Depriving her of that sweet torture
Adolphus settled Iris gently on the mattress. It was a hard one unlike the one in the palace. Joshua was standing at the foot of the bed and informed Adolphus that the old lady was in the other room, unconscious.
“Iris is injured. Can you find a physician around?” Adolphus asked Joshua.
Joshua considered the late hour and replied, “At this hour, Your Grace, it’s difficult. Shall I dress her wound? I have some basic knowledge, and her injury seems to be limited to her head.”
“Sure. Do it quickly,” Adolphus stated. He had this dark expression on his face. Seeing Iris in this state, his heart wrenched. He didn’t his father to go to this length. His brows scrunched as he knew what he would do next.
As Joshua returned with a small pot of water and a clean piece of fabric scavenged from the old lady’s room, the dim light from the flickering lamp was their only illumination. Joshua settled on a bamboo chair and began the delicate task of cleaning and dressing Iris’s wound.Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
After he had finished the dressing, he informed Adolphus that Iris should regain consciousness soon. He couldn’t help but notice the intense look in Adolphus’s eyes. So, Joshua asked the Crown Prince what he was thinking.
“This was extreme, Joshua. This attack on her I never expected from my father. I always saw him as a great person who would never hurt anyone. But I was wrong,” Adolphus said. His disappointment, his anguish were clear in his tone.
“Because a werewolf and a human can never be together,” Joshua said.
“We are also humans. We only have a special ability that made us these werewolves. Rest, everything about us is the same,” Adolphus proclaimed.
“I know, Your Grace. Please don’t feel too low,” Joshua asserted.
“I am going to marry Iris. That’s the only way to protect her and keep her by my side,” Adolphus informed Joshua, who was surprised to learn that at first, but later he smiled.
“I’ll be happy to be a part of His Grace’s wedding,” Joshua said with a warm smile. “Many are going to oppose the Crown Prince. But love has a power and I am confident that you’ll both conquer all the difficulties in your way,” he added with a sense of faith in Adolphus’ and Iris’ relationship.
“Thank you, Joshua. Your support means a lot to me,” Adolphus said.
Joshua asked him not to thank him. “As the Crown Prince’s childhood friend, I have seen how he worked tirelessly for everyone. It was the first time he desired something from the bottom of his heart. Indeed, I’ll stand by him to support him,” he stated, and shifted his eyes to Iris. Her eyeballs showed slight movement, which the two of them noticed.
Adolphus swiftly sat on the bed and held Iris’s hand while Joshua got up from the chair, pushing it toward the closed wall.
“Iris,” Adolphus softly called out her name.
It took her a few minutes to finally open her eyes. “Your Grace,” Iris softly whispered and recalled how he saved her.
Joshua decided to give them private time and silently left the tiny room.
“Stay in the bed,” Adolphus said as Iris attempted to sit up.
“How’s Grandma?” Iris asked.
“She is in the other room,” Adolphus replied.
“I wish to sit. I don’t feel sick,” Iris asserted. He didn’t stop her from this and let her sit. However, out of concern, he moved his hand to her forehead and brushed his hand over the bandage.
“I was late to be here. Forgive me,” Adolphus said.
“Please don’t apologize. I’m surprised His Grace came and saved me,” Iris replied, her voice filled with gratitude.
She no longer called him ‘Master’, since that relationship didn’t exist any longer.
“Why did you leave the palace? Why did you not think of me once? We only had a small argument and you disappeared. Do you have any idea how much worried I was?” Adolphus questioned her.
Iris lowered her head in guilt. “Forgive me, Your Grace. I couldn’t unfollow His Majesty’s command. Also, His Grace didn’t wish to see me after I rejected his feelings,” she explained her stance while keeping her gaze low.
“I love you, Iris. My heart was restless when I found out you weren’t around me,” Adolphus suddenly said, causing their gazes to lock.
“Why me?” Iris asked, her eyes turning watery.
“I don’t know. It just happened,” Adolphus replied and he leaned toward her. His hand cradled her neck tenderly. Iris knew what would happen next, but she looked away.
“We can’t do this, Your Grace. I am not a suitable match for you,” Iris replied.
“Who said that? My father?” Adolphus queried.
Iris remained quiet and again peered at him. “Even if the King hadn’t said that, my answer would be the same,” she asserted.
The answer wasn’t from her heart, but it was a lie.
“Your heartbeats and your eyes can never lie,” Adolphus stated. “You are my love, whom I plan to keep by my side. Will your answer be the same if we kiss again?” his chain of intimidating questions began again. “Resist me if you truly feel my love is not strong enough for you,” he stated.
Before she could understand his next move, Adolphus sealed their lips with a kiss. Right away, Iris melted away in that kiss. Her mind was electrocuted and it stopped thinking. The gentle nibbles on her lips made her toes curl and her body started getting weaker in that warm, affectionate kiss.
Iris didn’t realize it when she began reciprocating him; when she was lying on the mattress and when her hands moved to his nape. She was entirely focused on that kiss, which kept getting hotter with each passing second.
Adolphus left her lips, depriving her of that sweet torture. But his mouth journeyed southward to pepper kisses all the way from her cheeks, to both sides of her jaws and then her neck. Iris’ eyes fluttered shut and, as Adolphus said, she couldn’t stop him.
Her body was no longer in her control as Adolphus tortured her neck with his wet, sweet kisses.