LOGINKaterina smiled calmly as she slowly closed the door behind her.The soft click of the door closing was enough to make the tension inside the room rise suddenly.Iris remained staring at her without moving.She had not expected to see her here.Especially not now.Especially after everything.Katerina walked calmly across the soft carpet, her eyes slowly taking in the room.The neatly arranged dishes.The fresh flowers.The clothes carefully placed.Even the tea that was still warm.Then her gaze returned to Iris.Her smile had not disappeared.But something very cold was hidden behind it."It seems he takes good care of you."Iris felt a slight tightening in her chest."Katerina..."The other woman interrupted her gently."Don't worry. I'm not going to scream or make a scene."She moved closer."I'm just... curious."Silence settled between them for a moment.Then she tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed directly on Iris."What does it feel like?"Iris became flustered."What?"K
Iris smiled at him tiredly.The exhaustion was more apparent in her eyes than in her features, but she tried to hide it with a small smile.“Nothing… I’m just tired.”Silence fell for a moment.Gabriel did not answer immediately.He looked at her for a long moment, his gaze steady and calm, as though he was not satisfied with her words alone and was trying to read what lay beneath them.Iris felt it and looked away slightly.Then, suddenly, he reached out and gently guided her back onto the bed.It was not a push, but a deliberate movement, as though he had decided for her that she needed to rest.“Sleep,” he said simply.“I’m fine.”He did not answer.He simply adjusted the blanket over her, then stood.For a brief moment, he remained there, looking down at her as she lay in bed.Then he turned and left the room without another word.Iris froze for a moment.She stared at the door.“Strange…”She whispered to herself.This was not how he usually behaved.He normally stayed close, ask
Iris slowly woke up in his arms, her body feeling as though it had been trampled by thousands of horses. Fortunately, she had taken her medicine before the previous night. She lay on the bed, her body enclosed within Gabriel's arms. He held her close in a steady, comforting embrace that wasn't suffocating. The warmth of his presence was the first thing she felt before she fully took in the room around her. The moment she remembered what had happened between them the night before—and the words he had whispered into her ear—her face flushed crimson. She wanted nothing more than to bury her face in a pillow and scream at the top of her lungs, but unfortunately, she was trapped... and far too exhausted. She tried to move her hand slightly. He noticed immediately. He closed the papers resting against his chest, then removed his silver glasses and placed them on the small table beside the bed. He turned to face her. At first, he said nothing. He simply looked at her for a l
He moved closer and spoke in a low voice."Part your lips a little."She hesitated for a moment, her breathing turning uneven before she reluctantly did as he asked. His gaze remained fixed on her, as though he was studying her reaction more than anything else.He kissed her gently at first, then pulled back slightly, watching the flustered expression on her face."You taste different..."Her cheeks immediately turned crimson, and she had no idea what to say.He leaned in again, but this time much more slowly, as if every movement had been carefully calculated. As time passed, the tension in her body gradually eased despite her obvious nervousness."Relax... there's no need to be nervous."His voice was softer than before, less teasing and far gentler.She closed her eyes for a moment, unable to understand exactly what she was feeling."The light... it's too bright.""Leave it. I want to see you more clearly."She fell silent.Then he whispered near her ear,"You're so beautiful, my l
Iris's POVWhen I felt his lips against mine, every negative emotion I had melted away, and I found myself completely absorbed in kissing him back.The men in my village had always tried to seduce me. Every one of them looked at me with burning desire, yet all I ever felt toward them was disgust and fear.But with this handsome man before me...Seeing that intense longing in his eyes made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.If I were ever to lose my purity and my virginity, I wanted it to be with him.Gab cupped my hips and lifted me effortlessly, as though I weighed nothing.My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. I parted my lips to protest after suddenly remembering that this was his wedding night, but he seized the opportunity to deepen the kiss.When that soft warmth slipped into my mouth once again, my knees nearly gave out. I would have collapsed if he hadn't been holding me.Still kissing me—sometimes passionately, sometimes with a tenderness that sooth
Iris's pov: A whole week had passed…A week of watching the palace slowly transform into a place that no longer resembled itself.White flowers carpeted the long corridors, crystal chandeliers were lit since early morning, and servants moved briskly in every corner, as if the world would end if a single minor mistake occurred today.The wedding day of Gabriel and Katrina.Even the air felt different.Heavier.Colder.I stood before the mirror in silence while the maids pinned the final details of the bridesmaid dress around my body. It was soft, a pale silver color, with sheer sleeves and delicate, shimmering embroidery at the waist and chest.It was beautiful.So beautiful that it only made me want to cry more."It is perfect on you, Lady Iris," one of the maids said with a smile.I managed only a forced smile in return. I didn't want to look miserable. Not today. Katrina had always been kind to me. She didn't deserve these ugly feelings from me.But despite that…Every time I remem
The morning was not calm…A violent knock on the door—“Open up!”Iris’s body froze.Lety, who was half asleep, immediately clung to her clothes.They exchanged a silent look.Fear… returned.The knocking repeated, this time stronger.“In the name of the Royal Palace, open the door!”Iris’s eyes wi
They froze in place. In the narrow alley, a huge man was holding another person by the clothes… Then— Stab. Once. Twice. And a third time… without mercy. The sound of flesh being pierced mixed with broken breaths, and drops of blood splattered onto the stone wall. Lety’s eyes wide
Iris woke up early as usual.She looked at Lety sleeping beside her.She gently kissed her forehead, then got up quietly.Lety had insisted the night before on sleeping next to Iris despite having her own bed.In truth… Iris found it cute.It was natural for Lety to act like that, since she was onl
Iris became severely ill after that incident.Her temperature rose to an unprecedented level, as if her body was burning, as though fire was flowing through her veins.Even when she reached adulthood and experienced her first menstrual cycle, she had never suffered from such a violent fever.The la







