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People always called Iris a ‘pitiful thing.’
‘Pitiful thing.’
A girl who became an orphan as soon as she was born and grew up in a monastery without parents to take her in—it was only natural she would be called such.
However, until now, as she approached twenty, Iris had never once thought of herself as pitiful.
Naturally.
The small Wind Rock Monastery, perched on a cliff over the western sea of the Empire.
It was said to have been the front line protecting the Empire from mages who served demons in the past, but now, a hundred years after the mages vanished into the forest of the abyss, it was effectively nothing more than a secluded backwater.
It was only natural that the priests who came to such a place grew fond of little Iris. It was so much so that her name, Iris, was taken from the one true god, Eridrahan.
The monastery, and the village of Vandel below where she occasionally visited, were Iris's entire world.
It was small. But that small world was also one that loved Iris immensely.
Iris would have been happy spending her whole life in that world.
Everyone was kind. Except for Abbot Wilbert, who always strictly said, ‘When you turn twenty,’ whenever she said she wanted to take her vows as a priest.
That was something that would be resolved once Iris turned twenty. Thus, she counted down the days to her twentieth birthday. To take her vows.
However, Abbot Wilbert, who had adopted her, never wanted her to become a priest.
He claimed she needed to see a wider world or something like that.
‘Iris. In truth, you are the daughter of House Achen.’
‘You’re joking, right?’
So, on the day Priest Wilbert told her that, she simply thought it was one of the jokes he used to oppose her taking her vows.
But Priest Wilbert's expression was different that time.
‘…I wish that were the case too.’
Seeing Abbot Wilbert's dark face, Iris realized it was true.
Why was a secret kept for 19 years being revealed now?
From what she heard, the mother who gave birth to her had mentioned her existence just before she died. Because of that, the people with great power were in a complete frenzy.
Iris resented her mother. Not because she had revealed her existence.
‘If that was the case, she should have shown me her face just once while she was alive.’
It was because she felt a bit wronged, remembering her childhood when she cried herself to sleep every day in a dark monastery room, searching for her mother.
Of course, that resentment was brief. Her mother must have had her reasons.
When she heard she had to marry, she accepted it as it was.
It wasn't that Iris had an exceptionally obedient personality. A child raised in a monastery from a young age became accustomed to the explanation that ‘God arranges everything.’
No matter how much she hated it, what could she do against a command given in the name of God?
‘You will have to marry your cousin. Herbert Achen has picked his son as your groom….’
The fact that her husband had two children as old as her was a bit unpleasant.
But when Priest Wilbert made a depressed face, saying, ‘His age is similar to mine…,’ she actually thought it might be okay.
‘If I think of him as Priest Wilbert, maybe we could live harmoniously while I take good care of him?’
Of course, Priest Marid jumped in shock upon hearing Iris's words.
‘Iris, marriage is not about taking care of an elder!’
‘Then what is it?’
‘T-that is.’
Unfortunately, Priest Marid knew nothing about the union between a man and a woman.
No, even if he did, he couldn't have spoken to the child he had practically raised about the nocturnal life of men and women.
Eventually, Auntie Laura from the village below was summoned to the monastery.
And after hearing everything from her, Iris was horrified.
‘What?! I have to do that kind of thing?!’
‘It’s not that you absolutely must. But older men do all sorts of things in bed. You just need to be aware.’
The things Auntie Laura—who had married twice more after her first old husband—taught her were things Iris had never even imagined.
Having become Auntie Laura's first top disciple, Iris felt she could finally understand why the priests were so angry.
She wanted to ask Eridrahan, Why did You make humans have to do such things?
But regardless of the shock, Iris thought it was inevitable.
Because, although she didn't know well, she was told that the man who was her uncle was an incredibly powerful person.
And he said that if Iris did not marry his son, he would not leave Wind Rock Monastery alone.
‘Human greed knows no bounds. Oh, Eridrahan….’
Abbot Wilbert had said that the power originally belonged to Iris, but since it was a power she had never possessed, it didn't really resonate with her.
Rather, she was concerned that her uncle was using that power to make things difficult for Abbot Wilbert.
‘I’m fine.’
Iris wanted to repay the kindness of Abbot Wilbert and Priest Marid, who had raised her when she was an orphan with no home or temple, or rather, a troublesome orphan.
It was a great shame that her formal vows were so close, but what could she do?
‘You are such a kind child.’
She only hoped that Abbot Wilbert, who looked at her with a pitiful expression, would smile.
But Abbot Wilbert did not give up.
A few months later. When the Abbot, who had been away for a long time, finally returned.
Priest Marid forced a smile and told Iris.
‘Listen, Iris. The Abbot has found a new groom for you from the outside.’
‘Eh…. Is that allowed?’
‘Of course it is! He’s around your age, and he’s a very handsome man! Moreover, he’s even a knight!’
Iris was no fool; she could tell.
She could tell that it probably wasn't a particularly good match.
It was obvious just by seeing that Priest Marid still had a depressed expression.
‘But I suppose he is much better in the eyes of the Abbot and Priest Marid….’
It was a match that Abbot Wilbert had spent months traveling to find.
If so, this must be the result of his best efforts for her sake.
‘But will Priest Wilbert be okay?’
What if the man who was her uncle got angry and tormented Wind Rock Monastery?
Thus, Iris was even more reluctant about the second groom than she had been about the first marriage.
However, when Philod actually arrived at the monastery.
Iris's mind changed slightly.
‘Muhaha! What a deer-like, cute young lady!’
A man the age of her father, licking his lips while looking at her.
‘Priest Wilbert! I’m sorry for comparing you to him!’
Iris felt she understood why Abbot Wilbert had worried about her so much.
In truth, men who are fond of women are common. Iris herself had occasionally mingled with the people of the village and had encountered men whose eyes turned red for women.
But this man who was her cousin was different.
It seemed obvious that spending a lifetime with that man would be anything but happy.
Even so, staying at the monastery wouldn't stop the Achen family from bothering her. It would only wound Abbot Wilbert's heart.
Thus, even as she waited in the bell tower wearing her wedding dress, Iris hoped. Since she couldn't stay at the monastery anyway, she prayed that she would be kidnapped safely.
She didn't care who the second groom was or what kind of person he was. As long as Abbot Wilbert's heart became lighter, that was enough.
She thought she couldn't ask for anything more than that.
But when the door actually opened and she saw the two men who entered, Iris thought.
‘I’m sorry, but I’d like to cancel, Eridrahan. Can I ask for one more thing?’
If Priest Marid had heard this, he would have been flabbergasted, saying, ‘Iris! If Eridrahan were here right now, He would say He's never seen such a funny child!’
But what could she do?
In Iris's eyes, only one person had entered from the start.
The man with disheveled black hair who entered the bell tower with a scowl on his face as if he were annoyed.
Looking at the youth with red eyes who approached her without hesitation, Iris thought.
‘I want that man to be my husband.’
The reason she wished for this was, surprisingly, quite precocious.
‘Because if it's that man, I feel like I could actually do that first night thing.’
And so, as soon as she came out of the sack, she asked.
“Um, so should I take off my clothes now?”
But, strangely.
The man named Rahan seemed distinctly displeased.
‘Strange. I thought I heard he was fond of women.’
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