I woke up after a few hours of sleep. My nose smelled of blood. It was the smell of my own blood.
I turned to the side, Iris was still asleep with a satisfied, tearful, and happy face next to my armpit. Some of my blood that had soaked her cheek was already dry.
While sleeping, Iris looked very beautiful. She really looked like Snow White from a fairy tale.
I kissed her lips softly.
Her thin pink lips were soft. After pressing my lips to hers for three seconds, Iris woke up.
The first thing she saw was my face that had just finished kissing her lips.
"Vi-vincent?" Her purple eyes looked at me in surprise, but her lips broke into a small smile.
I gently stroked her head, then licked my own thumb to wipe the dried blood sticking to Iris's cheek.
"Good morning, Iris." I said while giving her a small smile. Iris nodded shyly. She pulled the blanket to cover her entire naked body.
"Vincent.. yesterday.."
I shook my head. "I don't really mind. For now, let's take off these handcuffs first and eat together. I'm quite hungry." Pulling my hand wrist that was handcuffed, Iris nodded.
She got off the bed with the blanket covering the front of her body. Meanwhile, I covered my little brother who was standing upright with a pillow. Iris walked to the table and took the keys, then walked back to me and unlocked all the handcuffs restraining both my hands, feet, and neck.
Ah, freedom, it felt so good to move freely without the sound of chains accompanying me. I smiled at Iris and stroked her head.
"Thank you, Iris."
Iris nodded once. Her cheeks blushed red. So cute.
"Can I leave here now?" I asked. I was sure Iris didn't kidnap me here purely out of her own will. If she wanted to kidnap me, she would definitely keep me locked in her room instead a basement from a building that didn't seem to be a part of her house at all.
Even so, I wasn't sure; I was only guessing.
Iris shook her head at my question.
"Can Vincent stay here for two more days? Please, I don't want Vincent to get hurt by her." Iris said in a fearful tone. I nodded slightly while touching her shoulder.
"Alright, if that's what you want, Iris. First, give me clothes and food. We will talk afterward." I said while smiling at Iris to calm her down. Iris nodded in understanding. She then got off the bed and walked toward the iron door, with the blanket wrapped around her body to cover her intimate parts.
"Wait a moment, I'll be back."
After saying that, Iris disappeared behind the iron door. I got off the bed. Walked towards the table.
Now the table was completely empty. No tablet. No backup aphrodisiac injection. Just a normal wooden desk.
I then touched the ring on my right ring finger.
Raising my hand, the ring looked quite expensive. Made of 100% pure silver with a purple gemstone in the middle. Shiny.
Is this really from Iris? She prepared such a nice ring for me? I felt guilty towards her. I guess I have to return this to her later.
Iris then came back shortly after wearing a purple dress that covered her entire body. The skirt reached her knees. A neat collar. With long sleeves and rounded shoulders.
In her hands, she carried clothes for me and a plastic bag containing a lunch box and bottled water for both of us.
I sat on the bed after putting on the clothes Iris gave me. These were my own clothes.
On the bed, Iris had prepared my portion.
Grilled salmon with salmon eggs in butter and some green vegetables and pickled carrot and cucumber slices next to the rice that filled half of the lunch box. There was a silver spoon as the utensil.
We both ate together. I occasionally fed Iris even though the contents of our lunch boxes were the same. She ate it with cheeks blushing shyly. I couldn't help but smile every time I saw her like that.
"C-can I feed you too, Vincent?"
I nodded and opened my mouth. Iris immediately fed me a spoonful of rice with salmon egg and salmon meat. I chewed happily. Iris also flashed a bright smile seeing me happy being fed by her.
In the end, we fed each other until the contents of the lunch boxes were finished.
"Iris." I called Iris after drinking from the bottled water. Iris looked at me. I brought my face closer and Iris immediately closed her eyes seeing my face approaching.
"There's some rice on your cheek." I removed the rice from her cheek. Then I ate it. Making Iris misunderstand and her face blush deeply.
"Vi-Vincent.. you're teasing me.."
"Did you expect something else?" I asked with a mischievous smile. Iris shyly nodded slightly.
I then moved my hand to lift her chin. Looking into her beautiful face, and gently kissed her lips.
Iris was surprised, but she closed her eyes, enjoying the soft kiss I gave on her lips wet from the bottled water.
After ten seconds, I released the kiss. Stroking Iris's head.
"You're very beautiful, Iris. That dress suits you so well."
Iris blushed. It seemed as if steam was about to come out of her head hearing me keep teasing and praising her.
"Y-yeah. I-I'm glad to hear that."
I raised Iris's delicate hand. Looking at it seriously.
"Iris."
"Y-yes?"
"Now, are you ready to tell me the reason behind all of this?"
Iris was silent. She hesitantly looked into my eyes that looked so serious.
I hugged Iris gently.
"No matter what happens, you don't have to be afraid anymore, Iris. I promise, from now on I won't forget or leave you again. So, can you tell me?"
Iris nodded slightly in my embrace. I pulled my body back, looking at Iris with a smile.
"Actually, Perseus instigated me to do all of this. Me, her, and two other girls are competing to get you, Vincent. If I didn't do this, Perseus or Rapunzel would have kidnapped you. And it seems like they would do all kinds of terrible experiments with drugs on you as their test subject. I know my treatment to you isn't much different from what they would do, but please believe me and forgive me, Vincent. I really did all of this for you."
Iris's eyes welled up; she looked like she would cry any moment if I didn't calm her. I hugged and gently stroked the back of her head. Whispered;
"It's okay, I don't blame you at all, Iris. I'm actually glad you did all of this for me."
Iris immediately melted, and she cried in my embrace.
After waiting for her to stop crying, I continued asking her.
"Did they say they would do something to you if you weren't interested in joining that competition, Iris?"
Iris shook her head.
"I don't know. It seems they would be happy if I didn't join. But somehow I was the one who managed to kidnap you before they did, Vincent."
I thought, resting my finger on my chin.
"So, what about the two girls you mentioned?"
Iris nodded slightly.
"Besides Perseus and me, Rapunzel and, Aria the Dorothy, seem to be competing in their own ways. Their goal is the same as mine. To get you for themselves."
"Aria?" I tilted my head. Aria, the pink-haired girl who's innocent and cheerful? Is she trying to kidnap me too? Hard to imagine a girl like her, who is my neighbor, trying to kidnap me. But I wouldn't be surprised anymore considering even a girl like Iris dared to do that to me.
Iris nodded again.
"Aria probably doesn't remember us. She only vaguely remembers me and the other two girls and sister. She seems to have decided to forget all that happened in the past and only keep memories of you. But she also said she had planned to participate in this competition from the start in her own way."
I nodded in understanding. That means Aria saying that she and I had promised to marry in the future was one of her tactics to get me. I still haven't recovered the complete memories about Aria, unlike with Iris. When I was at my emotional breaking point, I got my memories back with Iris yesterday. It seems I need to experience an event that makes my emotions explode strongly with Aria to restore my memories with her fully like with Iris yesterday.
"What about Rapunzel?" I asked the next question. Iris seemed hesitant to answer. She nervously moved her index finger.
"She is a year older than us. And she also goes to our school."
I looked at Iris curiously.
"Who is she?"
Iris answered in a soft voice.
"The student council president. Freya Stark."
***