Not going to take advantage
A strong hand gripped Iris’s arm, and her grip on the white cotton fabric loosened. Her back pressed against the pillar behind her while a warm hand rested on her mouth. She recognized this perfume. It was none other than Adolphus. Her fingers tightly clutched his shirt.
“I saw a human around me. Check out the entire Eastern Palace. A human is roaming outside on the night of a full moon despite the warning. Check who is missing from her room,” Anthony ordered the Omega servants.
Iris was terrified about hearing it. She would be punished severely if her room was checked. She lifted her head to look into Adolphus’ eyes, pleading with him to help her. Adolphus peeked out of the pillar and saw that Anthony had already left.
He carried Iris in his arms and took her to his chamber. Iris tried to cover herself with her hands, as she was too embarrassed. Soon, they reached his bedchamber, where Adolphus gently put her down and made her sit on the bed.
His eyes fell on her shoulders, which were naked to him. He could even see her belly from where her dress was torn.
“I need to go back. I will be punished” Adolphus prevented her from speaking as his finger pressed on her lips.
“Who can punish you in my presence?” Adolphus lifted his eyebrows and pulled the blanket up to cover her. “I will be back soon. Stay here.” His voice calmed Iris down. The fear inside her had already vanished. She wanted to thank him, but Adolphus had already left her sight.
Iris tightly wrapped the blanket around her, and tears streamed down her cheeks once more. “I should not cry,” Iris told herself, but tears came out of her eyes. She never knew that the outside world was more dangerous than her house. Why was her fate written this way? Was the abuse she underwent not sufficient? She had to suffer through it in the palace too.
Anthony reported to Adolphus about Iris. “Your Royal Highness, Miss Iris is not in her room. The search is ongoing. She has broken the rules, so she will be punished to death tomorrow morning,” Anthony informed Adolphus, who silently walked ahead in the corridor.
“You aren’t supposed to remind me about the rules,” Adolphus said, “Anthony. Iris is with me.” He stopped by the pillar. The moon still had not appeared in the sky.
“At this hour? Pardon me, Your Royal Highness. But may I know the reason?” Anthony asked him.
“You will know the reason soon. Prepare a clean pair of clothes for Iris,” he ordered Anthony, who complied with the Alpha’s command. Adolphus stood by the pillar until Anthony returned with a new dress in his hand. Adolphus took it from him and turned to go inside when Anthony stopped him.
“If anyone finds out that the Crown Prince has taken a human inside his bedchamber, then things may go against His Royal Highness’s favor,” Anthony said with a worried look.
“That’s why you should not let the word spread out. You’ll be punished if anyone finds out about it,” Adolphus said, and walked away.
Anthony scratched the back of his head, wondering what the Crown Prince was up to.
Iris was surprised to see Adolphus with a dress and a first-aid box in his hand. She tightly clutched the blanket around her while her doe eyes continued to look at him.
Adolphus sat by her side, and she promptly stood up. She wasn’t supposed to sit in the same place as Adolphus when she heard his hoarse voice.
“Sit down.” It was a command rather than a request. However, Iris decided to defy that command when he pulled her back and she landed on the bed.
“Put away this blanket. No one is here except us. So, you don’t need to worry,” Adolphus stated. This time, his voice had turned softer.
“Master Adolphus, my m-my c-clo-clothes are torn. It is not appropriate for me to remove this blanket from my body,” Iris said in a low voice while keeping her gaze away from him.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
“I cannot call a physician for you at this hour, nor can I trust any female servant at the moment,” Adolphus stated. Iris finally looked at him and wondered why he said that. “Words spread like a fire in this palace. I want to spend this night in peace rather than create a scene,” he clarified.
“But how can I” she paused because of the embarrassment.
“I am not going to take advantage of you. I will only treat your wounds,” Adolphus assured her. His green orbs sparkled, and it soothed Iris’s insides.
“Master Adolphus isn’t supposed to treat the wounds of a servant. If he allows it, then I can do it myself,” Iris asked him.
“I do not allow it,” Adolphus clearly answered her.
Iris bit her bottom lip in nervousness. How could she expose herself to a man? The thought itself was killing her. She shook her head and tightly shut her eyes.
“I am the Crown Prince, so you must follow my command,” Adolphus, this time, used his power, his authority. “Currently, I am someone who wants to treat your bodily wounds to prevent them from getting infected. You should have shown your body to the physician too. Treat me as a physician.” Adolphus became as humble as possible around her.
Iris turned her back to him and let the blanket go down. Adolphus’ eyes fell on the scratches she had gotten on her shoulder, the back side of her neck, and even the upper portion of her back. He found that there were purplish bruises on her back. It seemed she was a regular victim of abuse in that house.
Adolphus opened the first-aid box and took out a circular wooden box. Removing the tiny lid from over it, he took the transparent gel in his fingers, and brought it over the scratches on her shoulder.
Iris hissed in pain and tightly held the blanket’s edge. The next second, she felt the cool air that Adolphus blew over her scratches.