Naeun took another sip of wine from one of the goblets that had been prepared for her and her husband.

Today had been her first time ever drinking wine as where she came from, a drink like this would have not only been way too expensive but also inappropriate for her to try.

And just as the thought had entered her mind, she immediately thought of another first time that she was about to experience.

At that, a shiver ran down her spine, combined with an odd fluttering sensation that had invaded her stomach ever since she’d seen the Crown Prince.

Lee Taemin.

What was wrong with her? Why did she suddenly feel this way towards him?

The two weeks she had been in the castle she had spent being terrified of what was to become of her once she’d met him.

She was still terrified, though now this sentiment was suddenly combined with an odd sense of…longing?

It was like his absence had left her feeling vulnerable and restless, which she couldn’t explain herself.

As if something was squeezing her heart, her chest feeling tight and warm.

What had happened to her? It couldn’t all be the kiss that they’d shared, right?

Because other than that, Taemin had not spoken a single word to her after the ceremony.

Not during the enormous dinner nor during their dance.

Though, oddly enough, neither had he left her side or stopped looking at her until her ladies-in-waiting had come to collect her.

Another shiver ran through her at the memory of his eyes following her every move.

But Naeun knew that this wasn’t due to the fact that she wasn’t wearing anything under the white nightgown that had been sewed for her and that she was now wearing while waiting for him to join her.

Looking around, she studied the massive royal Crown Prince’s quarters in which she stood and apparently had been refurbished to be theirs.

It must’ve been at least twice the size of her entire one-story home where her father and brother still lived.

The place was divided into four separate quarters which contained the bed chamber, the study with library and piano, the tea and dining area and the dressing section.

Naeun currently stood in the main quarter which was the actual bed chamber that had the fireplace and the four-poster bed that could easily fit ten people.

The floor to ceiling windows were now covered in thick and heavy curtains of the best textiles of the Kingdom while tapestries were hung on the walls and thick rugs were laid on the floors.

The bed itself held pillows and hand-woven throws in rich jewel tones that matched the sofas and chairs, adding a warmth to the vicinity.

Naeun had been trying to calm herself by staring into the fire that one of the maids must have lit for them, but looking back now, she decided to step closer to the bed.

Almost immediately, she spotted the simple cream cloth that had been carefully laid out on the Egyptian cotton sheets.

She knew what this meant. She was to bleed on his cloth tonight as proof of her purity and the Crown Prince’s consummated marriage.

Naeun bit her bottom lip and swallowed thickly.

She was scared. She wasn’t ready to sleep with a man and especially not someone like him.

Tears formed in her eyes as the humiliating moments came back to her that she was so desperate to forget.

She had disliked the questions that the King had thrown at her, that was true.

But nothing had been worse than having been examined by the nurse to check if she was indeed a .

She had been stripped and laid down on a white linen bench as the woman had looked at her body and had touched her there.

Needless to say that this was then followed by the three ladies-in-waiting who had treated and groomed her hair, cut, filed and buffed her nails and scrubbed her skin so raw only to then lather it with a coconut-based paste to smoothen it.

Yes, Naeun had found herself so confused that it made her sick to her stomach.

The treatment she’d received had reduced her to nothing but an object.

A tool or pawn for this Kingdom and castle.

And yet, she couldn’t help but get this odd feeling when thinking of the man with the rich brown eyes, who’d taken her first kiss today.

Before she could work her way up to another bout of anxiety, the door to the chamber suddenly opened and the Crown Prince walked in.

Taemin didn’t waste time and immediately walked into the bed chamber, finding Naeun standing by the foot of the bed in a white silk night grown that only came halfway down her thighs.

The material was sheer, so he could make out the shape of her s but also the rapid breathing that elevated her chest up and down.

The gown itself didn’t come with a robe, however it still had a front-tie waist with white floral embroidery throughout and a lace trim appliqué.

Not being able to help himself, Taemin had no choice but to admit to himself that the sight of her was causing a stir in his groin area.

She was standing here waiting for him.