The King's Lover-Chapter 380: Ignoble

"Will you punish Thomas?"

Caius heard this question and his mood immediately soured. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at Rose. However, compared to before, it wasn’t as intensely annoying—perhaps it was because of what had happened since he got injured.

It was slow, but he could see the shift; he could tell things between him and Rose weren’t exactly the same. It was just a few days, and the change between the first time they met again in Castle Catherine and now was profound.

Her actions weren’t just filled with fear, there was concern and care. With a little more push, he would get exactly what he wanted.

As of now, she was helping him eat and asking about his injury. She was clearly worried, and he knew that with time she would only see him. He just had to play his part right.

So, he didn’t get mad; rather, he was curious as to what he could get out of the situation. Just how dire did she think it was, and what would she be willing to do to remedy it?

"And if I say yes," Caius began, his eyes looking her up and down.

Rose shivered at his stare. "You can’t do that, Your Majesty," she pleaded.

"We both know I can," Caius leaned back in his seat as he spoke. His tone was laced with authority as though to remind her exactly who she was dealing with.

Rose grabbed the hem of her dress and squeezed. She didn’t mean to ask about Thomas; she had just blurted the first thing on her mind, and she could clearly see it was a bad idea.

"I am sure he didn’t mean to be disrespectful; he just wanted to make sure you were treated properly," Rose explained as she nervously fiddled with her dress.

"You seem to know exactly what he was thinking. Did he share his plan with you?"

Rose’s eyes widened in horror. The Crown Prince was trying to paint her as an accomplice. "No, Your Majesty, it’s just pretty clear to see..." Her voice dwindled to a whisper.

"Expatiate."

"What?" Rose fearfully asked.

"You said it was clear to see. Why do you think so?"

Rose wasn’t sure how to explain this. It felt like she had purposely dug a pit and jumped into it. She was now worried for herself and not just Thomas.

"I know Thomas wouldn’t do anything against you; he is loyal to the crown." Rose didn’t even know what she was saying at this point; she was just spitting words.

Caius smiled, and Rose felt a little bit of relief, but not quite. He didn’t seem completely satisfied yet, but at least he wasn’t as angry.

"Maybe you’re right, but it doesn’t justify what he did. He went behind my back and wrote a letter to the capital. Are you saying this isn’t grounds enough for a punishment?"

He scratched at his stubble as he spoke. His eyes didn’t miss a single thing as he stared at her.

"No, Your Majesty. I meant that you should temper justice with mercy." She bent her head.

"Hmm," Caius called, stroking his jaw.

Suddenly, he leaned forward, forcing her head up with his uninjured hand so that she would look at him. "I might consider it on one condition."

Caius licked his lips as he spoke and then smirked. Rose felt cold; it was clear that whatever his condition was had nothing to do with Thomas. He wanted something from her.

"W-what would that condition be?" Rose asked as she looked everywhere but his eyes.

Caius didn’t say anything for a bit; he just stared at her while still holding onto her face. The cold stung deep, and Rose felt herself grow smaller. The situation wasn’t any different; she was still very much under his thumb, and he would do anything to have his way.

"You can’t ask to leave my chambers to go to your chambers anymore."

"What?" Rose asked, finally looking at his eyes. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Caius frowned as their eyes met. "Did you not hear me?" he questioned.

"No, Your Majesty. Is that all?" she asked in disbelief.

It wasn’t as though anytime she asked he would let her go. He still did as he wanted. Telling her not to ask made no difference.

"Yes, unless..." he paused as his eyes looked down the front of her chest.

Rose pulled her head back and shook it. "No, that’s fine, Your Majesty."

Caius smirked and leaned back. Rose then realized he was messing with her. He probably wasn’t even angry about the Thomas situation.

However, she was also equally angry at herself for feeling relieved at his request. Just because he didn’t ask for her body didn’t make it less ignoble, but it was easier to think this than to believe otherwise.

He didn’t say anything more, and she awkwardly turned away. It was weird that he wanted her to spend all this time in his presence. Rose didn’t get it, and she doubted she ever would.

"We will leave for Hearthgale in about two weeks," Caius suddenly blurted.

"Oh," Rose turned to look at him. She knew the time she had in Castle Catherine was short, but she hadn’t expected it to be this short.

"You don’t sound very pleased."

"No, Your Majesty, I..."

"You don’t have to lie. I hate it too, but all good things must come to an end."

Rose couldn’t remember when she ever said any part of this was good, but from the looks of things, it was about to get worse. She hated the castle, but as always, she wasn’t about to get much of a choice. She would have to embark on a journey to the castle with the Crown Prince.

"You don’t have to worry about anything," Caius stated.

Rose turned to look at him. She couldn’t say exactly what was going through her mind; he wouldn’t listen, and even if he did listen, he wouldn’t understand.

"Yes, Your Majesty."