Interlude: Infatuation (Starring Iris!)

The village of LaVolle had thus been saved.

Fortunately, no one had died, despite the aetherborn that had sprouted in the middle of the village. Thanks to Crow’s efforts, no one had fallen prey to it. Given how powerful alraune tend to be, that was nothing short of a miracle.

Among the people, those who had been spared the effects of the paralyzing toxin tended to the afflicted with haste and administered the antidote. As a result, all the cases of poison would be cured by the following morning.

One might think this meant no one was wounded, but no.

“Crow...” Iris murmured, quietly gazing at Crow’s convalescent form.

He lay on a bed in an infirmary room, an IV attached to his arm. As she watched the mixture of antidote and saline solution drip, she thought back on the doctor’s words.

“His condition is critical,” he’d said. “There is a possibility he may sustain permanent damage and, in a worst-case scenario, he may not survive.”

According to the doctor, it was likely that the strenuous movement had caused the poison to mix with his bloodstream and consequently penetrate deep into his organs.

Iris had cried out in despair at the news.

Though the medical staff had done everything they could, the sole treatment option they could offer was to keep him sweating profusely while administering the intravenous drip in order to eradicate the poison.

It was a race against time. The only way to save the young man was a thorough overnight detox, before the poison could cause organ failure.

To that end, many braziers had been placed in the room, bringing the heat to an oppressive level. Crow’s forehead glistened with sweat, and Iris’s golden locks clung to her damp skin.

“Hey, Crow,” Iris murmured, “This made me realize something. First that minotaur caught me off guard, then I failed to notice the alraune’s poison.” She hesitated. “I understand now. I’m not as sharp as I used to be.”

Iris gazed down at her hands. She was already in her late twenties, and she knew her combat skills were waning.

“You, in contrast, are young and full of strength,” she continued. “You resisted the effects of the poison through the sheer force of your righteous wrath. I doubt I could’ve done the same, even in my youth.”

She reached out her hand to gently stroke the young man’s forehead. His sweat bathed her palm, but this didn’t bother her. Crow Titus had fought to the limit and collapsed. That was why he was now sweating profusely. There was nothing dirty about that.

“I respect you, Crow. Not as a woman— No, as a woman and a knight both. I think fondly of you.”

Smiling softly, Iris expressed her heartfelt feelings. It didn’t matter how briefly they’d known each other. No, she had seen enough in that one night to understand the kind of man he was. A true knight, risking life and limb to fight with righteous anger for those in need.

Iris Zehirete had fallen in love.

“So you see, Crow,” she said quietly, “I want to help you, even if I have to do something shameful.”

Enamored with the young man, Iris was determined to help ensure his survival and future—whatever that took.

And so—

“Sleep well, Crow.”

Iris removed her hair clip and climbed onto the bed where Crow slept. Snuggling close to him, she gingerly embraced his body.

With a chuckle, she whispered, her voice a mix of kindness and pain, “This should make you sweat even more, don’t you think?”

Iris was still on the mend, her strength not yet fully recovered from the minotaur’s surprise attack days earlier. The sweltering heat all but gnawed at her weakened body, drenching her in perspiration and eliciting a groan from her lips.

Still, unconcerned for her own condition, she began to wipe at Crow’s sweat as she held him.

He couldn’t die at a place like this.

“Crow, my beloved boy,” she murmured, “Someday, you will be known by many. I fully believe that.”

With those words, she tenderly pulled at his head, cradling it in her soft chest. She earnestly wished that the gentle feel of his breath on her skin would last until the morning light.

“I would share my own life with you if I could, Crow. So please, stay safe, and wake up soon.”

Holding those feelings close to her heart, Iris tended to him throughout the night.