You are the reason for my drunken state
As the scene reflected in front of his eyes, Adolphus poured the wine into the glass. Iris was smiling at Radulf. She wasn’t scared of him at all and was comfortable around him. However, with him, she used to be scared easily.
Did she ever smile the way she smiled in front of Radulf?
No! She never did that.
He brought the wine glass near his mouth and gulped it down his throat in seconds. He wiped his lips with the back of his palm and plopped the glass on the table before him. In the dim candlelight, his face carried a murderous expression.
He had to make an excuse right before the feast that he had urgent work to finish. Because of Radulf, he lied, and most importantly, Iris bothered him. If he had been present at the feast, then he would have definitely done something which could have raised doubts in the minds of many people.
He poured the wine again into the glass, and this time he swirled it in his hand. He knitted his brows and recalled how Iris bit her lips while conversing with Radulf. Then, she addressed him as ‘Sir’. Then, she talked to him.
“She never told me that she loved to dance. F*ck!” He cursed as he drank the wine from the glass he was holding. She had started to bother him badly. It had been two hours, and Iris still hadn’t come to see him.
Did she not care where he was and what he was doing? Why was she in the great hall when he wasn’t even present? He was her master! Then, why did she have to be away from his sight?
He finished the wine soon and he stood up. Even after drinking such a strong wine, he was sober. Only the color of his eyes was different. Probably because of the anger that had built inside him while waiting for and thinking about Iris.
He removed the waistcoat and threw it somewhere on the floor. As he started to unbutton his shirt, he recalled the touch of Iris’ fingers on his body. Instantly, his entire body was on fire. Anthony knocked on the door and asked him if he should send dinner.
“No. I am not in the mood to eat,” Adolphus said.
“Is the feast over?” He asked as he was curious to know about Iris’ whereabouts.
“It ended twenty minutes ago, Your Royal Highness,” Anthony replied.
“Then, where the f*ck she is?!” Adolphus’ anger burst out. Anthony lifted his head, wondering what happened to the Crown Prince. Before he could ask him, he heard Adolphus.
“You can go to your room and take a rest.” Anthony didn’t say anything, as it could infuriate Adolphus. He bowed before his master and left the chamber.
Adolphus walked out of the chamber too, as his mind was filled with strange thoughts. What if Radulf again met her and tried to do something to her? He didn’t trust him a bit. Moreover, Iris was bullied by the omega female servants two days ago, so he was also worried about what would happen if they again tried to pick on her.
He could not let that happen. He had to see Iris before he could go to bed for a peaceful night’s sleep.
~~~~~~
Iris breathed a sigh of relief as she completed her work along with the other servants. Though Adolphus had told her not to work like others, she could not do that. She was already in Martha’s eyes, who would give her a cold glare every time she encountered her.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
She wiped her hands on the dress she had worn. Most of the servants had already retired to their respective rooms. Today was an exception. Servants could go to their rooms late, so she was safe.
However, she decided to check on Adolphus once. He didn’t even come to the feast. What important work could he get that he had to leave urgently?
She went to the kitchen, where she took out a tray and put three bowls over it, along with four platters. She filled the bowls and platters with different cuisines. Covering the bowls with the plates of the same size, she left for the Crown Prince’s manor.
As she entered the chamber, she saw a wine bottle on the table and a gold glass beside it. She wondered if Adolphus drank and put the tray on the table. She grasped the wine bottle and found it was already empty.
She looked around and found Adolphus wasn’t present. “Did Master Adolphus go to bed?” She mumbled and placed the wine bottle on the table. She thought of leaving, but then she decided to check the bedchamber.
With gradual steps, she went to the bedchamber and was surprised to find that Adolphus was not on the bed. Her eyes fell on the silhouette of a man in front of her, and she turned to look.
“Master,” she said in a low voice.
Iris stepped backward as Adolphus walked up to her. He said nothing, and neither did she speak.
Iris jolted as her back pressed against the cold wall. Adolphus took the last step between them to cover the remaining distance between them. His tall figure hovered over her while her petite, small body was caged between his arms, which were on either side of her head.
“You took time to return, Iris,” Adolphus uttered. As he spoke, she smelled the wine on him. She realized that he was the one who finished that wine bottle. But why did he drink so much? One thing she knew was that this situation wasn’t good.
“His Highness is drunk. I shall take my leave,” Iris said softly while keeping her eyes down. She took a tiny step to her left when Adolphus moved close to her. Their bodies were now pressed against each other, and they could both breathe the same air.
“You are the reason for my drunken state,” Adolphus replied, and their gazes locked.
Those mesmerizing eyes and intoxicating scent coming from Iris make him lose his control over himself.
Flickering her eyelids, Iris asked, “Me?”
Adolphus nodded and hummed. Iris curled her fingers as she was puzzled to hear him. Why would he get drunk because of her? Adolphus understood her confusion just by reading the expression on her face.
“The way you smiled at my younger brother; the way you handed the drink to him,” he said and Iris lifted her eyelids to peer at him again, “and the way you let him touch you, made me think to kill him,” his words terrified Iris.
“I never-” She couldn’t complete her words as Adolphus’ pointer finger rested on her lips.
“So, it was my younger brother. Should I kill him for smiling at my woman?” A smirk appeared on Adolphus’ lips as he posed the question before her.