The King's Lover-Chapter 442: Forever.

Rose was at her desk when the crown prince returned for the night. He was dressed in his robes, but instead of slipping his arms through the sleeves, he let the top part hang down while the ropes remained around his waist, essentially leaving him topless.

Rose didn’t even lift her head as he entered; she had her gaze locked on the table. She had only managed to finish her tasks just before he walked through the passageway, and she was making sure nothing was wrong before he sat down.

"Your Majesty," she called without lifting her head as his shadow fell on the table.

"Rose," he said stiffly, annoyed that she wasn’t paying him any attention.

Rose grunted in response but didn’t lift her head. She noticed his shadow moving across the table to the other side but barely heard his footsteps. Rose couldn’t figure out how he did it.

She wondered whether it had anything to do with the training he had undergone. She couldn’t help thinking he would easily infiltrate anywhere. Rose shook her head at this thought. His size would certainly give him away.

He pulled up next to her, sitting on the chair that she had placed for him. He peered over her shoulder as he watched her. "Still at it?" he asked with a mocking tone.

"No," Rose said and handed the papers to him.

"Good, because that would have meant you failed."

Rose tried not to shake her head. It was pretty clear the crown prince enjoyed his role as her tutor, and even though she hated the extra work, Rose wasn’t complaining. If it meant she would learn to read faster, then she was willing to do it.

He went through the tasks quickly before he started her lessons for the day. After that, Caius was quick to give her another task for the next day, but this time around he was lenient and didn’t give her as many as he had the day before.

"Shall we play a game?" he asked after they were done.

Rose nodded. Last night they had only been able to play one game before calling it a night, and with how much Caius liked playing, she wasn’t surprised he had requested it.

"Your move," he said.

Rose glanced at him before moving her piece—it was always her move. She knew he was basically giving himself a handicap, but that didn’t change the odds. She wondered if things would be different if he played first.

Rose winced as she realized she had never seen him play first. What piece would he move first? Was he strategic from the first play, or did it not matter to him?

"It’s my move, yet you’re the one with a serious expression."

"I realized I have never seen you move a chess piece first. I don’t know what move you’d make if you were to start a game, but you know all of mine."

Caius smiled at this. "Would you like to see?"

"Yes," Rose stated.

"Perhaps when you win, then. Your turn."

Rose stared at him with a blank expression. "Does Your Majesty enjoy making a fool out of me?" she asked.

"Far from it," he said with a chuckle. "It’s fun when you take the lead. I never know how the game will go until you play."

"Isn’t that how games usually work?" Rose asked with a frown.

"Perhaps, but I know I will win. Not knowing how keeps me entertained."

"Don’t you think you’re being a little too confident?" she asked as she captured one of his pieces.

"Am I?" he asked as he blocked her path.

Rose visibly reacted. He didn’t make things easy for her, and she preferred this, so when she finally won, she knew it wasn’t because he went easy on her. However, she couldn’t help but wonder how much longer it would take for that to happen.

She rolled her eyes at him and made her move, but she could tell she couldn’t win this round. And as if to prove it to her, Caius no longer drew out the game.

"Checkmate," he stated proudly.

"I can see that," Rose said as she started to rearrange the pieces. "Would Your Majesty be willing to start now?"

"No, Rose. It wouldn’t be fair."

Rose rolled her eyes. As if the crown prince knew what fairness was. He probably enjoyed the idea that her efforts were futile against him.

Still, she would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy playing with him. Regardless of the outcome, Rose knew she was getting better, and more importantly, he was taking her seriously.

Their games weren’t as relaxed as they once were. He was focused, and his play didn’t seem half-hearted. There were clearly thoughts behind each move, and regardless of his nonchalant tone, he knew that if he made one wrong move, she would win.

"Or perhaps Your Majesty worries that I might win, so you give yourself a handicap so you’d have an excuse when that happens."

Caius looked at her with a mix of disbelief and confusion. "Is that what you think?"

Rose shrugged as she made her move. "I simply wonder why you won’t play first."

"I do not worry about victory, Rose. Not when I am certain of it. You’re getting better, but you’re still not that good."

Rose aggressively moved her piece. It was obvious that nothing she said would shake him. He was pretty confident that he would win, and that was that.

"I meant in comparison to me. At your level, you could beat a lot of people," he added when he noticed her expression.

Rose frowned, wondering if he had said that to cheer her up. "No need to patronize me, Your Majesty. You just said I am not that good."

"Because you only play against me."

"And whose fault is that?"

Caius’s expression soured. "Would you rather play with someone else?"

Was he getting angry about the idea of her playing chess with someone else? What was wrong with the crown prince? There had to be a limit to his possessiveness.

"I didn’t say that, Your Majesty. I simply said you don’t have to patronize me. Besides, losing has never deterred me." Rose glanced at him with a knowing expression, as if to say he wouldn’t understand.

Caius simply nodded. "Good. I’d hate to lose my chess partner."

"Considering Your Majesty intends to keep me, I doubt that would ever happen," Rose blurted.

It wasn’t until she saw Caius’s expression that she realized what she had just said, but he didn’t seem offended. Instead, he just said one word.

"Forever," he whispered as he locked eyes with her.

Rose felt a shiver down her spine as he spoke. His gaze was intense and she knew without a doubt that he meant what he said.