Iris Smiles

The student council room, normally cheerful.

For some reason, a cold atmosphere had settled.

Thump.

Sharin detached herself from me.

Then, after a brief glance at Isabel, she turned away.

“I’m leaving.”

Sharin flew out the window.

I hurriedly leaned out after her.

“Sharin, wait. Where do you think you’re going like that?”

As I reached out to stop her, she snorted, turned her head, and flew away.

Her emotions were too raw; she clearly had no desire to talk.

Finally pulling myself back from the window, I saw Isabel.

She was quietly staring at the floor.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say to Isabel.

I was the one who triggered this whole mess.

Taking sides would only complicate things further.

Right now, they both needed time to cool down.

‘To think…’

That a single kiss could escalate their emotions this much left my head spinning.

Frankly, I hadn’t the slightest clue how to reconcile them.

My gaze landed on Isabel.

She ran a hand over her face, then turned away.

“…I’m just going to the restroom for a moment.”

Clearly, she needed to clear her head.

What to do about this?

It was my first time seeing Sharin and Isabel argue.

The cause might have been me, but ultimately, their quarrel stemmed from a difference in attitudes.

Even in friendships, there’s bound to be dissatisfaction.

And this time, that dam of discontent had burst.

Besides, I knew both their personalities well.

They would undoubtedly be wracked with guilt later over what they’d said.

“What’s going on?”

Just then, Iris approached.

Even amidst the First Prince’s bombshell announcement, she’d apparently been keeping a watchful eye on our situation.

“Isabel just went out,”

Hania added, following Iris.

“…Isabel and Sharin had a fight.”

“Those two?”

Hania’s eyes widened with surprise.

She clearly hadn’t anticipated them arguing.

But Iris just quietly looked at me.

“The reason is Oppa, isn’t it.”

Astute.

I had nothing to say.

“Oppa underestimates female jealousy far too much,”

Iris said, looking at me with pity.

“You should have been content with one.”

“…That sounds like you’re saying I can’t be satisfied with just one woman.”

“Was I wrong?”

Iris tilted her head innocently.

But a mischievous smile lingered on her lips.

Clearly, she was teasing me.

“More importantly, shouldn’t you resolve this quickly?”

While I was being teased by Iris, Hania subtly interjected.

“The Winter Magic Palace Contest is soon, you know.”

She was right.

With the Winter Magic Palace Contest so close.

The two most important assets on our team were at odds.

“In the end, you’re the cause, Oppa, so you’re the only one who can fix it, right?”

Winter Magic Palace.

Until then, those two needed to be reconciled.

Sharin and Isabel, neither were children ignorant of their own faults.

They cherished each other more than anyone else.

Surely, they would make amends soon.

＊＊＊

Yes, there was a time I thought so.

As yet another year was nearing its end.

The entire empire, including the Jerion Academy, was in utter turmoil.

The return of Nia Sinthia, who had supposedly died in the Magic Palace.

Due to that, the Third Princess faction faced an unprecedented crisis.

Even within the Third Princess faction, a full-fledged scapegoating began.

If it became known that they spearheaded Nia’s assassination, it would be a major blow to the Third Princess faction.

Therefore, it was an inevitable, drastic choice.

The Third Princess faction would undoubtedly lose a lot of power due to this affair.

The First Prince faction would certainly seize this opportunity to make further moves.

“Iris, they say the Third Princess faction is in dire straits. Are you alright?”

“Dire straits indeed.”

January 1st.

While everyone else rested, Iris had come out for morning training.

Having done morning training for a while, she felt like moving her body again after a long break.

Even amidst the turmoil of the Third Princess faction, Iris seemed unconcerned.

Or rather, she seemed to have little interest in the situation of the Third Princess faction itself.

“But lately, I’ve been thinking.”

Iris stretched her body, reaching out for her stretches.

Flexible, she bent forward until her upper body almost touched the ground.

Thanks to that, the tightly-fitting clothes revealed her figure.

Being able to wear such clothes even in winter, they must be made of some magic, temperature-regulating material.

A flawless, excellent figure.

If she were a modern person, wouldn’t she have become a world-class model?

“The reason I wanted the position of Emperor was for my grandfather’s approval.”

Iris exhaled, raising her body.

A slight, bitter smile played on her lips.

“And that must be because I was starved for familial affection.”

The approval she received from her maternal grandfather.

Iris had clung to that for her entire life.

However, recently, Iris had changed.

Family ties weren’t everything in this world.

That fact was reaffirmed as I became friends with her.

Lately, she seemed to have grown closer to Hania as well.

Hania had been beaming all day, ever since her relationship with Iris deepened.

I’d never seen Hania so happy.

“It’s all thanks to you, big brother.”

Iris, knees drawn up to her chest, rested her chin on them and smiled gently.

That captivating smile of hers held the power to enthrall.

“So, does that mean you’re no longer aiming for the throne?”

“I wonder about that. It’s not easy to abandon something I’ve clung to for so long overnight. But.”

The smile gracing her lips seemed genuinely at peace.

“At least, if I am to become Empress, I want it to be through my own strength, not Grandfather’s machinations.”

Iris’s sincere reply.

Hearing it, I couldn’t help but smile along.

“You’ll be a tyrant, then.”

“Wouldn’t they be happy to follow a tyrant like me?”

“They’d be beside themselves with joy.”

A tyrant is a tyrant, but it depends on the tyrant.

If Iris were a tyrant, there wouldn’t be just one or two people worshipping her.

I understood Iris’s resolve.

She was now stepping out of the shadow of Cheonhyegong and standing on her own two feet.

And it was my part to help her do that.

“Even if Iris becomes Empress, our relationship won’t change.”

“That’s a kind thing to say.”

Iris straightened her back and rose from her seat.

Then, she turned to face me.

“So, have Sharin and Isabel reconciled?”

The question gave me pause.

As I subtly averted my gaze, Iris sighed.

“Not yet, I see.”

Just as she said, Sharin and Isabel had not reconciled since Christmas.

I’d visited them countless times, trying to get them to make amends.

But neither showed any sign of backing down.

“Bell told me to do as I please.”

Sharin was still sulking.

“It’s Rin. If I take the first step unnecessarily, she’ll just be even more contrary.”

Isabel saw right through Sharin’s personality and refused to apologize.

They both knew each other too well, which made reconciliation all the more difficult.

It had gotten to the point where they shared the same room but didn’t exchange a single word.

“So, what was the fight even about?”

Iris had no idea why Sharin and Isabel were fighting.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering how to explain it.

But a third party’s opinion could be valuable.

“Isabel kissed me, but Sharin wouldn’t let her.”

I had no choice but to explain the cause of this incident to Iris.

“That’s understandable that Sharin would be upset.”

And Sharin was understood.

“And Isabel was right to protest, plenty.”

Isabel was understood too.

“You’re the one who’s bad, oppa.”

I was not understood.

“……You’re right.”

I had to admit it.

Iris stared at me quietly for a while, then tilted her head.

“To have such intimate skinship with someone else and not tell me, your friend, that’s not cool.”

Was she the one who’s in the wrong?

After a brief display of pettiness, Iris glanced up at me.

“I’m just curious, but you’re not dating both of them, are you?”

“Well, one is a fiancée.”

“That’s what I don’t get. Isabel isn’t the type to just make advances on someone who’s already taken. Even before Sharin, there was Seron.”

Iris knew everything about my relationships.

“It’s pretty obvious you’re not being entirely truthful.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t told Iris about the Barrier Bandage.

If I explain it, Iris will worry.

But if I don’t explain it, I’ll just look like complete garbage.

Even garbage has its degrees.

I wanted to remain just ordinary garbage in Iris’s eyes.

“Iris, I lost some of my emotions because I used a Barrier Bandage that changes my appearance.”

“Huh?”

Iris, who had been listening quietly, raised her head.

She was blank for a moment, then slowly rolled her eyes.

She looked as if she were recalling everything that had happened between us.

And after a while, Iris looked up.

“One of the emotions you lost… is it perhaps, love?”

“That’s right.”

Iris’s face said she understood everything now.

“Don’t worry. I even took off the bandage to recover.”

I pulled down my collar to show her I wasn’t wearing the bandage.

The scar was visible, but Iris already knew about it, so it should be fine.

I didn’t want Iris to worry unnecessarily because of my emotional loss.

“Can you get it back?”

“I’m trying to, yes.”

It often crossed my mind—what if I simply had no emotions? But that was the fault of this gauze bandage, this curtain.

As much as those around me strived to return my emotions, they only served as constant reminders.

Iris let out a short breath, her gaze narrowing slightly.

Even when told not to worry, she still seemed anxious.

“…Really now, I wondered why you hadn’t been reacting more strongly.”

Iris possessed a beauty that would leave anyone breathless.

No matter that she was an Imperial Princess, someone to be revered, a man could not help but desire a beautiful woman.

She was not ignorant of the meaning behind the gazes she received from men.

Yet, I had never displayed any such emotion towards her.

At first, Iris likely assumed it was due to our cousin relationship.

But now she knew I was a Vikamann, and understood it wasn’t due to kinship.

Iris regarded me silently.

“Oppa.”

Soon after, Iris spoke again.

“Even after you regain your love, will sleeping with me feel the same as it does now?”

Iris felt comfortable when we were together.

To her, I was a beloved doll.

If that doll were to desire her, it would naturally be a problem.

“…Sorry, I can’t guarantee it.”

Of course, love wasn’t solely about lust.

Love was an incredibly complex emotion.

But it was undeniable that lust played a significant role in love’s driving force.

Perhaps that was why, when love disappeared, lust vanished along with it.

When I regained my love, and with it, my lust.

Could I truly look at Iris and feel nothing?

Forgive me, but I did not underestimate a man’s desire to that degree.

“Heung.”

Upon hearing my honest answer, Iris hummed a small tune for some reason.

Iris and I met each other’s gaze.

Iris blinked.

Her expression showed she herself didn’t understand why she felt pleased just now.

“Hwaek!”

Just then, Seron appeared with Aisha, having finished their training.

She came to a skidding halt, practically rolling on the ground, panting for breath.

“Wow, Prince Sweet Potato.”

She reached for my clothes, attempting to pull herself up, before abruptly stopping.

She met Iris’s gaze, recoiled slightly, and then looked back and forth between Iris and me.

Then, she gripped my collar tightly.

“What is it, what happened? What did you two do while I was gone?”

“Nothing in particular.”

Seron bit her lip hard, then stepped in front of me as if to shield me.

The crimson badger was, for some reason, bristling with hostility.

Iris and I exchanged glances, wearing expressions of utter bewilderment.