• WATTYS 2022 WINNER •
When Iris Monet married millionaire Jared Darling, she had only one rule - that he could cheat on her with anyone except the household staff. This arrangement of theirs would have gone on quite happily if she hadn't caught him...
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iris 👁
TOMIICHI is easily the most charming man I've ever seen. Charisma exudes from him like water from a faucet, but he's never glib. The fact that he took the initiative to include me in the family conversation earlier has already made me take a liking to him. And when he casually takes my coat and pulls out a barstool for me to sit, I feel my heart pulsing just a little erratically inside my ribcage.
It's as if I'm back living my old life again.
The dinner ended several hours ago, and after the Satohs have retired to bed, I heard a knock on my bedroom door. Opening it revealed Tomiichi in a turtleneck sweater and jeans.
"I'm heading down to the pub. Got a couple of old friends I want to meet," he said. "I could use some company."
It's such a change to be initiated upon, instead of doing the initiating, that I almost immediately said yes. Instead, I folded my arms.
"Aren't your old friends company?"
"Well, yes, but none of them helped me catch an expensive cake. I figured I owe you a drink at least. Besides, I think it's Ladies' Night."
"I'm the reason why the cake fell," I pointed out, "and Ladies' Night was on Wednesday."
Tomiichi's countenance was pained. "Please, Iris, I'm running out of excuses."
The implication of his words sent a little thrill through my veins. I laughed, and told him I would be pleased to come along. That was when Akai walked past us.
He stopped. "It's late," he said.
Considering that there's a working clock on the wall five feet away from us, I wanted to tell him that his statement added zero value to our conversation.
"Yes," Tomiichi replied. "Happy hour is about to start."
Akai's eyes flickered between Tomiichi and me. How can those irises look so ... intense? They're nothing like Tomiichi's genial ones.
"You're going down to the pub?" he asked.
"Yes." Tomiichi gestured at me. "And I've asked Iris to follow."
"I see." I didn't miss the edge in Akai's tone.
Nor did Tomiichi. "Why? She's not working tomorrow, is she? I thought Mama gave all staff the rest of the week off."
"Yes. No work tomorrow." Akai's answering cadence was blunt. "Not that it makes much difference, as she tends to oversleep regardless."
With a nod, he swept away on a tailwind of cold night air. I refused to entertain the biting frustration in my chest, even as Tomiichi shook his head.
"He does so much farm work, but still his tongue is more callous than his hands," he said. "Don't take offense with him, Iris. He's actually a big softie on the inside."
