It had officially been a week since the prince had invited a boy from the streets to live in the palace. Seungcheol had spent his time since then under the supervision of Ms. Sunny, the head servant of the palace, and he had been learning all of the duties that he would be responsible from her...well he was learning as much as he could and trying his best. 

From the updates that Jeonghan had received, Seungcheol was a bit of a clumsy one, and his timid personality didn't help in his learning. Ms. Sunny had told the prince that it had taken a while just for Seungcheol to look her in the eye and an even longer time for him to answer her without stuttering and cowering into himself. And when Jeonghan had heard that, he was concerned. Not just because it would make things harder for himself when Seungcheol was officially under his wing, but also because those types of mannerisms were extremely alarming. Perhaps due to trauma? Or maybe he was just scared about being in the palace? Was he afraid that something would happen to him here is he did something wrong? Jeonghan would have to reassure him that no such thing would happen if that was the case. But luckily, Ms. Sunny had then come back to Jeonghan and remarked that Seungcheol had become a little more open after she had moved him to a different living area, shared with Vernon and Seungkwan, two other similar aged servants that Jeonghan knew to be very welcoming and friendly. That told the prince that maybe his newest servant was just shy.  

That still wasn't very desirable since Jeonghan wasn't much of a peoples person either, but he knew that the shyness wouldn't last forever. Shy was okay. He could work with shy.

When Sunny had finally cleared Seungcheol for work, he was sent directly to Jeonghan's chambers. The boy was nervous beyond belief as he stood outside of the large wooden doors and after several minutes of just staring, he finally found the courage to knock. After not hearing a response, Seungcheol tried knocking again only to receive more silence. The new servant boy wanted to knock again but hesitated because what if the prince was sleeping? He did hear from Seungkwan that the prince liked to take naps so maybe that was it. Or maybe the prince just didn't want to answer. That was also a likely possibility.

He turned around to check where he was just to make sure he didn't go the wrong way. He wasn't that bad with direction but the palace was huge so he wouldn't doubt it if he did end up getting lost. But after reassuring himself that he had followed Ms Sunny's directions perfectly, he tried knocking again. And when no one answered the third time, Seungcheol was at a loss on what to do as he chewed on his bottom lip, the nerves really getting to him this time.

"You're not going to find him in there." A voice said behind him and Seungcheol jumped.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Seungcheol said on instinct and bowed before he seeing who it was that was talking to him. But when Seungcheol finally did get a look at who it was, he recognized him from the grand hall a week ago.

It was Woozi, one of the prince's personal advisors.

"I...am I in the wrong place? Ms. Sunny told me where to go but perhaps I got lost? Oh please don't tell the prince!" Seungcheol begged and Woozi just laughed.

"Relax. Jeonghan wouldn't even care. Anyway, you're in the right place but you're not going to find Jeonghan in there."

"Why not?" Seungcheol pouted. 

"Because he's gone for a ride on Coco. He left maybe 30 minutes ago? And I don't think he'll be back until sunset." Woozi replied.

"Coco?"

"His favorite horse. I can tell him you were here when he comes back." Woozi suggested and Seungcheol shook his head.

"I'll just wait here. I don't want to go back to the servants quarters alone when everyone else is working."

And after a moment Woozi sighed and motioned to Seungcheol to follow him. "I'll just take you to the stables and you can wait there. You can give Dokyeom some company and it'd be better if you're there than just sitting in front of Jeonghan's door like a creep. I don't even want to think about what would happen if the king found you here. He'd probably accuse you of stealing something."

Hearing about his past, Seungcheol pouted. He knew people didn't trust him because of his past as a thief but he only did that to survive. But he knew no one cared about that. They only saw him for what he appeared to be. A worthless street boy.

"Why are you helping me out?" Seungcheol asked before he could stop himself. Woozi just looked at him and Seungcheol decided to continue. "You know my past. You know what I've done all my life. So why are you helping me?"

Woozi just chuckled and stopped to talk to Seungcheol. "I may know your past but I'm not a judgemental like some of the elders. They're all old and stuck in their ways and they're the one's that you should be afraid of. Not us. Besides, Jeonghan seems to trust you and that's more than enough for me." 

After Woozi had said his piece, he continued walking, not bothering to check if Seungcheol was still behind him. 

Seungcheol on the other hand was taking a moment to think over Woozi's words. He still wasn't sure about the motives behind the prince inviting him to live in the palace and he could admit that he had been a little wary of the other. Of course he had heard stories on the streets but they all varied from kindness to cruelty and you could never be sure which ones were true and which of those were fabricated rumors. Either way, Seungcheol was scared to say the least and now someone that worked with the prince every day told him he had nothing to worry about. Could that be true?

But Seungcheol didn't give himself too much time to ponder because before he knew it, Woozi was already at the end of the long hallway and he didn't want to fall too far behind the other.

Eventually they made it to the stables where the horses were kept and taken care of for the royal family and there Woozi introduced Seungcheol to the stable boy, Dokyeom. Dokyeom seemed like a cheery young man, probably not that much younger than Seungcheol, and he had a smile that rivaled the sun. The two got along swimmingly and for a while Seungcheol just sat and listened as Dokyeom told him the proper way to care for a horse. The stable boy was knowledgeable about all things do with equestrianism and apparently he had taught the prince a thing or two about how to ride the horses. He was passionate about his work and Seungcheol couldn't help but to smile as Dokyeom explained to him how his daily routines and which of the horses were his favorite. 

Time quickly passed and Dokyeom had even let Seungcheol feed some of the horses in the stables as the sun was about to touch the horizon. That was when Jeonghan had returned from his ride and he was shocked to see the new servant boy feeding Aji, a white horse that was known for being quite energetic, and surprisingly the servant boy was doing an okay job. 

Seungcheol seemed to be engrossed in feeding the horse so Jeonghan let Dokyeom take care of Coco while the prince approached his newest servant. Jeonghan didn't really notice it at first in the grand all, but his new servant was very cute. Seeing the other being so gentle with the horses made Jeonghan happy for some reason and with the sun setting giving a warm glow on the boys face, Jeonghan couldn't help but to feel a little at peace at watching the scene.

"Hi." Jeonghan said and he had to admit that it was a little fun seeing the other jump. And the pout that the other had on after the initial shock was also rather cute, Jeonghan thought to himself.

"Oh! Your highness!" Seungcheol greeted with a bow. "I...I was just-" Seungcheol tried to explain what he was doing but he feared getting yelled at for doing something that wasn't his responsibility and so his words come out through stutters and in a jumbled mess.

"It looked like you were feeding Aji." Jeonghan finished for him and Seungcheol shut his mouth immediately. Jeonghan could see the fear in the other's eyes and he sighed. "You didn't do anything wrong but you should be more careful. Aji can be unpredictable so feeding him without any proper training or experience can be dangerous." Jeonghan said and Dokyeom immediately took over, apologizing for his own mistake in allowing Seungcheol to feed but Jeonghan let it slide.

The prince was more focused in trying to read Seungcheol. The other looked scared and he had no idea why. It was very likely that the other was afraid of him but he had no clue as to why that might be. Ms. Sunny had told him about how Seungcheol was when he had first arrived but she also told him that the boy was getting better. He had hoped that that was true and that Seungcheol would be comfortable around him. He didn't want the other to fear him. But then he remembered Ms. Sunny's advise about giving him some time and so Jeonghan decided to take that approach. So he turned around to head for the palace and Seungcheol followed behind him.

When they finally reached Jeonghan's chambers, Jeonghan sat on his chair and began to take off his boots. He stopped midway though because he noticed Seungcheol standing awkwardly by the door and the other was biting his lip. It was cute but Jeonghan couldn't fully appreciate the sight because he knew that it was a sign of nervousness.

"Is something wrong?" Jeonghan asked and Seungcheol looked like he had just been caught for doing something he shouldn't be.

"I...well I-...Shouldn't I..." Seungcheol stuttered until Jeonghan gave him a look that told him to just say it already. "Would you like me to assist you sir!" Seungcheol asked but he was so nervous it came out as a yell.

"Assist me?" Jeonghan asked, not really understanding the question.

"Well...some of the other servants said that since I was going to be your personal servant, I would need to do...personal things for you." Seungcheol said, his cheeks now turning pink.

"Personal?" Jeonghan was still confused. He had never requested for a personal servant but he had heard of some elders and middle aged wealthy men always looking for personal servants. He never really knew what their jobs were or why personal servants were so highly requested but maybe it had to do with their tasks?

"Yes...some of the other servant girls said that they had worked for other men and that they all had...duties." Seungcheol said as he was shuffling on his feet and his face now fully red.

"And what are some of these duties?" Jeonghan asked out of pure curiosity.

Seungcheol looked confused at Jeonghan's constant questions on the matter and at first he thought the other just wanted to embarrass him by making him list the things out. That or the prince was truly clueless. But either way, Seungcheol saw it in his own best interest to just say it, despite the embarrassment.

"Well, Ms. Sunny said that I have to clean for you. Your room and your clothes. I also have to do whatever you request of me. And some of the girls were telling me that those things would include...changing you...bathing you..and k-keeping your bed warm."

"Keep..Keep my what warm?!" Jeonghan asked, knowing exactly what those words implied but still hoping they meant something different.

"Only if that's what you wish!" Seungcheol quickly added. "They also said that I was also expected to help...relieve you of stress in any way." Seungcheol added quietly.

"You really think that I would ask you to do that...stuff?"

"Isn't that why you brought me here?" Seungcheol asked with his big brown eyes.

"You think I hired you for ? No! I would never- No! Why would I ever ask you to do something when you're clearly uncomfortable with it?!"

"The girls said that my consent didn't matter. My job is to keep his highness happy." Seungcheol said, his words coming out monotonous, as if they had been drilled into his head.

"Absolutely not. Is that why you were so afraid of me earlier?" Jeonghan asked and Seungcheol hesitated to answer before he nodded.

Jeonghan sighed and then pulled Seungcheol towards the bed to sit down and talk, but he realized a moment too late what a terrible idea that was when he saw Seungcheol start to shake as they got closer to the bed. So instead Jeonghan made Seungcheol down on the edge of his bed while he kneeled in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry. I've never done this before but I promise I'll be good!" Seungcheol said quickly and his words broke Jeonghan's heart.

"Seungcheol...listen to me. I will never ask you to do these things with me. I will never touch you in a way that makes you uncomfortable. You may be my servant but you are also your own person. Despite what you've been told, you're not an object to be used or owned. That wasn't my intention when I brought you here and I don't ever intend to see you that way." Jeonghan explained to him and Seungcheol could only stare at the prince in shock.

"Then why did you bring me here?" Seungcheol asked and it took a moment for Jeonghan to answer.

"I don't think I know why myself. But I can tell you that I didn't bring you here for that." Jeonghan answered and although Seungcheol didn't get an answer to his question, he was relieved by the prince's word. 

Seeing that Seungcheol had calmed down, Jeonghan stood and walked towards his private bathroom while taking off his jacket.

"I'm going to wash up. While I'm bathing, could you bring me something to eat? Usually the head chef leaves a plate out for me in the kitchen if he knows I'll be missing a meal. If I'm still in the bath when you return then just leave the tray on my bed and then you can retire for the night. Tomorrow we can start a full day." Jeonghan instructed and Seungcheol silently obeyed.

He was happy that his day was over so quickly. Most of the servants told him that he could be serving the prince until late hours of the night. But the prince seemed like a kind man so far and Seungcheol felt a little safer being under his authority. Jeonghan wasn't at all like he had been expecting and that was wonderful.

So he finally reached the kitchen where a few staff were cleaning up, and just like Jeonghan had said, a single plate of food was waiting on a side table. Seungcheol grabbed the plate and a glass of water before placing them on a tray and carrying the items back to the prince's chambers. And since Jeonghan was still in his private bathroom, Seungcheol did as he was told and left the tray.

He was about to leave when he looked down at the lonely tray on the bed and he felt wrong for leaving without saying goodbye to the prince. It felt almost rude and he didn't want that. But he was conflicted because the prince told him to leave after he was done.

So Seungcheol did the next best thing he could think of. He went to the prince's desk and searched for a paper and quill. He hoped the prince wouldn't be too mad at him for using them without permission but he would see why when Seungcheol was finished.

He wanted to write a note. Just something to say that he appreciated the kindness that was shown to him. But the only problem was that he didn't know how to write...

Feeling saddened, Seungcheol was about to put the pen and paper back when another idea popped in his head. And so with that, he finished his note and put everything in their place before quickly cleaning up and then leaving the room as if he was never there.

The prince came out of his private bathroom in his fresh silk pajamas and his wet messy hair. As he dried his hair with a towel, he scanned the room and noticed that his servant was gone. He sighed but figured that would've been the case. After all, he did give the other permission to leave once he was done. So instead we walked over to his bed where the tray of food was and he was about to dig into the bread and soup when he noticed a slip of paper folded under the corner of his plate. He picked it up and noticed sloppy handwriting. It was a short note, only a word and barely legible. But it brought a smile to the prince's face all night.

"Enjoy!!☺"

A/N: Second chapter! Tbh I have an idea of where I want this fic to go but idk how to get there LOL So I guess I'll figure it out along the way!

Anyway, please do let me know what you guys thought! Feedback is always appreciated! And yeah, I updated this fic instead of one of my others bc these chapters are a lot shorter and rn I don't have too much time to dedicate to my fics. So I'll try here and there but please be patient! I'm in my last semester of undergrad and it's only the first week but my classes are already kicking my . Oh well, rip me I guess LOL ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And yeah, thank you so much for reading and liking my story and please be sure to comment! Bye for now!!