Iris' body froze when she was pinned to the pillar of the poster bed. Her breath hitched as she felt his hot breath fanning against her slender neck. She gathered her courage to speak.

"I will be punished, Your Royal Highness," Iris said, as she recalled the words of Martha.

'Do not go near the Princes!' Martha had strictly told all the human female servants. She didn't want to get punished. She had heard that in the palace, the punishments weren't easy ones. You will be tortured for making even a minor mistake. Sometimes the servants died while being flogged.

Adolphus snapped his fingers in front of his eyes, thus bringing her out of her thoughts.

"When I am in front of you, then your focus will be me. Also, in this palace, after the King, the one who can punish you is me," Adolphus whispered in her ear and brought his face to the front. "I was checking if you were marked or not!" He stated with a grin on his lips.

Iris flickered her eyes and furrowed her brows together. "Marked?" She murmured.

"Hmm. A mark that shows you belong to someone. But since you are a human, hardly anyone has noticed you. No worries, I already have my eyes on you. So, no one will even dare to go close to you. You need to serve me well," Adolphus said as he gently patted her head.

Iris pondered over his words. Why were his eyes on her? Was someone supposed to notice her? His words posed many questions to her. Her focus shifted to the gentle pat that she received from the Crown Prince, the strongest Alpha of the Kingdom.

That pat was soothing. Did she ever get such a pat from someone from her family?

No!

Even her father didn't like her presence. The last gentle pat was from her mother before she died.

"Iris," Adolphus pronounced her name again, which took her out of those memories. Painful memories of her past.

"I am hungry," Adolphus said, and stepped back. He turned his back towards her and put his shirt inside the breeches. Iris averted her gaze from him. When Adolphus asked for the waistcoat, she handed it to him. He wore it and then came near my bed to pick up the long coat.

"You are too shy to look at me," Adolphus said as he hooked the long coat on his shoulder.

"Your Highness, may I ask something?" Iris asked.

"Hmm?" Adolphus cocked his brow.

"Why does His Highness want me to serve him? I am a newly appointed servant," Iris asserted.

"Because I am the Crown Prince. Do I need any special reason to make you serve me?" Adolphus queried her. "I like it when you speak your mind. Hardly any servant has the guts to talk to me," he said with a grin.

Iris opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it.

"That night our eyes met for a brief moment," Adolphus said. Iris, with inquisitiveness, glanced at him. She thought he would have forgotten about it. But she was wrong! However, he remembered it well.

"Why didn't His Highness save me then?" Iris' eyes were filled with tears. "The Crown Prince is supposed to protect his people from the wrong." Iris' anger burst out. She didn't want to be in the palace. The last two days were tough for her. She found the weird gazes of men on her.

"Little Cat, do you want me to kill him? Tell me and I will tear him apart." Adolphus' words intimidated her. She didn't mean that.

"No, Your Highness," Iris answered and downcast her head when Adolphus gripped her chin.

"You are an interesting woman, Iris. However, you should keep your tongue in control. I know my duties well. You would not have been standing in front of me if it wasn't for my will. Here, not a single dry leaf is moved away without my permission." Adolphus pronounced and turned to look at her.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, for sounding rude. I will keep that in mind from now onward," Iris stated while fiddling with her fingers.

Adolphus looked at her feet, which were badly bruised.

"Good," Adolphus said, and walked out of the chamber. Iris silently followed him and saw the table was still wet. She quickly cleaned it and asked Adolphus if she should heat the food again.

Adolphus, who had already taken a seat, refused. "I am already late, Little Cat. The food is still hot." He picked up the knife and fork. He started to eat the slices of meat by cutting them. He took a piece and forwarded it to Iris, who gazed at him in bewilderment.

"Eat," he told her.

"How can I, Your Highness?" Iris asked in confusion.

"Eat it, Iris," Adolphus repeated, his words again. Iris stepped forward and leaned down. She opened her mouth and took the slice of meat into her mouth. The taste melted her. She had not had such tasty food in a long time. In her house, she was given the leftover food of her step-siblings.

She thanked Adolphus and picked another fork for him. "Here, Your Highness," she said.

"It is alright. I will eat with this fork," Adolphus stated, and continued to eat. Iris handed him the water glass when he finished eating. Adolphus sipped water and the remnants of the water droplets were left on his lips.

He dabbed his mouth with the napkin.

"Anthony will shift you here. You will be around me all the time," Adolphus informed her before leaving her sight.