Chapter 391: Iris's Trial - Part 1

Iris opened her eyes and looked around, but she did not know where she was. Or rather, she did know, but she did not want to acknowledge that she was back here.

She knew in her heart that if she did acknowledge where she was, she wouldn’t want to do anything but stay here.

After all, who did not want to stay home where there were no hardships?

“Iris, what are you doing, my dear? It’s time to get up. Or are you so tired that you don’t want to get up?”

A soft and sweet voice asked her as a hand reached out to ruffle her head, causing Iris to lean into that unfamiliar but comforting touch.

She had never seen this person before, but she still had a vague feeling of who she was.

After all, it was hard for her not to recognize her mother.

Iris did not want to move. She had never received a mother’s love before. But now that she was getting some, she wanted to see what her mother would do.

The older lady chuckled as she watched her stubbornness and then let out a sigh.

“My precious young child, you are just too much. But fine! If you don’t want to get up, then you don’t have to. Your mother will never force you to do something you don’t want to.”

The sweet lady promised with a smile as she looked at Iris.

Seeing her smile made butterflies flutter inside Iris’s stomach, and she quickly pulled the covers over her face in order to hide her nervousness.

Her eagerness made her mother laugh, and she shook her head.

“I will come back later to get you, alright?”

Her mother patted her back and left the room, leaving Iris alone.

Iris snuck her head out of her covers before she let out a sigh and rubbed her chest. It felt ticklish, and she felt like she had to honor her mother, no matter what.

However, it also felt like she was forgetting something. She needed to do something for which she had come here…

But no, she had always been here, with her mother and in her safe space. There was no need for her to question this, right?

“Ugh, my head is hurting. I wonder why. I slept so well…”

Iris complained even as memories left her mind and scattered into the wind. She was not sure what she had forgotten, just that she had something she needed to recall.

“Anyway, it will come back to me if it’s important. For now, I should focus on my studies. Mother said she would test me on my knowledge today.”

After all, her mother was the most famous gladiator in the region, and Iris wanted to follow in her footsteps and become great as well.

…

Practice did not feel the same as usual. Iris kept getting distracted by flashes of someone whenever she raised her sword. It made her flinch, and she put down her sword.

It was as if her body was trying to tell her something, but she was not able to recall what.

It was worrying for her, and as she tried to make sense of what was happening, her mother decided to call her for a small meeting.

She went to that meeting with a troubled heart, and her mother sighed as she patted the ground beside her for Iris to come and sit.

Iris sighed but decided to humor her mother. After all, she was the one person in Iris’s life whom she could not ignore.

Her mother gave her a once-over before she decided to drop the heavy bomb she had been hiding.

“You are of age now, Iris. So I think it’s time for you to get married. I did not get a choice when I was your age since I had you without your father, but you have a choice. Here, choose someone from them, and I will arrange a meeting with them for you.”

Her mother showed Iris a few options for her to choose from, and Iris felt her stomach drop.

She did not want to get married. She wanted to stay with her mother her whole life. But she had a feeling her mother wouldn’t understand this.

Especially not with how excited she looked at that moment.

“Hurry up and choose, my dear.”

Her mother asked, and Iris bit her lip before she looked over her options. No one suited her, and she did not feel attracted to anyone.

“Mother, I—”

“Iris, choose. You need to choose.”

Her mother forced her, and this was the first time Iris felt uncomfortable with her mother. She did not want to choose someone.

The only one she wanted to choose was…

Who was it? She could not recall who that person was. But Iris was sure she already had someone in her mind.

Iris clenched her fists as she looked at the list again. No matter how hard she tried, she could not bring herself to choose anyone.

“Mother, I don’t want to get married.”

Her mother’s smile faltered.

“What did you say?”

“I said I don’t want to get married!” Iris raised her voice, surprising even herself. “Why do I have to choose someone right now? I want to stay with you! Isn’t that enough?”

Her mother stared at her as if she had suddenly become a stranger.

“Iris, you cannot be selfish forever. You need to grow up and start your own family.”

“But I don’t want another family! I already have one!”

The words escaped her mouth before she could stop them. Her eyes burned, and she struggled to understand why this conversation hurt so much.

Her mother’s expression hardened.

“Enough. You will choose someone, whether you like it or not.”

Something inside Iris snapped.

“No!”

She stood up abruptly, knocking the list out of her mother’s hands.

“I have always listened to you. I have always done what you wanted me to do. But I won’t do this! You can’t decide who I should marry!”

For the first time, Iris looked at her mother without the usual adoration.

“I thought you loved me enough to let me choose my own happiness.”

She turned and ran before her mother could respond, leaving the scattered papers behind.

And somewhere deep inside her, a forgotten name stirred.