Soft fragrances, soothing fragrances, morning fragrances, various floral scents permeated the store. Flowers and vines hung from the ceiling beams, quietly swaying with the gentle breezes coming through open windows. Their colourful petals painted the interior lively as if it housed a miniature forest.

Standing in front of a flower shelf, Iris caressed a pink rose. She leaned forward, her nose touching its soft petals, and smelt its scent. The aroma enveloped her face, pinkening her vision. Within this shop, within the embrace of flowers, she could relax.

Beside her, the florist, Lorient, held a water sprayer and sprinkled cooling vapours. The tiny droplets tickled down the leaves, moistened the shelves, and gave life to the dry flowers.

Though Iris and Lorient were beside each other, they addressed one another in a formal tone, that of a customer and an owner. To the world, they had no connection, no prior encounter.

“I quite like your bouquets, Miss Lorient,” Iris said. “Is it possible to request your service? I’d like to host a reading banquet with my friends. Your flowers will surely brighten our stay.”

Lorient’s eyes sparkled, but she hesitated. Iris’s figure carried an air of grace; she was of high birth, a delicate customer. Though she and Iris were of The Court, her pride forbade her from doing a halfhearted job.

What she needed wasn’t donation but opportunity.

“I . . . cannot guarantee that my work will be up to the task. Please give me more detail about the job.”

With a slight smile, Iris told Lorient the time and location she had in mind. She hadn’t decided on the minor detail yet and thus asked for opinions. The lengthy discussion had to pause periodically as other customers also required Lorient’s assistance.

After refusing the hospitality twice, Iris finally relented. She went to a table near the counter and sat on a small wooden chair. Her delicate appearance, surrounded by plants and flowers, resembled that of a doll amidst a beautifully framed landscape.

A few gazes landed on her; she ignored them. As she wondered about her schedule, her eyes shifted to the door leading to behind the counter. A little girl with ashen eyes and short bleak hair leaned her head out from the corner, staring at Iris, sparkling with curiosity.

Iris waved at her. “Hello there, Little Fairy.”

The young girl blinked. “Miss Angel?”

“I’ve seen an angel, and she isn’t as beautiful as me.” Iris chuckled. “You must be Lorient’s little sister. May I have the pleasure of your name? I’m Iris.”

The girl fiddled with her hair, her gaze moving away from Miss Angel’s radiant air. “I’m Alvalin. Please don’t tell her I sneak out. She’ll be mad if she knows I sneaked out.”

“Why would she?” Iris grabbed a tiny flowerpot and held it forward. “Does she not want you to sell flowers? If you pack this one for me, I’ll buy it.”

“Really?” Alvalin tightened her right grip on her cane and stumbled her way toward Iris. Her legs quivered with every step, though her face revealed no sign of pain.

Iris furrowed her brows. “You . . .”

“You promised, Miss Angel. I’ll pack the flower for you, and you’ll buy it.” Despite her fatigue, her voice remained calm. “You mustn’t help me; I can help myself. This little walk is nothing.”

As Alvalin slowly walked forward, Iris tapped her fingers on the armrest. She had no intention of aiding Alvalin. She firmly sat on her chair and smiled, smiled for the determination, smiled for the perseverance.

Under the silent cheer, Alvalin reached Iris.

“Here’s your reward, Little Fairy.” Iris took out a small gemstone and, together with the flowerpot, placed it on Alvalin’s empty hand. “You’ve worked hard. Your sister’s proud of you.”

“She’ll scold me, but she won’t blame me.” Alvalin held the flowerpot close to her chest. “Please don’t dislike her. She’s just worried about me.”

“How could she not, when she has a fairy as her sister?”

Alvalin hmphed. Her puffy face reddened, both from embarrassment and frustration. “If I were a real fairy, I wouldn’t be this weak, and she wouldn’t need to take care of me.”

“Do you want to become a real fairy?”

Alvalin looked at Iris. There was no ridicule or dismission within that pair of angelic eyes. Iris was serious as if she were an angel who could grant wishes to poor souls.

Alvalin forced out a giggle. “There’s no need to fix my legs. Just give me a pair of wings. They’ll help me sell flowers better.”

“Flowers tended by a fairy must be extraordinary.”

“It’d be better than mine.” Alvalin turned around and walked to the counter. “After all, no one wants to buy a subpar flower.”

“No one wants you to overexert yourself either.” Lorient appeared before Alvalin, blocking her way. She reached her right hand forward. “You don’t need to help. Selling flowers can’t exhaust me.”

“If it couldn’t tire you out, how could it tire me out?” Alvalin’s meek voice faltered. She took a deep breath. “If one trip can tire me out, a hundred trips will tire you too. I can’t just sit around while you work alone.”

Lorient turned to the amused Iris and apologised by lowering her head. Although she and her sister argued many times, they rarely did it before a customer.

“Alvalin, go back first. I need to talk with Lady Iris,” Lorient said.

“No. Miss Angel paid me to pack her flower.” Alvalin showed Lorient the small gemstone. “I must finish my task. I’ve already accepted her money.”

Sighing, Lorient stepped out of Alvalin’s path. She quietly followed her sister until that determined girl decorated the flowerpot, wrote a receipt, and gave them to Iris. She tried to hand back the gemstone, but Iris resolutely declined.

“Sis, you always annoy me,” Alvalin said. “I’ll just return to knitting handkerchiefs. Miss Angel, please call me when you visit again. I’ll take good care of your flowers.”

After Alvalin left, Lorient profusely apologised.

“She’s a good little girl.” Iris held high the packed flowerpot. “What do you think of a magical flower tended by a fairy?”

“This . . .” Lorient lowered her head. Her heart swayed back and forth between her choices. Of course, she wanted her sister to walk like a normal person, but the price—it was too great. Not yet. She wasn’t ready.

“She wanted to have a pair of wings, so she could help her sister,” Iris said.

“Lady Iris, I love her, but she’s . . . too emotional. I know I’m forcing myself. I know it pains her, but I have to. I can’t just—”

Iris pressed her index finger to her lips and shushed. Lorient sealed her mouth, her face paling. She lost control of herself. She shouldn’t have told Iris, a supposed stranger, any of this.

“Where were we again?” Iris said. “The reading party, what’s your opinion?”

Recollecting her thoughts, Lorient sat opposite Iris, took out a piece of paper and a pencil, and jolted down her thoughts. She explained the requirement and substitution and timetable, carefully considering all kinds of problems, some of which Iris missed.

While Lorient still needed to pause to help other customers, her notes kept track of the progress, and Iris’s methodical approach smoothened the process.

During the discussion, Iris raised her head. She watched the entrance door as someone familiar pushed it open and stepped inside. Xiaotan, holding a large cloth bag, rushed toward Iris. Her excited eyes jumped with her bouncing footsteps.

“Lady Iris, I didn’t expect to meet you here,” Xiaotan said. “You must really like flowers.”

“Did they lead you here?” Iris giggled. She excused herself and let Lorient attend to other customers. “How’s your progress?”

Xiaotan opened her bag and took out a few books. “I’ve already finished these books, but there are still parts I couldn’t work out.”

“Shall we head to a nearby cafe?”

Xiaotan shook her head. “I fear I wouldn’t be able to leave if I were to have a warm drink with you.”

“Am I that unreasonable?” Iris tapped her fingers on the table, laughing. “I’d never hold you against your will; only you can hold yourself against your will.”

“I’m afraid I’m too reckless. It’s too easy to sway my opinion. Even though I know I need to stop and think, I can’t seem to follow my advice.”

“I was once reckless too. I hurt many people and ruined many plans.” Iris grabbed one of Xiaotan’s finished books and flipped through it. “As my mistakes piled up, I started to learn how to manage them.”

“That doesn’t sound reassuring.”

“It doesn’t need to. If you want to learn from your mistakes, commit a lot of them. Be reckless, be careless, and you’ll become wise.” Iris clicked her tongue. Her eyes scanned Xiaotan’s petite figure. “I’m hosting a reading party soon. Would you like to attend?”

“Reading party? I . . . I don’t read much. My hobbies lean more toward the physical side.”

“Reading party isn’t an exclusive club for bookworms. Most people who’ll hopefully attend are from the academic and business circles. We can discuss both fiction and non-fiction, theoretical and practical knowledge.”

“Professors and administrators? That’s . . . too much. I’m merely an accountant undergraduate. Other than my deduction ability, I don’t have anything to contribute.”

Iris’s eyes brightened. “Deduction?”

“My father, he’s a detective. I learned a few tricks from him, though he doesn’t want me to follow his steps.”

“Do you want to be like him?”

Xiaotan nodded, her cheeks faintly pink. “Who wouldn’t want to make their parent proud?”

“If you strive forward, he’ll naturally be proud. There’s no need to go out of your way to please him.” Iris leaned on her chair. “You’re smart enough to know that.”

“I just want to help him.” Xiaotan pressed her shoulders against her chest, shrinking her silhouette.

Iris grasped Xiaotan’s hands and stroked their backs. Her fingernails delicately tickled Xiaotan, who gradually relaxed, her heart returning to its steady rhythm.

“I’m sorry, Lady Iris. My mind wandered to a distasteful memory. Anyway, I won’t trouble your guests with my lack of knowledge. I’m not qualified to be your guest, only your student.”

“If you can’t come in the capacity of a guest, what about an employee? I’m lacking an accountant. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Can I . . . recommend myself?” Xiaotan fiddled with her hair. “I’m not the best, but you don’t need the best; you want me, and I want to be with you.”

“If my fiancée heard that, she might get mad.”

“I didn’t mean it that way!” Xiaotan straightened her back, taking a deep breath. “You want me to be at the party, and I want to be at your party. There’s nothing romantic between us. You’re my mentor, and I’m your student. We can never be together.”

Xiaotan’s voice rose until she realised the entire store could hear her. She apologised to other customers, who looked at her with a strange expression as if she were arguing with her older, more mature girlfriend. Iris made no attempt to clarify the situation, leaving Xiaotan to simmer in embarrassment.

“You’re evil, Lady Iris. You set me up,” Xiaotan said.

“I’m helping you make mistakes. You should learn from them.” Iris looked at her watch. “You should hurry with your schedule. I’ll send you a letter when I finalise the plan.”

After thanking Iris, Xiaotan left. Iris discussed the detail with Lorient and bought a few more flowers. She planned another meeting with Lorient before excusing herself. The day was fruitful, and now she must return.

Toward home, she walked.