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Chapter 180: Iris’s First Friend
Iris woke up late in the afternoon.
Fortunately, it was the weekend, so sleeping in wasn’t a problem.
In the meantime, Hania had gone to the boys' dormitory in my place.
If it weren’t for her, I might have unintentionally spent the night outside.
“……”
After waking up, Iris remained silent for a while.
Then, she stared at my face for a long time.
Right now, I was facing Iris not as Hannon but as Vikamon.
Perhaps because of that, the way she was staring at me felt quite burdensome.
“Ahem, um, Lady Iris.”
“Vikamon… Ah, right, that person existed.”
Ah, so she just didn’t remember.
Well, to Iris, Vikamon wasn’t an important figure.
He was just someone who had recklessly attacked her in the demon dungeon.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Perhaps that’s why she looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Why did you help me?”
Vikamon was someone whom Iris had expelled from the academy.
If anything, he had every reason to hold a grudge against her.
There was no logical reason for him to help her.
Why did I help her?
Faced with that question, I fell silent for a moment.
What should I say here?
Several excuses came to mind.
But in the end, I decided to speak honestly.
“You can’t always attach a reason to helping someone.”
I wanted to help Iris.
Because I had seen her life and pain in Blazing Butterfly.
I didn’t want her story to end in a bad ending.
That’s why I helped her.
That was the most honest feeling I had.
I knew that alone wouldn’t be enough for Iris to understand.
So I added something she could relate to more.
“More than anything, you remind me of my little sister.”
Iris’s eyes widened in surprise.
“…Little sister?”
“Yes, I have a younger sister who’s two years younger than me.”
Xenia and Iris weren’t completely different.
Blessed talent.
The expectations of those around them.
The duty to lead a group.
A longing for the affection of family.
These were all things they had in common.
When I looked at Xenia, for some reason, I thought of Iris.
Perhaps, just as Iris had unconsciously treated me like family, I had come to see her that way too.
‘Though technically, the order got reversed.’
But it wasn’t a lie.
Iris stared at me blankly.
Worried that she might not understand, I waited anxiously.
Then, after a moment, she finally spoke.
“…So I wasn’t the older one.”
That’s what she was concerned about?
Technically, I was older than her.
Both mentally and physically, I was in a position where I had to be.
Iris’s expression became serious.
“So that means… Hannon—no, Vikamon was actually my oppa?”
“Well, yes.”
Hearing Iris call me oppa gave me a strange feeling.
Was this why men liked being called that?
If I still had any lingering affection left in me, this might have had quite an impact.
“Then… what are we now?”
Until now, I had been acting as Hannon.
Because of that, Iris had always treated me as her younger cousin.
But now, my identity was exposed.
I was lucky that Iris had accepted my sincerity.
If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had any complaints even if I was executed on the spot.
So what exactly was the relationship between the two of us?
“…A symbiotic relationship, maybe?”
A relationship where we helped each other.
That’s how I described it, but Iris’s expression turned odd.
She stared at me for a long moment.
Then, suddenly, she raised her hand and started feeling around my chest.
Where was she touching?
After fumbling around for a while, Iris spread her arms wide.
Then, without warning, she lowered her body and buried her face into my chest.
As I looked down at her in disbelief, she rubbed her face against me before looking up.
“No, you’re my little brother.”
When did I become Iris’s little brother?
It seemed like she really wanted a younger sibling.
“How about a friend instead?”
“A friend…?”
“Yes. Family isn’t the only answer, as you now know.”
Iris had clung to the idea of family because she never had an equal relationship with anyone.
She was always in a position where she had to lead people.
Or she was surrounded only by a few people above her, like Duke Robliage.
She had believed that only family could provide an equal relationship.
That’s why she had clung to it so desperately.
But after facing the real Hannon, she must have realized the truth.
Even among real family, an equal relationship doesn’t always exist.
“I may not look it, but I’m quite rude. I can be friends with anyone, even you, Lady Iris.”
Iris knew better than anyone how I was.
A man who could charge at anyone, regardless of who they were.
A reckless guy, Vikamon.
Even with the future king, Ergo, I hadn’t hesitated to throw punches.
If Iris was okay with it, I could be an equal friend to her.
Iris remained in my arms, looking up at me.
Her ruby-red eyes were incredibly beautiful.
“I’ve never had a friend before, so I don’t really know.”
“It’s nothing special. As long as we get along, anyone can be a friend.”
“But I’m a princess.”
“Yes, even if you’re a princess.”
For Iris, this was something she had never heard before.
And perhaps, it was something she had always wanted to hear the most.
“Vikamon, you seem like someone from another world.”
She had quite the sharp insight.
“So… you’ll keep coming like this?”
“There’s no reason to stop, is there?”
I had to do this for my own sake too.
Iris needed to sleep well, so the nightmare gauge wouldn’t build up.
I confidently gave her a thumbs-up to show my enthusiasm.
Iris watched me for a moment before raising an eyebrow.
“So, you’re planning to keep sneaking into the princess’s chambers?”
“If you joke about that, my life might be in danger.”
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“It’s not a joke.”
As she said that, a small smile crept onto Iris’s lips.
“This kind of prank is what friends do, right?”
“It’s a chilling prank, though.”
“Nice.”
Iris once again rested her forehead against my chest.
“I like it.”
A satisfying relationship for her.
A relationship that was enough.
With that, Iris and I became friends.
“Then, drop the formal speech.”
“Huh?”
“You said we’re friends.”
It’s true that friends don’t usually use formal speech with each other.
Iris looked up at me with sparkling eyes.
She had never heard me speak informally before.
Maybe that’s why she seemed to be looking forward to it so much.
I swallowed a cough.
For some reason, saying it this way felt embarrassing.
“Uh, Iris Hysirion.”
“You don’t use last names.”
That’s true.
“…Iris.”
As I called her name, Iris smiled.
Even her smile carried a hint of decadence.
“Yeah, Vikamon oppa.”
“You’re really going to call me that?”
“I can’t help it because of age. But.”
Iris reached out her long fingers and lightly scratched my chest.
“When you’re in Hannon’s form, I’m the older one.”
“…Don’t tell me you’re going to make me call you noona when I’m Hannon?”
She only smiled without answering.
This terrifying woman.
“But we’re the same age.”
“Legally, I’m younger.”
Iris raised her hand.
Then, she firmly grasped the Veil Bandages I was wearing.
She had already seen me change forms with these bandages.
So she knew what they were.
“Now, transform into Hannon.”
And call me noona.
Iris started to threaten me.
I tried to run away, but her arms were already holding me tightly.
I had no idea why she only used her full strength in situations like this.
Her eyes gleamed like a cat that had spotted its prey.
Clatter—
“Well, well.”
Just then, the door swung open, and Hania appeared.
She looked extremely displeased as she glanced between Iris and me.
“You two are having way too much fun calling each other oppa and noona while I was gone.”
Hania shot me a fierce glare.
“Trying to be friends with Lady Iris? You’re a hundred thousand years too early for that!”
“A hundred thousand years is a time even Duke of Whitewood hasn’t experienced.”
“Don’t make it realistic!”
Hania’s eyes sharpened as she glared at me.
More importantly—
“Hania, you were eavesdropping the whole time but chose not to come in earlier, didn’t you?”
“Oh my, don’t make false accusations.”
“You don’t even know what ‘false accusations’ means.”
“Ahahaha.”
As Hania and I stood off against each other, Iris suddenly started laughing.
Her laughter sounded so relaxed that we stopped bickering and ended up laughing along.
A newly formed friendship with Iris.
I didn’t know where this relationship would lead in the future.
But for today, I had become Iris’s first friend.
* * *
The weekend I became friends with Iris.
I managed to leave the girls' dormitory unscathed, with Iris and Hania behind.
Although I had missed my morning training, I headed out for my afternoon session.
With the Winter Demon Dungeon fast approaching, I wanted to master the Flame of Ash properly.
‘I don’t know what’s going to happen next, after all.’
I had to grow stronger, even a little bit, to progress through the scenario.
It was when I arrived at the training hall.
I noticed a crowd of students gathered outside.
Why are so many kids here on the weekend?
“What’s going on?”
“Oh, Hannon.”
When I approached and asked, one of the students recognized me.
A fellow martial arts student, he looked troubled as he stared into the hall.
“Well… it’s Seron.”
“Seron?”
My eyes widened at the unexpected name.
I hurriedly pushed past the students and entered the training hall.
Soon, my eyes landed on a single girl.
Sweat beaded on her forehead beneath her red hair.
Just by looking at her, it was clear she was exhausted.
But that wasn’t all.
Seron’s hands, gripping an axe, were completely covered in blood, a total mess.
Anyone could tell she was moments away from collapsing.
Before her, the students who had been training with her were slumped on the ground, completely drained.
Seeing Seron in such a state, I called out in alarm.
“Seron!”
At the sound of her name, Seron’s shoulders flinched.
She looked at me, and despite her exhaustion, she smiled.
“Prince Sweet Potato…”
And with that, her body swayed.
I rushed forward and caught her.
Seron, who was even smaller than my Hannon form.
She collapsed into my arms, completely wrecked.
The sight of her like this filled my mind with complicated thoughts.
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