Iris headed to her dorm room.
Unlike the shabby dormitories assigned to state scholarship cadets like , her building had the polished elegance of a luxury hotel. No—better. Its clean, refined exterior exuded a serene prestige that even five-star hotels couldn’t replicate.
"This is my room."
Click.
She unlocked the door with her Hero Watch and pushed it open carefully.
Iris’s dorm room.
An unknown territory—sothing I had never seen even in my past life—unfolded before my eyes.
"Wow..."
The first impression that struck was simple: spacious.
Unlike my room, where the bed and desk fought for space, hers was vast enough to house a family of four. And that wasn’t all.
"So tidy."
The second thought: immaculate.
Everything was arranged with militaristic precision. The furniture sat at crisp angles, and not a speck of dust dared disturb the polished floors. It was like stepping into a showroom.
"Besides Camilla, you’re the first person I’ve ever invited here."
Iris smiled shyly, leading toward a dining table that was already filled with steaming dishes.
"Please, have a seat."
I hesitated for a mont, glancing around. "What about the chefs?"
"They finish preparing the al, set the table, and leave. They wait outside until we’re done eating."
So, in this large, high-class room... it really was just the two of us.
This feels strange.
Even in my previous life, eating alone with Iris had been rare. We usually dined with Yuren, Berald, and Sophia after forming our party. Not like this—quiet and private.
"Well then..."
I looked over the dishes. As expected from a Holy Kingdom al, the table was a sea of greens—vegetables in various shapes and forms.
"Ugh..."
Not that I disliked vegetables, but when there’s nothing else, it made sigh.
"They’re good for your health, so no complaints. Eat up."
"Alright, alright."
While veggie-only diets usually lack balance, the Holy Kingdom’s cuisine was different. Sohow—maybe with a touch of divine magic—they packed everything the body needed into leafy greens. Taste, however, was the first casualty.
Still...
It’s probably healthier than bread and milk from the convenience store.
"Thanks for the al."
As I diligently chewed through a plate of leafy virtue, I noticed Iris fidgeting.
"What’s up?"
"I... I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
She stood, rummaging through a cupboard. When she turned around—
"...Ran?"
"I... I really wanted to eat the ran you made."
"..."
So this was the reason she was humming earlier.
"You give greens and then pull out ran for yourself?"
"I eat a lot, so it’s okay!" she defended quickly.
"That’s harsh. I never thought I’d be betrayed like this, Lady Iris..."
"...So, you won’t make it for ?"
She looked at —eyes wide, lips trembling—like a puppy abandoned in the rain.
That’s cheating.
No man alive could refuse her. Past-life lover or not.
"Alright, I’ll make it."
"Yay!"
Her delight was imdiate, hands balled into little fists of triumph.
"Do you have an egg?"
"Yes... but why?"
"Heh, just wait and see."
I’ll show you a taste from heaven.
—Bubbling.
I tossed in the seasoning and noodles, and just before the noodles finished cooking, I cracked an egg into the pot.
Five minutes later, I placed the steaming ran in front of her.
"Wow..."
Her eyes sparkled like a child’s on their birthday.
"Try it. This one will taste different."
"Okay!"
She grabbed a bundle of noodles along with a slice of egg and slurped eagerly.
"Mmmm!!!"
She humd in pure delight, her legs kicking under the table like a duck paddling on a lake.
"How is it? Amazing, right?"
"How does adding an egg make it this good?!"
I grinned. Watching her devour the ran made want so too.
"Then maybe just one bite—"
"No."
She yanked the pot toward her like it was treasure.
"You need to finish your ’healthy al,’ rember?"
"What?"
"Hehe. That’s what you get for living on convenience store junk."
Seeing her smug smile, I could practically see devil horns behind her saintly image.
"Pfft."
She couldn’t hold her laughter, covering her mouth as her shoulders shook.
"I’m just kidding. Don’t pout like that. Here—" she offered a bite with her chopsticks, "—I’ll share."
That’s the Iris I know.
I never doubted her. Not for a second.
"But you do still need to eat your vegetables."
"Fine, fine."
Geez.
’Iris is still Iris.’
Seeing her fuss over my health brought back so many mories.
As we sat in the soft afternoon light, I decided to ask, "By the way... are you okay, Iris?"
"Huh? What do you an?"
"That tentacled monster earlier. It was terrifying."
"Ah..."
She twirled a lock of her soft pink hair around her finger, a sheepish look on her face.
"Actually, I didn’t see it."
"You didn’t?"
"My eyes have a special power. Illusions don’t work on ."
"...Special power?"
She looked up. Her usual sky-blue eyes shimred for a mont—then, in a blink—
—transford into a dazzling rainbow hue.
"That’s..."
"The elders of the Holy Kingdom call it the ’Seven Eyes.’"
The Seven Eyes.
A divine blessing from the Seven Gods. The mark that had made her the Saint of the Holy Kingdom.
"Thanks to these, I wasn’t affected by the illusion and could pass the test. Professor Morpheus didn’t say anything, so I think he noticed his spell didn’t work."
"..."
I stared, silent, as her rainbow-colored eyes glead.
And then—mories returned.
"How did your eyes end up like that?"
"Ah... these?"
She’d told back then: her vision began to blur during her fourth year. It got worse every month until she went blind.
"It was a curse."
"...A curse? Who would dare—?"
"The Archbishop of Illusions, Astaroth."
The Demon Church.
A twisted religion worshiping the Demon God, led by six Archbishops. Astaroth was among the strongest.
"He cursed the entire school, targeting the power in my eyes."
"What? The entire school?"
"Dale... you didn’t know. No one did."
The curse was insidious—designed to affect only those with the Seven Eyes. No one else noticed. No one could.
"As my vision faded, I thought I had angered the gods."
She wore a bitter smile, brushing back her bangs as she adjusted the black eyepatch she used to wear in that life.
"By the ti I realized it was a demon’s curse, it was too late. I had lost everything."
Her Seven Eyes.
Her place as a Saint.
And...
"...My most precious friend, too."
I never knew how she managed to reclaim her status afterward. At the ti, I was just a rcenary, scraping by.
But...
One thing I knew for sure:
Iris had to sacrifice a lot to return to the light.
That playful smile of hers now—so bright and carefree—must be one of the things she lost before.
"Dale?"
"Oh—yeah?"
"Hehe... Are my rainbow eyes that strange?"
"No. Not strange."
I shook my head, eting her gaze.
"They’re beautiful."
So beautiful, I wanted to protect them.
"Eep!"
Iris quickly turned away, her cheeks bright red. Her eyes reverted to their soft blue.
"No matter how much you complint , I can’t keep showing them. I’m still not great at controlling the Seven Eyes."
She stood abruptly.
"The chefs will be here soon to clean up."
"Oh. Right."
"There are no afternoon classes. Want to grab coffee outside?"
"Sorry... I have sothing I need to take care of."
"...I see."
Her voice was tinged with disappointnt as she traced little circles on the floor with her shoe.
"Then... next week. Let’s have lunch together again."
"Of course."
"You’re not going to ditch Camilla again, are you?"
"Hmm~? I don’t know what you’re talking about~?"
A playful smile blood on her face.
"...."
A smile I’d never seen before.
Lighthearted. Childish. Real.
The Iris I never got to know.
—Click.
As the door closed behind , I leaned against it, staring at nothing.
"It’s okay."
A promise she couldn’t hear. A vow that wouldn’t reach her.
Softly, I whispered through the wood.
"This ti, you won’t lose anything."
I’ll make sure of it.
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