The King's Lover-Chapter 366: Holding Hands

Rose’s eyes flew open as she woke from a deep sleep, but her vision was still obstructed. It took her brain a few moments to comprehend what she was seeing.

Was that someone’s chest?

Suddenly, it clicked, and Rose moved back almost instantly. "Your Majesty," she called when she saw Caius was also awake and watching her.

His arm had been over her body, but as she pulled away, he moved his hand to the back of his head. His chest was on full display as he lay on his back, the robe barely covering anything.

"Not ’castle boy’?" he questioned with a slight raise of his brow.

"Castle boy?" Rose asked with a puzzled expression, and suddenly, memories from the previous night came flooding into her head.

Rose’s eyes widened in horror and embarrassment as conversations from last night flooded her memories. She could clearly remember the incident and her thought process at that time.

There were a lot of instances where she had committed grave crimes. She hadn’t addressed him by his title, had told him multiple times to leave, and had ended the night with "castle boy."

Rose immediately thought about feigning to have no recollection, but she was sure her horrified expression already gave her away. Besides, not remembering wouldn’t save her from the punishment that would follow.

"I am s-so sorry, Your Majesty," Rose said and knelt on the bed. "I-I have no idea what happened. I didn’t mean to be so disrespectful. I never should have taken any wine... I have no excuse for such behavior. Please have mercy."

Rose ranted with her head bent, immediately seeking to remedy what she had done. Not only had she been rude, but she had also asked personal questions. Blatantly talking about his scar and even poking it. She would be lucky if she got away with a light punishment.

Caius, however, didn’t say anything and just watched her. Eventually, Rose lifted her head to see him studying her oddly.

"Your Majesty," she called, fearful. She wanted to know her verdict.

Caius’s eyes moved from her face to where her knees met the bed. "The only time I want you on your knees is..." He paused and moved his gaze down his body, stopping at the morning visitor.

Rose didn’t even have to look to know what she would see. She was instantly annoyed. Here she was, begging for her life, and all he could think about was that.

But she couldn’t overreact. Perhaps it was a good thing that was all he thought about, as he didn’t seem offended by what had happened last night.

"Y-you’re not angry?" she asked softly, gauging him.

"Oh, I am," Caius said with a smile. "I’m sure you know what to do." He ended his words with a smirk, his gaze dropping down her body in a clear, deliberate threat.

Rose paled immediately. Of course. This was the end result. No wonder he had been so lenient the night before; he was just setting the stage to collect his payment as usual.

For a heartbeat, his smirk held. Then, as he watched the color drain from her face, his expression didn’t just darken but the playful malice vanished, replaced by a look of such pure, cold fury that Rose instinctively flinched back.

He ripped the covers back and got out of bed, turning his back to her as if the sight of her was suddenly intolerable. "We have a busy day today. Get ready."

The words were clipped, final and he was out of the room as soon as he spoke, the door shutting with a quiet but definitive click that felt louder than a slam.

Rose blinked at the sound of the door closing. She was stunned and a little confused, but she wasn’t going to dwell on it if the Crown Prince wasn’t going to punish her.

Besides, as she had found, he tended to get his pound of flesh some other way. Dwelling on it would just further ruin her already miserable day.

He had clearly said they had a busy day, and she couldn’t do anything to get out of it. All she could do right now was prepare herself to deal with whatever he had planned. However, it was hard to ignore the last look on his face.

Rose frowned as a thought snuck into her head. She dismissed it. Caius had most likely condoned her behavior the night before because he was equally intoxicated, and the only reason it felt nice was because she was too drunk to realize otherwise, and not because it actually felt nice.

Rose was glad when the maids arrived. They quickly helped her prepare for the day, and soon enough, she was out of her room and ready to head to the dining room.

Just as she stepped out, the door to Caius’s room also opened, and he walked out. He was dressed in a simple linen shirt, some loose pants, boots, and a belt around his waist. His black hair was combed back, giving her a clear view of his face.

As soon as she saw him, Rose’s first instinct was to pretend she didn’t and walk quickly to the dining hall, but knowing that he would be behind her all through the walk to breakfast sounded awful. So she just stood by her door and curtsied while he went past.

However, Caius didn’t pass; rather, he stood right in front of her and stretched out his hand. Rose looked at his hand and then at his face. She smiled tightly, a look of confusion on her features.

"Your Majesty?"

"Shall we head to breakfast together?" he asked, but it didn’t really sound like a question.

No! Rose screamed in her head, but she couldn’t say that. She almost wished she was drunk enough to not care about the consequences.

Also, they could go to breakfast together without holding hands. Why would he even want to hold hands? Rose’s smile managed to hold as she stiffly took Caius’s hand.

His palm felt warm as they touched. It felt a little rough, and she wondered what could have possibly been going through her head when she called him ’castle boy.’ There was nothing weak about Caius; he was as sturdy as a rock.

He squeezed her palm lightly, just enough to gently press on the muscles in her hand. Rose didn’t like how nice that felt. He then pulled her closer, so she had no choice but to walk in step with him.

Rose peeked at him, but his expression didn’t give anything away. He had seemed angry at her when he left the room, but right now it was almost as if that hadn’t happened.

"Does your head ache?" he asked without looking at her.

Rose looked away; she didn’t want to be caught staring. "No," she replied.

She did feel a little weird—not an ache, just a slight lightheadedness. She figured it was the remnant of last night’s drinking.

Caius bent his head and turned it slightly so he could look at her briefly before turning his gaze back to the path. "Good. Sometimes, you can end up with a nasty headache if you drink too much."

"Do you have a headache, Your Majesty?" Rose asked, not because she cared, but because if that was true, the Crown Prince must be in excruciating pain.

Caius laughed. "Do you know how long I have been drinking? I merely took a sip last night."

It was definitely not a sip. While she had taken about two cups, the Crown Prince had finished the whole jar. Two cups had turned her into a completely different person; she didn’t want to think of what the effects of a jar would do, yet he called that a sip.

Also, something else popped into her head at Caius’s question, and she realized she didn’t particularly know how old he was. She couldn’t really guess, but if she were to guess, she would say he was in his late twenties.

However, she didn’t think he was that much older than his cousin—who seemed just slightly older than her—because of how the Crown Prince interacted with Rylen. However, there was no way she could see him being younger than twenty-five.

Rose suddenly missed her step as she was coming down the stairs. Caius quickly pulled her to himself. He let go of her hand and grabbed her waist as she leaned on him. Rose’s chest heaved as she realized the only reason she didn’t fall on her face was that Caius had reacted quickly.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked as he held her still.

"I am sorry, Your Majesty," Rose said and pulled away. "I missed the step."

"I saw that," he stated and looked down at her with an annoyed expression.

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty," she apologized again. He looked really annoyed, and Rose shrank under his stare.

Caius grabbed her hand once again and started walking. "Try not to miss your step this time."

Rose nodded and walked beside him again. The Crown Prince didn’t say much after that, and Rose tried not to let her thoughts drift too much.