…… stop…… why…… ouch……

What? Who"s talking…… uun, that"s Iris"s voice. What"s going on, I wonder.
When I come to myself, I notice Iris drenched in sweat…… this must surely be because of the threat from a little while ago.

「Iris, wake up. It"s all right, no one is hurting you」

I have to wake her up. She should understand now. She"s not a little anymore. She doesn"t have to struggle by herself.

「Iris, Iris wake up. It"s all right」

Iris opens her eyes in a startle. She hasn"t settled yet, her eyes are going all over the place.

「Iris, are you all right? You had a nightmare……」

It appears she finally recognized me.
I wipe the sweat from her forehead.

「I"m all right. I just had a slightly bad dream……」

「You sweat a lot. We have to wipe it」

I take out a towel from the carry-on and hand it to Iris. She still looks unwell. Something to drink…… no hot water unless I go out, huh.
I quietly lift the curtain and peek outside. Ara, Shien is awake.

「Shien, excuse me for a bit. I have a request」

When I call him in a quiet voice, he immediately notices me and approaches.

「Baasan, you are still awake?」

「Uun. It looks like I bullied Iris a little too much. She just woke up from a nightmare. Can you bring me hot water?」

「You went too far? Can"t be helped…… is one cup alright?」

「Ah, can you bring two? I want to drink as well」

It sounds like he grasped the situation right away.

「Wait a moment. I will bring it inside」

「Thank you. I will wait」

Now then, let"s look at Iris. Ara, she"s still absentminded.

「Baasan, here」

A voice appears from outside. Shien brought the hot water.

「Thank you. I"m sorry for taking up your time」

I say my grat.i.tude first and receive the cups.

「How"s Iris?」

「She"s fine since she woke up. I will let her drink to calm down, then we will talk」

「Don"t go too far this time」

「Yes. I will be careful」

As expected, it"s unreasonable to push Iris in such condition.
When I sit next to Iris with cups in my hands…… I could feel Iris shiver in a startle……

「Here, Iris」

I hand her one of the cups and cool down the other one by blowing on it.
Fuufuu…… warm……

Kokuri, I sip, and the warmth transfers to my mouth. Fuu.

「Take a sip. It"s warm」

「Hot! 」

Ha? Iris, you drank without blowing on it to cool down?

「Iris, are you perhaps clumsy?」

「That"s…… not true」

「You drink while cooling it, you know?」

「Ye….. s」

「It"s warm……」

「Isn"t that so? Fufu. You are same as Ivar, aren"t you?」

「Same as Ivar…… ?」

「Right. Ivar you see, he also said it"s warm when he drank the hot water. And then, an expression of relief floated on his face」

「Is that…… so……」

「You might not have noticed, but Iris, you also made a relieved……. relaxed expression」

「Relaxed…… that might be so. Here…… n.o.body is here, after all……」

「That"s right. They are not here, are they? This place is just caring people」

「Just?」

「Full of considerate people……. this……. even this incomprehensible Obaachan……」

「That"s……」

「It"s all right. I understand. I mean, it"s weird, isn"t it? I. I"m too different. I always do strange things, don"t I? I came to a country I know nothing about. I can even use some strange magic」

It"s true isn"t it, no matter if I came to a foreign country……

「Fufu. That"s right. Koyu-sama is slightly different……」

「Ara, Iris. You are not going to deny that point?」

「Cough…… even though you said it yourself……」

I did it, didn"t I……

「Are you okay? Fufufu」

「Cough, cough…… I, I"m all right……」

Although I rubbed her back, there"s no change, isn"t there?

「Haa…… I"m fine now. I made you worry」

「Un. You seem all right now」

Her depressed expression disappeared. I"m relieved. Unlike in the past, such trauma will disappear one day. Surely.

Now then, let"s sleep a little bit more. Good night.