staggered.

    ¡°Hi, Ris,¡± Sidrain smiled and balanced himself. Iris held his large body. She could smell alcohol.

    ¡°D, did you drink?¡±

    ¡°Ah, a little.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a little. He reeked of alcohol. Iris was a little bigger than an average woman, but she was thin so she couldn¡¯t hold onto Sidrain¡¯s large body. She barely supported him.

    ¡°It seems like you drank a lot.¡±

    ¡°No, just a little. Mm, but it was a high percentage. Or else, I won¡¯t get drunk.¡±

    He kissed Iris¡¯s cheek as he spoke. Iris¡¯s shoulders shrank as his lips were colder unlike the usual. Sidrain walked while leaning against her and mumbled.

    ¡°From the damn Testalia to the dragon heart, I ate too much. Ris, I don¡¯t really get drunk unless it¡¯s a high percentage alcohol. But I wanted to get a bit drunk today.¡±

    ¡°Wh, why?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ I wasn¡¯t feeling good,¡± Sidrain mumbled.

 Chapter 88

    It was a foolish jealousy of a silly man. Even though he knew what the truth was, he couldn¡¯t help but drown in liquor until he lost all his rationality. But he couldn¡¯t tell this to Iris. It was such a petty and ugly emotion that he couldn¡¯t reveal it. She wasn¡¯t Iris back then. They were two completely different people and he was the one who knew that better than anyone!

    When Iris led Sidrain to her bed strenuously, she suddenly closed her eyes without being able to scream. Sidrain had pinned her on the bed and hovered on top of her. Iris was frightened as her body was maneuvered out of her control; she shut her eyes and attempted to pacify her shock.

    A while later, when her nerves had calmed down, she opened her eyes. She was met with Sidrain¡¯s red orbs. Blazing. Fiery.

    ¡°Ris,¡± whispered Sidrain.

    Iris nodded her head, a word not leaving her mouth.

    ¡°Is today okay?¡± he asked.

    Iris stared at him, oblivious of the meaning behind his question. At her silence, Sidrain¡¯s hand crept slowly to Iris¡¯ chest and his fingers caressed her breast with explicit intention.

    ¡°How about today?¡± he asked again.

    It slowly dawned on Iris: Sidrain was waiting for her. It wasn¡¯t because his desire towards her had dwindled. He was trying his mightiest to stifle his desire lest he violate Iris. He wanted to protect her.

    Iris blinked. Sirdrain¡¯s face, reflecting the faint moonlight¡¯s glow, displayed a frown. He seemed to think he was rejected. Even so, he was looking down at her with his eyes full with desire, not renouncing what little hope he had.

    He needed her. He wanted her. He craved her. Sidrain was drowning in passion. The world had gone mute and the bed became a small boat, aimlessly floating under the moonlit sky.

    Iris couldn¡¯t say the word ¡®okay¡¯. She was still shy about it. However, she mustered every ounce of courage she had to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss the side of his lips. Her peck disturbed the quiet room. It was her permission.

    With that kiss, Sidrain set loose his suppressed desire and invaded and explored Iris¡¯s mouth. He sucked on her tongue until it hurt while his hand fondled with her bre*sts.

    Sidrain¡¯s touch was demanding yet gentle at the same time; he seemed like he would explode in pleasure any second now, but his touch remained as soft as a feather. Eager to feel some more, Sidrain lifted a finger and played with Iris¡¯ taut n*pple. He cherished it, stroking it in circles.

    Iris was easily stimulated, her body heating up from his every touch. She couldn¡¯t hold her moans. No, it seemed like it had become a habit in this state; her body effortlessly melted under Sidrain¡¯s caress. Sidrain was surprised, he never thought Iris could and would act like this.

    Sidrain finished their long, passionate kiss and whispered huskily in her ears, ¡°Can I engrave myself in you?¡±

    The smell of alcohol emanating from Sidrain¡¯s body was harsh but it wasn¡¯t too bad. It seemed like it was alcohol from fresh fruit. Iris¡¯ mind became fogged as if she was intoxicated.

    Sidrain¡¯s hands remained kind and sweet and full of love, but underneath that love was obsession flashing in his red eyes. But hazy Iris couldn¡¯t feel that obsession. Mm. Iris twisted her body, moans rolling from her tongue. Sidrain could no longer hold back and started to slowly put his hand down from her bre*st. His fingers traced her supple skin as they descended to her lower abdomen. Slowly. ¡°Ris, give me permission. That I can,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Ha, mm. Wh, what are you engraving?¡±

    ¡°Me.¡±

    ¡°D, does it hurt?¡± Iris asked.

    Sidrain smiled softly, ¡°No, it won¡¯t hurt. It¡¯ll only feel good, Ris.¡±

    This body already knows everything, Sidrain thought. Rosemary¡¯s shell was already used to pleasure so it wouldn¡¯t hurt. Even though Sidrain¡¯s manhood was enormous, her body could easily swallow it.

    Sidrain rested his hand on top of her nether region. He then began to stimulate her. He could feel her bush, her rustled bush. Iris¡¯ hair was blond, so that place would be blonde too. Before, when it was Rosemary, he mindlessly shoved his manhood inside her until he ejacul*ted like he was sick of it. He nevery paid attention to Rosemary¡¯s features.

    Right now, however, he was so impatient that he was going crazy. He wanted to see the colour of this bush. He wanted to comb it with his tongue. He wanted to pierce the small divide and play with the bud underneath. He wanted to suck it. He wanted to see her cry in pleasure.

    At this point, Sidrain no longer felt any jealousy.

    He, who was her husband, didn¡¯t even know her completely. How would other bastards know her? Iris moaned quietly unlike Rosemary, who moaned loudly on purpose; Iris closed her legs as she felt it unlike Rosemary, who would open her legs wide to even a little stimulation. How were they the same people? It was such a stupid thing to even think about.

    Men are stupid like that.

    He cursed himself and caressed the top of Iris¡¯s pajama, his throat dry.