Siren Lullaby

Iran simply just wanted to know the intentions of God Mare. So that's why, with a light heart, she asked how to become a Goddess… How on earth could God Mare possibly hear that.

'It's okay not to be able to get married. I don't really want to get married anyway.'

The Imperial Family he says. She's never even thought about it.

No matter how ignorant Iran is of this world, it could be expected that the moment she was involved with the imperial family, she would be intertwined in a whirlpool of politics and power. She had no desire to enter a world full of such dark struggles on her own.

'But I can't leave this place when I become a Goddess….. It's the same as becoming a nun.'

No, nuns were dispatched to foreign countries for volunteer work, so in a way, it was a worse life than nuns.

Iran thought that she should hold off for a while to become a Goddess until she knew exactly what would happen if she became a Goddess.

* * * *

"······It's crazy."

After hearing about the situation from Misagio, Rubros rubbed his forehead with his hand on the office table as if he had a headache.

He thought Alcheron might make a complaint in the process of teaching her, but he didn't know she would clash head-on in that way.

(TL/N : Clash heads means to fight or disagree with someone or something.)

"So what are you going to do now?"

"She said she wanted to rest because she had a headache. Shinoe is by her side, so if anything happens, I'll call you right away."

Rubros sighed in frustration. Accepting her anger, he thought she had only just eased his anger a little, but the God Child has already built a wall around her.

As he was thinking about what to do with Alcheron, Misagio's cautious voice was heard.

"Why…. don't you go and see her personally?"

"What?"

Rubros opened his eyes wide to her unexpected suggestion. She continued her explanation calmly, like a person who teaches etiquette for a lady to a young knight who had just learned chivalry.

"These things tend to accumulate bigger misunderstandings over time. If she knows the real reason why you sent Sir Alcheron, maybe Miss Iran will relieve her anger."

Despite Misagio's persuasion, Rubros hesitated for a while.

It was already dinner time. It was actually a little late to visit the women's room where she was staying alone.

While trying to find a reasonable reason to visit her, he swept his hair up as if he were pathetic.

'Since when did I care about such things….'

It was a ridiculous excuse for him, who already suddenly visited her bedroom just two nights ago. He was acting like a child who hesitated to enter the house for fear of being scolded by his parents.

Rubros gave up on fooling himself with more ridiculous excuses and stood up from his seat.

"Miss Iran had an early dinner and just ate in the bedroom."

Despite the fact that he had worked hard to make up his mind, Shinoe informed Rubros who had visited the Coral Palace that Iran was sleeping. Rubros felt a strange feeling of relief and disappointment.

'Was the impact really big…..'

It was still a little early to sleep. And that fact made Rubros even more concerned. Maybe she's offended enough to want to go to bed so early.

Misagio, who was watching him like that, cautiously recommended it.

"She probably hasn't fallen asleep yet. I'll go in and ask for her understanding….."

"No. You don't have to do that."

"But…."

"It's not polite to force someone who is taking a break to resolve the misunderstanding. I'll come back tomorrow."

A slightly respectful look passed Misagio's face for a moment, wondering when he had been so polite. However, as he said, it was not polite to wake up a sleeping person as he was not arguing over something big.

In fact, if she were a normal woman, she would never have said that she would wake up, late in the evening, to have a conversation with a man. This was a kind of demonstration of her.

Even if it was to atone for the sins he had committed, Rubros instructed Misagio to hide the truth. that was conflicted with her belief too.

"Check more carefully to see if she feels any inconveniences."

"I'll do as you say."

Rubros knew it too, so he pretended not to know about her protest. Before Misagio was the handmaiden of The Coral Palace, she was also a nanny who looked after him since childhood. Perhaps that's why. Rubros was obediently following her words even at the age of his adulthood.

'It would be nice….. if you could overcome that day.…'

Misagio sighed slightly as she looked at Rubros back, who was moving away.

* * * *

As the light of dawn, which gradually spread red along the dark blue horizon, permeated the window, Iran, who had fallen into a deep sleep, slowly opened her eyes. Then, after blinking a few times, she got up from the bed.

'Is it because I fell asleep early yesterday? I woke up earlier than expected.'

She has a habit of sleeping when she's stressed or something bad happens, so after she ate dinner yesterday she fell asleep as it is. Still, the effect was good, when she woke up in the morning, she felt a lot better than yesterday.

After warming up with a light stretch, she approached the window where the morning sun was shining. Then she looked down the window. Under the dim dawn light, A small but beautiful garden stood out.

'Can I go walk for a while? There doesn't seem to be anyone who will prevent me.'

Ever since it was revealed that she was a woman blessed by God, she has never been sanctioned for her actions.

It seemed that her maid had not yet arrived, so even if she went down for a while, it seemed that there would be no big problems.

* * * *

"Hmm— The smell of grass."

As she reached the garden full of morning dew, the scent of fresh grass tickled Iran's nose. She slowly closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, enjoying the relaxation of dawn.

'Unlike Korea, there seems to be almost no pollution here, and it is the best morning walk.'

As she was humming a pleasant hum for some time while walking along the flower path along the edge of the garden, a small child's voice was heard from somewhere.

"Hey… big sis."

She didn't expect anyone to be in the garden, so she stopped humming and looked towards the sound.

She thinks she's only about four or five years old now. The blue eyes of the sea were shining brightly beneath the blonde hair that was gently swaying in the wind.

Just like her, whether he just woke up or not, the child was wearing soft cotton pajamas.

'It's too early for a child to wake up….'

She looked around in a hurry, but she couldn't find anyone who seemed to be the guardian of the child. In the quiet garden, the only people that were present were her and the child.

She turned to the child again.

'I can't believe I met a child wearing pajamas in the Imperial Palace…. Could it be that this child is part of the Imperial family?'

'Looking at him again, this boy's face looked somewhat familiar.'

'Where else have I seen someone with blonde hair like this…'

Iran carefully squatted down to make eye contact with the child that was approaching her. Then, the child moved his small body vigorously and approached her, and asked in a voice that did not fit his age.

"Big sis…. Are you a Siren?"

* * * *

Iran was surprised by the child's sudden words. Maybe she heard it wrong.

Iran has never identified herself to anyone.

On the uninhabited island where she first met Rubros, he mistook herself for a siren and strangled her, but since the revelation of God Mare, no one has ever called her by that name again.

'This kid… How did he recognize me at a glance?'

The only clothes Iran was wearing now were a nightgown and a gown made of silk. She was the only one who was presently entering the Coral Palace as a guest. It seems like Rubros probably didn't even tell such a young child about it. so he may have guessed It.

Even the maids of Coral Palace only considered her as a child of God. However, as soon as the child saw her, he called her Siren without any hesitation.

'Is it because of my…. Hair color.'

Maybe there's something that could characterize A Siren's appearance, something that she wasn't aware of. Iran made eye contact with the child and asked.

"Why did you think that I was a Siren?"

Then the child approached her head and said.

"I saw you in my dream. But big sis, aren't you a Siren?"

".....You saw me in your dream? Me?"

Astonished by her question, the child nodded with a determined face.

Iran had no idea how to understand the situation. He hasn't heard it from anyone, he just saw her in his dream. Can someone you've never seen in your dreams appear?

'Is it a prophetic dream? Maybe this kid is a priest or something like that?'

Though her mind was full of questions, Iran calmly led the child to a bench in the corner of the garden.

"What's your name?"

"Ili. My name is Ilius."

"Alright, Ili. There's something I want to ask you.…"

Hearing that she had a question, the child looked up at her with dazzling eyes. He somewhat seemed to overlap with Delphi, and Iran smiled a little.

"Do you remember what I was doing in your dream?"

Then the child nodded and smiled broadly.

"You put my head on your lap and sang a song for me. It's a lullaby that my mom often sang for me. So, I lay down on your lap and— I slept just like that."

"....lullaby?"

What is this again. The child's words kept bouncing in the wrong direction and threw Iran into confusion again. She wondered if maybe she was being overly sensitive.

'Is it just a child's imagination?'

At that moment, the child suddenly grabbed one of Iran's arms and rubbed his face against the back of her hand.

"Big sis, you have a similar aura with my mom. Our face and our hair colors are different…. When I put my face on your hand like this, I feel like my mom is right next to me."

'Ah….'

Why. It's just a child talking to me on his own.

Somehow, she felt a somewhat unknown loneliness from the child's words.

'Maybe this kid…. His Mother….'

It may just be his own illusion. However, Iran wanted to grant the child's dream.

'Lullaby…..'

Sitting on a long bench on the corner of the garden, Iran lifted the child up and laid him on her lap. Then she took off the robe she was wearing and placed it over the child's body.

"Then…. Do you really want me to sing you a lullaby?"

Then the child lay on Iran's lap and smiled brightly. Unknowingly, The smile of the child made her feel emotional without realizing it. She gently swept the child's hair and slowly cleared her throat. Then, in a calm voice, she started singing Brahms' lullaby.

—Sleep well my baby, my cute baby.

Beautiful roses surround you.

Lay thee down now my baby and rest all night,

Until you come to the window in the morning.

Sleep well my baby, my cute baby.

The angel in your dream will protect you tonight.

'Ah….. Somehow…. My heart is tickling.'

'How long has it been since I started singing. It felt like a strange sensation that started from the bottom of my heart, slowly rising up to my throat.'

—Sleep well my baby, my cute baby.

Beautiful roses surround you.

Sleep well my baby,

Have a sweet dream in paradise and sleep well.

Sleep well my baby, my cute baby.

The angel in your dream will protect you tonight.

And by the time she finished singing, the child that was lying his head on her lap was already in a deep sleep.