"Yes sir, I'm Iris the flower girl, and I'll come as long as you ask for it, within my ability. ”

The beautiful blonde girl seemed to have stepped out of a fairy tale, and at this moment she smiled kindly and replied in a crisp and pleasant voice.

This flower girl named Iris gives people a feeling of beauty and tranquility like a mask doll. The blue pupils covered by golden eyelashes seem to glow from the bottom of the sea, and the milky white skin shows out the cherry cheeks, and the red lips that are brightly smeared.

A girl who is flawless and as pure as a flower.

If you don't blink, you'll be treated like a perfect puppet.

- I thought that the flower girl in my friend's mouth was an ordinary girl who couldn't be more ordinary.

I didn't expect it to be such an amazing girl.

Cornell was withdrawn by nature, did not pay attention to information from the outside world, did not read news magazines, and had very little interaction with people. In addition to his friends who care about him and the colleagues who work with him in the theater, the only outsiders he can contact are the delivery people of the food store.

It would be nice to look into it first, asking someone else - he already regrets it a little.

In this family, which belongs to a family of three, outsiders appear...... The same guy, he felt very uncomfortable, always felt very unhappy.

- It's like I'm sorry for my family.

Iris, who had no idea of Cornell's thoughts, was sitting on a bench in the living room, curling his waist-length braids at the back of his head, and elegantly drinking the black tea he was served. It seems that she is a very ordinary girl, and if her daughter grows up, maybe she will be like this.

"What shall I call you?"

"Iris, Mr. Cornell. The flower seller tilted her head and said.

"Well, let's be honest...... I'm a little confused, uh, and imaginary...... It's a bit different. ”

Iris made a slight confirmation of what she was dressing, then turned her head to look back at Connell, who was not sitting down with her, but standing there staring at her.

"All the people who need my help, the first time they see me, it's like that, but ...... I don't know what's wrong with me. ”

"No, no...... That's not what I'm trying to say...... No, forget it. As long as it can help. ”

Iris smiled kindly, looked at him with jewel-like blue eyes, and said, "I was an orphan who grew up in Rootsville, and everyone was very kind to me, so I vowed that when I grew up, I would do everything I could to help those in need in Rootsville." ”

Cornell let out an "um" and nodded with a pounding heartbeat.

Her work was two weeks, during which Cornell had to create a qualified mask doll based on Iris.

Cornell changed her mood and led her into her studio, ready to get to work right away.

Even so, the first thing Iris did was not to inquire about the making process of the mask figure, but to clean up his studio.

The room, which Cornell used as a studio and bedroom, was full of clothes taken off and pots with uneaten rice sticking to them, just lying on the floor. In short, there is no place to stay.

Iris looked at him with blue eyes again.

"Mr. Cornell, your life is terrible—"

“...... I'm sorry. ”

It's really not a room where people can work. Since living alone, except for the living room, which is barely used, it is relatively clean, and the condition of the room, bathroom, kitchen, and bathroom that I enter frequently is not optimistic.

Outwardly, Iris should be about twenty years old, and Cornell didn't want such a young girl to see these embarrassing places. Even if you are old, you have the shame of being a man.

"Mr. Cornell, my job is to help you make the mask dolls, not the maids. With that, she pulled a dark frilly apron from the satchel she was carrying with her and began to actively put it away.

"Mr. Cornell, if you include cleaning, the labor cost will be calculated separately. ”

“...... Good. ”

It took a day.

From the next day, the two of them were finally able to work with peace of mind.

Cornell lay across the bed, and Iris sat upright in his chair, surveying the various parts on the table in front of him.

"Do you know how to assemble dolls?"

"A little, I played with a friend's rag doll when I was a kid. ”

"Hmm...... Well, the principle is the same. Cornell leaned sideways and said lazily, "The material of the mask doll is a puppet material, and it is covered with dense dots, and what Iris needs to do is to stitch these parts together according to the points I said." But...... This can be a bit of a hassle...... These spots are small...... Be careful. ”

"No problem, you need to deal with the stamens when you breed them, and those little things are more troublesome than these points. ”

"It's for the best. ”

Later, Cornell didn't say anything about one point or another, no matter how far apart they were, Iris always connected each and every one of them with astonishing speed and precision.

“...... That's fast. ”

Hearing the compliment, Iris opened the six veins of his body, and faintly spiritual power slid through her fingertips, countless details continued to magnify in front of her eyes.

"In addition to being an orphan, I am also a psychic who can open six veins, but there seems to be a blockage in the spiritual veins, which cannot resonate with the harmonic pulse array, and I cannot release the spirit shock. It can be said that there is no attack power, but with the blessing of spiritual power, I can complete your task very quickly and accurately-"

"I see...... The Spiritist Who Can't Fight......"

Cornell continued to dictate. Although I took a few breaks on the way, it was still very smooth as the first day of construction.

The original structure of the mask puppet was already completed in my mind, so there was not much lag in the production process.

At the same time, in the course of his work, Cornell found that Iris was very good, both as an admirer of the puppet and as a substitute creator. She comes across as friendly and steady from the start, and she has shown this trait well since she entered the job. Like a lily in a field of flowers, you can only hear the sound of tools colliding with each other, and if you close your eyes, you will probably think that you are working. When asked how well the parts are connected, she says it in a gentle voice, which sounds like a pleasure.

According to her, no matter how monotonous and boring the work is, it sounds like a very ** profession.

- I see, Ires is really different.

Cornell was well aware of the virtues of the flower girl.

Unfortunately, it only lasted for the fifth day. After the sixth day, there was a pause in the production process. Whether it's writing or creating, it's something that can't be avoided. Even if you have decided what you want to write, you can't organize it into satisfactory language.

Cornell, through years of experience in making puppets, already has a way to deal with this kind of untenable.

That is to stop, and what is barely created must not be a good work, and he firmly believes that.

Although he was a little sorry for Iris, he could only let her stand by for the time being.

She applied to do housework and cooking when she had nothing to do, perhaps because she originally loved life.

No matter who it is, it's been a long time since you've been able to eat steaming food at home. Whether it's eating out or ordering takeout, it's not as good as a meal that takes a lot of effort.

There is a melt-in-your-mouth steamed egg custard, a snow waffle cake made with a unique cooking method in Snow Country, a top-quality risotto stir-fried with colorful flowers and a flavorful sauce and rice, and a stew made with permafrost tundra's special moss. There is no shortage of side dishes and desserts every time. Faced with this, Cornell was somewhat moved.

When Cornell dined, she just watched from the sidelines, not together.

When persuaded to join her, Iris would only politely refuse things like "I'll eat alone later".

- It would be nice to be able to eat together.

He just thought so, and didn't say what he wanted.

Although she looks completely different from her wife, the background of her cooking is somewhat indescribably similar, and Cornell, who is staring at her like this, has a strong sadness rising in her heart for some reason, and her eyes are hot. He knew all too well what it felt like someone else to intrude into his life.

- Now I live a very lonely life.

When I went to the entrance to greet Iris, who had returned from purchasing, I felt joy in my heart.

The peace of mind you feel when you sleep at night and realize that you are not alone.

You don't have to do anything, just open your eyes and know the fact that she's there.

All of these days made Cornell truly aware of how lonely he was.

Although it is not about money, there is no need to worry about life. But what can nourish life is not only this, but also needs a protective shield that can prevent the soul from drying up.

A decisive wound cannot be healed.

In the same way, someone who has always been with you, even if you don't know you very well, can be there as soon as you wake up from your sleep and open your eyes.

This deeply infected Cornell, who had been lonely for a long time and closed his heart.

Iris is the wave in his life, the small change that comes to visit the calm waters of the lake. Although it is just a stone, it can also bring some changes to his monotonous life. If you insist on clarifying the good or bad of such changes, it must be good.

At least the tears that overflowed from sentimentality when I felt her presence were warmer than any before.

With only three days left to live with Iris, Cornell finally pulled himself together.

However, due to a special detail, the mask puppet is missing one last important part.

Originally, this mask doll was going to be used in a theater and appear in front of everyone as a girl returning home. The girl in the adventure story runs away from home, travels all over the world, meets all kinds of people, experiences all kinds of things, and grows up.

The mask doll is based on his deceased daughter.

The old father in the family is still waiting, but the daughter has grown up too much and is no longer recognizable.

The sad daughter remembered the promise she had made in the past when she talked to her father.

One day I'll walk across the river on the fallen leaves on the lake to show you—— she once said.

"Humans can't cross the river on their own!" Iris blinked, puzzled.

"It takes some imagination, and the story can be handled as having the help of an elf who was saved during an adventure. ”

"Even so...... The water is still too light, and the people are too heavy......"