“Are you okay?” James asks with concern, although he’s not quite succeeding at hiding the amusement in his voice.

“Yeah,” I say as my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. The door is light enough to not hurt my head when it hits me, but it does hurt my pride.

“It’s time for dinner,” he says, “but I see you’re more interested in my personal things than food.”

“I was just… I heard some noises.” My heart beats furiously inside my chest.

I curse myself. How could I have been so stupid, so oblivious to my surroundings? I should’ve heard James coming in here—and then maybe there would’ve been enough time for me to pretend I was doing something innocent.

“Of course you did,” he says with a small smile that tells me he doesn’t buy my lie.

And so, defeated, I start to follow the prince out of the office.

Abruptly, he stops and turns around. “Do you want to take that candelabra to dinner, too? I mean, it’s skinny as hell, but I think that’s just the way it’s supposed to be.”

Quietly, I put down the golden three-armed candelabra back on the shelf and walk behind the prince down the long hallways.

As I watch his back, I wonder what he needs all that surveillance equipment for, and why he lives here, so far away from the capital. If I were him, I’d spend my time traveling and doing exciting stuff in big cities—not waste away in a quiet castle in the middle of nowhere.

I’ve never been one to follow celebrity news, and I’m cursing myself right now for that. I’ve always preferred romance novels; they have more interesting storylines.

Also, I didn’t think the information in gossip tabloids would ever become useful or relevant in my life… Ironic, huh?

And now that I don’t even have Internet access, I can’t do any research about him.

All I know is Prince James is the king’s firstborn son, so he’s technically the crown prince and the future king.

But after he got implicated in a scandal a few years ago, with his ex claiming domestic abuse, he fell out of favor with his own father, the king. Since then, he’s rarely been seen or heard in public, especially after his mother’s death and the king’s second marriage.

I wonder what the prince’s life is like. His mother died, and his own father doesn’t care about him. It must be lonely, especially here, in this big, empty castle surrounded only by the royal family’s employees.

Is he always alone here? Does he have guests? Does he eat alone most nights?

I often eat alone, because my sisters have finished eating by the time I usually get home from work, and my father is away for work so much. But sometimes we do have meals as a family.

Today, I had my breakfast at the garden and Albert served me lunch in my bedroom, where I was hiding from the prince. I was planning to also have dinner in my room so I wouldn’t have to face the prince, but there’s no escape now.

James seems to have a talent for trapping me in impossible situations, making me do things outside my plans. I’m not used to it. And I don’t like it.

But all my embarrassment and annoyance evaporate when we reach the dining room.

This is another cavernous room with dark, rich paneling on the walls, decorated with big paintings. Most of this room is darkened, except for a long table, over which hangs a brightly shining chandelier.

The sight of the food takes my breath away.

Plates and bowls stretch from one end to the other end of the table, while waiters wearing white gloves wait to serve us. Two tall, golden candelabras are placed on the table, letting me see the white steam rising from the food.

My mouth waters as the tempting aromas reach my nostrils. I smell meat, cheese, and some kind of a smoky scent.

“Dinner is served,” Albert says as he gestures toward the table. His proud expression tells me he knows how impressive this spread is.

“Thank you,” I say absentmindedly, my attention still mostly focused on the food while I approach the table. One waiter pulls my chair back for me and slides it back in as I take my seat.

The lunch I had was good, but it was one plate of spaghetti.

This, though?

I’m almost glad I came out of my room for this—and that Prince James found me snooping in his office.

I cast my glance at him and catch him staring at me. He seems unfazed by the fact that I know he’s watching me, but he quickly tries to hide the smile he’s wearing.

He clears his throat. “Albert doesn’t often have guests to serve, so he tends to go a bit overboard,” he explains awkwardly, obviously trying to draw attention away from the strangely tender expression he was wearing just a few seconds ago.

Under the flickering candle-light, everything looks magical. It’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. Maybe I just imagined that smile, or that gentle gaze.

“Maybe you don’t appreciate my effort, Sir,” Albert says to Prince James, “but I’m sure Rose does.”

“I do, Albert. This is beautiful. Thank you for your hard work.” I give him a smile.

“You’re very welcome, Rose. I assure you, the food tastes even better than it looks,” Albert says proudly. “The special items tonight are beef ragout and cheese soufflé. When you’re ready for dessert, we have some puddings that we’ll flambé in front of you.”

“Dinner and a show. Albert, you’re an artist,” I say.

“Oh, thank you, Rose. You’re too kind.” The lighting is too dim to be sure, but I can almost swear that Albert is blushing from the simple compliment.

As both the prince and I start to eat, the presence of Albert and the two waiters help me feel more at ease. At least I’m not alone with the prince, and he won’t try to seduce me with all these people around.

I’m so relieved. Maybe it’s okay for me to come out at meal times after all.

If the food is always going to be like this, I probably should. Everything tastes perfect. All the colors, the textures, the rare ingredients… I’ve never had food this decadent in my life.

When my one month here is up, I probably won’t ever get another chance to enjoy this kind of food, so I might as well enjoy it while I can.

I glance at James at the other end of the table. The flickering candlelight casts warm light and dramatic shadows on his handsome features. With his tailored business suit and good looks, he looks like he belongs in this opulent palace.

Albert and the two waiters do too, of course, but in a different way. While the staff appears professional, the prince comes across as powerful. It only takes one look to see that he’s the master of this palace.

On the other hand, I’m still wearing the borrowed dress from this morning, and I have no idea what to do with the many silver forks, spoons, and knives lined up in front of me.

I’m far from graceful. I’m willing to bet that I look like a sore thumb in this palatial dining room.

So why does Prince James take an interest in me?

How did he know that I’m the daughter of the man who took shelter in this palace during the storm?

How did he know that I’d come here to take my father’s place? Neither one of my sisters would come, had the prince contacted them.

Has he been spying on me?

Was he looking for me, that night we first met at the club?

Was it even our first meeting, or did we ever come across each other before that?

Why me?

Did the prince engineer this whole scenario?

Was it ever about the rose?

So many questions are swimming in my head right now, but I can’t bring myself to speak them out and demand some answers from the prince.

On one hand, I feel like these are questions I should ask in private.

I mean, Albert is going through the list of ingredients of the beef ragout right now. This doesn’t seem like the right time to bring up something serious. Besides, I don’t want the entire palace staff to know I secretly want to be spanked and dominated.

On the other hand, the thought of being alone with the prince scares the hell out of me.

But this is only my first day here. There are twenty-nine left to go, and I’m sure I’ll get better at dealing with the prince as time goes by.

For now, I’ll just enjoy the food, the palace, and the friendly staff.

And I’ll keep as much distance as I can from the prince.