The King's Lover-Chapter 443: His Influence

It had been a few days since the crown prince told her he intended to keep her forever. Rose still avoided thinking about it. Perhaps because it highlighted her helplessness, or because it would bring other things to light—things that she didn’t want to admit.

Caius, on the other hand, was clearly happier, especially since she no longer brought up leaving, and she could clearly see him enjoy every moment they spent together. But Rose was still unsure what she wanted.

Did she truly want to remain in the castle as nothing but a mistress?

Before their exchange after returning from Lady Delphine’s residence, all she had thought about was leaving. She had been praying for the perfect opportunity to finally be free from the crown prince, praying that he would let her go.

But in the past few days, she seemed to enjoy her captivity. She glanced toward the wardrobe where the drug lay. She had already used a substantial amount since she refilled. Rose tasted bile.

Has his influence impacted me so much that I am satisfied with his measly offer?

Rose palmed her face. These were the things she didn’t want to think about. She knew she didn’t love the crown prince; she was almost certain of that, but the lack of complete certainty unnerved her.

Why would she care about such a selfish brat? Why did the idea that he no longer saw her as a conquest matter? Why did his pleading words that she should stay mean anything?

He wasn’t even pleading; he admitted to not giving her a choice. Was this the sort of thing she liked? Or had spending too much time in a lunatic’s presence turned her into this?

Rose let out a startled sound, her entire body shaking as a knock sounded on her door. She was embarrassed at her reaction, even though there was nobody to see. She knew the reason she had reacted like that was because she was thinking about the crown prince, and that annoyed her further.

She jumped out of the chair where she had been sitting by her desk, doing her task for the day. Rose slowly walked toward the door, wondering who could be there.

It wasn’t noon yet, which meant it couldn’t be her maids, unless they had something to tell her. Rose frowned; she had noticed that things were quieter around, and even Welma didn’t have anything new to tell her.

She had tried to pry, but the maid kept insisting she had nothing to say and that the queen hadn’t summoned her in nearly a week. Rose found that hard to believe, but Welma had no reason to lie, and she trusted the maid.

She slowly unlocked her door and pulled it open to see Lord Thomas. His brown hair had a gleam, as though he had applied some hair oil, and the partial wetness made it stand out more.

"Lord Thomas," Rose called out, shocked to see him.

"Rose," he said, and stepped into the room.

"I thought you said you’d be away for more than a week. It’s only been five days."

She did notice that he didn’t look any different from when he left, except a little tanned. The task must not have been difficult. Since he was back earlier than expected, she suspected it went smoothly.

"Six," he replied. "I left as soon as I told you."

"Where did you go?" she asked.

"I had to run an errand outside the castle," he replied. "His Majesty ordered me to take you to Lady Delphine’s residence."

The change in topic caught Rose off guard, but the new information was even more shocking. "He said that?"

Thomas nodded and didn’t offer any explanation. Rose could remember saying she didn’t need to go right now, but she wasn’t eager to decline. It had been a little while since she saw Lady Delphine, and at her manor, she could at least walk around the compound and not remain in this room like a captive.

"Right now?" she asked.

"If you’re ready, it would be best to leave now so we can return by nightfall."

Rose didn’t miss his insinuation—she couldn’t spend the night outside the castle. Caius would lose his mind. She was still surprised he would do this, and she felt sorry for Thomas, who had just gotten back.

"Okay," she said and nodded to him.

Even though she didn’t leave her room, Rose always made sure to dress appropriately, and her maids had prepared her for the day. She walked out of the room, changing her mind about getting a scarf; it was warmer now, she wouldn’t need it.

Thomas led her through the side door as usual, where the carriage was waiting, and she got in. As soon as they were both seated, the carriage started to move.

The journey was pretty smooth, and Rose occasionally peeked out of the curtains to enjoy the sights as they sped around town. She could hear voices as they passed the marketplace: sellers announcing their products to draw customers, customers haggling that the price was too much.

It had been so long since she went to the market herself. Rose did enjoy running errands, and she wondered when she would be able to do that again. She turned her head away from the window to see Thomas looking at her with a strange expression.

It was hard to explain, somewhere between thoughtful and excited. Rose hadn’t thought too much about this unexpected trip to Lady Delphine’s house, or Thomas telling her he would be away for a while when there was no need for him to do that.

"You said you had to go out of the capital—" Rose began.

"We are here," Thomas interrupted, looking out of the curtains.

"Yes," Rose said with a frown, wondering why he would cut her off in that manner.

She looked out the window just in time to see the gates open, but Rose saw the strangest thing, and for a moment, she concluded that she was dreaming, because there was no way that was real.

Their eyes met, and he smiled. If the carriage weren’t moving, Rose would have bolted out of it.

"Fat’er!"