*WARNING: The following content may contain sexual content.*

For the next few days, meals were brought to me. More maids appeared in my living quarter to clean while several servants come in and out to tend the gardens and expand the small house I had been living in. Confused change, I stayed out of their way and kept inside my room to read.

After 2 weeks, my neck healed and the skin was back to its normal white color. When the maids told me the Prince ordered for me join everyone for breakfast, I hesitated. As soon as I asked to stay in my room, everyone went to their knees. They begged for me to go. If I didn't go, the Prince will punish them. Since I had no choice, I went.

The atmosphere in the Main Hall seemed intense when I entered.

"Sit here"

I wasn't the only one startled by the command. The concubine sitting next to him was stunned since he pointed to her seat. I was confused until someone giggled and playfully told the concubine to move for their sister. The woman pouted but moved.

"Come here"

When I sat down beside the Prince, he touched my neck. I flinched but he held my neck firmly, not letting me move. I felt more confused when his thumb stroke across the skin on my neck so gently. Glancing up at him, I saw his eyes on my neck as if inspecting it. When his eyes met mine, we just stared at each other without words. It wasn't until someone coughed that my eyes looked away and at the food on the table.

"Eat" The prince gave his order.

While we were eating, I observed how the women all fawned over Prince. The man doesn't speak much as he ate, but the women all converse to him with smiles. Not once did he have to reach for the dishes with the women continuing to put food in his bowl.

Then the Prince suddenly reached for the fish and placed a huge chunk of meat in my bowl. I hadn't thought more of it and thanked him before eating it. When I finally noticed the silence, I looked up to see that none of women are eating anymore. Their chopstick was frozen in their hands while they looked stunned. Then one of the women made a casual comment on liking quail eggs. I looked at the plate with stir fried vegetables and quail eggs that sat in front of her. Why wasn't she eating it when it's right in front of her?

When the Prince saw my eyes on plate, he had assumed that's what I wanted and reached for it. The woman was beaming with happiness until the Prince put the egg and vegetable into my bowl. Startled, I look at the Prince to see his indifferent expression. The woman, on the other hand, was now glaring at me.

After the morning meal, the Prince told everyone to leave. I had thought to go back to my room but he took hold of my arm and kept me beside him. When the woman beside him smiled sweetly and asked to stay to keep him company as well, the Prince gave her a cold, hard look. Scared by the cold look, the woman left without another word.

Alone with the Prince, I sat nervously – wondering what he wanted. Suddenly, he touched my cheek with the side of his index fingers. Confused, I sat there quietly while his finger slid up and down my cheeks. The gentleness of the situation was confusing me. Soon, his finger hooked my chin and tilted my head up to look at him.

"Did you learn your lesson?"

Lesson? What lesson?

"Do you now know you cannot refuse what I want?"

I froze under his touch. His hand wrapped behind back of my neck and pulled me forward. When he bends his head, his lips hovered over mine.

"No" I pushed at his hard chest.

"I only want a kiss" He said irritably. "You won't even give me that?"

My hands were shaking against his chest. He could easily overpower me and take whatever he wanted, but he's let me push back at him.

"Do you always anger me on purpose?"

I shook my head.

"Then don't deny me a kiss"

The fury in his eyes let me know resisting anymore will be futile. Once my hands stop pushing at his chest, he didn't allow another moment for me to hesitate and pressed his lips down to mine. I've never kissed or been kissed. Even as a child, I was never kissed by my mother or father. I didn't know what to do when I felt his firm hot lips pressed firmly against mine. His soft suction and his slick tongue sliding against my bottom lips, made my heart beat fast. I was trembling while his lips moved and nibbled on my tightly closed lips.

I didn't even know when I passed out.