Chapter 95

Iris’ Past (3)
"Iris Field."

Iris answered bluntly. Iris was always like this with anyone except her family. This attitude often made people dislike her, but she fundamentally had no interest in others. However, Takuto's reaction was different from those before. Takuto sat beside Iris and started talking about various things.

He asked about where she lived, what America was like, and so on, but all these questions were difficult for Iris to answer. Iris knew almost nothing about her own country and had never gone shopping outside of family outings. Clothes, underwear, and toys were all things her family bought for her, and she never felt the need for them herself.

"I don't know."

This was the only response she could give. Iris was starting to find Takuto, who kept bombarding her with questions, quite annoying.

Takuto thought, "What a strange kid." Even at his young age, he was quite mature and didn't get angry at Iris's attitude.

"Hmm, but it's amazing that you can speak both Japanese and English. I can only speak Japanese and nothing else."

Indeed, it is remarkable for a six-year-old to be fluent in two languages, although he didn't know that Iris could actually speak ten languages.

Afterward, Takuto kept talking about various things, all of which were new to Iris, sparking her interest in him. Someone who taught her things she didn't know—a teacher of sorts in Iris's eyes. It wasn't the kind of relationship Takuto was looking for, though.

After about thirty minutes of talking, Iris had grown quite fond of Takuto. He was her first-ever friend?

"Oh my, is he your boyfriend, Iris?"

"Fuuuuu*k! Iris is too young to have a boyfriend, Shizu!! Iris has half the blood of a Yamato Nadeshiko, and I won't allow her to even hold hands with a boy until she's twenty."

Shizuka jokingly asked if he was Iris's boyfriend, amused that Iris was interacting with a peer for the first time, but Carls overreacted. Carls, mistakenly believing all Japanese women to be Yamato Nadeshiko, had this reaction because Shizuka had never dated anyone before meeting him. However, Shizuka had only been focused on her studies and had been confessed to multiple times. In reality, Shizuka was simply happy and surprised that Iris was showing interest in someone else.

There was one thing Iris, who loved her family, couldn't stand—Carls's beard was painful. She didn't mind bathing with him, but his beard was intolerable.

Carls, overly affectionate and clinging to Iris, felt his heart break at his daughter's unexpected resistance. He crouched down, hitting the floor in tears. Despite his eccentric parenting style, his love for Iris was undeniable.

Later, Shizuka greeted Takuto's parents and decided to head home. Although she wanted to talk more with Takuto's mother, Carls's emotional state was dire, and leaving him unattended might lead to his burnout.

"Bye-bye."

"Ah, wait, where do you live?"

"Over there."

When Takuto hastily asked where Iris lived as they were leaving, she pointed to her home (temporary). Even Takuto recognized the Western-style mansion that stood out in the town. Living nearby, it was a familiar sight, but for Takuto, it was full of surprises.

To Takuto, Iris seemed like an aristocratic lady from somewhere. Young as he was, he was captivated by the quiet and cute Iris—his first crush. However, he had an enemy.

That was Carls. He immediately sensed Takuto's innocent affection, having experienced love at first sight and fiercely pursuing Shizuka. Winning over Shizuka, who was reluctant about romance, was a challenge.

Although Carls didn't dislike Takuto, he saw him as a threat for approaching Iris. He even issued secret orders to Iris's bodyguards to keep unnecessary males away, although this had never been enforced as Iris, like young Shizuka, had no interest in romance and had never had acquaintances her age.

"So, Iris, today I'll help you study... By the way, what are you researching now?"

"A cost-effective cable material for space elevators to replace carbon nanotubes."

"Oh wow. That's been a challenge for decades, with no alternatives found yet. It's better to research something else. Oh, and Iris, I bought a PC for you. Let me show you how to use it today."

Seeing Carls rushing home in a flustered manner, Iris felt a slight doubt but, as she always adhered to her parents' opinions, returned home normally. Takuto escorted them to the gate but, feeling dejected as he still had training left, returned to the dojo.

Carls felt triumphant. He didn't dislike Takuto but saw any child getting close to Iris as an enemy. Despite donating a million dollars yearly to his former orphanage, he would consider anyone approaching Iris a foe.

Carls spent the entire day clinging to Iris.

Iris's rapid growth was astounding. An American research institute had once requested a detailed examination of her brain.

Carls, usually busy, knew little of Iris's recent life. Iris didn't remember much about school, responding with a simple "normal" when asked if she enjoyed it. Hence, he decided to spend more time with her during this break.

"Iris, you can program too? Where did you learn that?"

"From the book over there."

There was nothing he needed to teach her. She could use the PC effortlessly by just reading the manual. Her high learning rate in academics made teaching her less enjoyable. In fact, several teachers at her school had resigned, citing this as the reason. She was a teacher killer with her superior level compared to the educators.

After sunset, they all had dinner together, bathed, and slept together. Iris was happy. Carls and Shizuka usually came home after Iris fell asleep and left for work before she woke up. Having dinner together once or twice a week was considered a good routine. While she didn't feel lonely, Iris missed the family time. She loved Lim, but as a nanny, Lim kept a certain distance. Sharing meals with family was more delicious and fulfilling for children everywhere.

"She seems happier than usual."

Shizuka stroked Iris's hair as she fell asleep.

"... Yes, she does. What can we do for her as parents? What can we leave for her? I deeply regret today. We live a normal life, but this child also feels lonely. Have I done nothing for her as a parent?"

Iris had never once been angry with her parents. She was an ideal child—independent and promising, quiet and obedient. They had taken advantage of her kindness. They had pursued their dreams, neglecting their family. While they provided material love, they depended on Iris's emotional strength.

"She will probably graduate from high school soon. Harvard has already offered her admission without an exam. What do you think we should do?"

There was a weekly academic test at school, and high-performing students received advanced education. This was America's policy. Iris aced every test, earning her recognition as a rising star in education.

"If she really wants it, I don't mind her going to any school, even on the other side of the world. But to succeed in America, she must graduate from a prestigious school to avoid facing the same hardships we did."

The academic society was harsh. Both of them had faced significant discrimination as orphans. They wanted to let Iris pursue her desires. They had always assumed Iris would follow in their footsteps, becoming a distinguished researcher and leaving a mark on history—a scholar's ultimate honor. But was this what Iris wanted? They began to question it.

This issue would linger in their hearts for years. For now, they decided to cherish their time with Iris. They concluded their talk by agreeing that they should cut back on work and fell asleep, holding Iris.

"Iris~~"

"........."

The next day, Iris was strolling outside the mansion with Lim.

Iris was a homebody. Left alone, she wouldn't go out except for school. Her world was very small. But Lim was different. She knew the joy of discovering the unknown. She first took Iris to the garden. Iris, showing some interest in the garden's structure and artworks, wandered around like a cat exploring its territory.

Around 1 PM, they heard a voice from outside the gate. Naturally, Iris was unresponsive. Only her family could get through to her when she was in observation mode.

Lim, unaware of Takuto, asked the guards in the shadows to check. The guards, familiar with Takuto and pre-approved by Shizuka, escorted him in. Shizuka had anticipated Takuto's visit. Meanwhile, both parents were busy negotiating with the high school to switch Iris to remote learning. The school reluctantly agreed, raising the difficulty level of her tests as a condition, which her parents accepted, trusting Iris's academic abilities. Carls, unaware of Takuto's visit, was somewhat out of the loop.

Given their work-centric lives, Shizuka felt that if they had imposed a lonely life on Iris, they could at least allow her to have a hundred friends. Iris, however, had never expressed such a desire.

"I came to play."

"... Oh."

Takuto took Iris's hand and ran. They had no specific destination, just wandering the garden together.