The King's Lover
Chapter 229: Dinner With The Prince

Chapter 229: Dinner With The Prince

A guard was waiting outside the room when she stepped out. Without saying a word to her, he led her down the stairs. Rose gripped the hem of her dress as she followed after him.

She had chosen the pale purple dress; it was a little lighter than the others, and Rose had chosen it out of the urge of having something familiar with her rather than anything else. The color was starting to feel a little nostalgic, and she knew she needed some kind of comfort tonight.

The guard led her down the stairs and onto the ground floor. Rose couldn’t help but look around as they walked, realizing she had barely been on this floor before. She always took the stairs straight to the crown prince’s floor, and when Thomas gave her a tour, he had been very unhelpful.

The hallway stretched as long as the first floor. The rooms were on the right side, while the opposite wall held torches that lit up the pathway. The sun had set, and it was starting to get dark.

The guard didn’t lead her far down the path before stopping in front of a door. The guard knocked once, then a servant opened the door, and the guard stepped out of the way to let Rose into the dining room.

Rose walked in with hesitation, but it was quite easy to forget her worries at the sight in front of her. The room wasn’t small, and with enough tables and chairs, it could pass off as a hall.

There was only one table in the space. It was located right in the middle, and the table was longer than she was tall. The table was also filled with different dishes, from appetizers to desserts. There was barely any space on the table.

The room was bright with candles and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Rose could count three, and several candelabra were on the table. The space sparkled, and regardless of her nerves, she couldn’t deny how great it looked.

Rose’s gaze fell on the crown prince, who sat with an elbow on the table watching her with an amused expression. He was on the opposite end facing her, and he wore the gold band around his forehead. His brown eyes stared at her as though he wanted to see right into her soul.

Rose shuffled on her feet as she stood close to the door. Even from this distance, she could clearly see how handsome he looked.

"Your Majesty," Rose softly called, bowing. <a href="https://.com">.com

"Have a seat," he said.

Rose nodded and walked forward, picking the seat furthest from the crown prince. She sat down and lifted her gaze to see the crown prince looking at her, the smirk still hanging on his lips.

Rose looked around the room. They weren’t alone. She could count five servants, and it was clear they were all here to serve. Caius moved his fingers, and two servants moved immediately.

One appeared on her side and dished out a decent portion onto her plate and stepped back. Rose glanced at them and then at the crown prince, feeling very out of place.

She still couldn’t figure out why he would ask to eat with her. Didn’t he usually eat with his mother or Prince Rylen?

"You might want to eat to your full. You have got a long night," Caius said with a knowing tone to his voice.

Rose stiffened, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t expect this. Besides, the crown prince had been so lenient last night, she doubted his patience would last for much longer.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Rose said.

Caius raised a brow and dug into his meal. "For what?"

Rose narrowed her eyes, but she couldn’t even be angry. The crown prince did too much for her not to be appreciative—it would be rude. However, she doubted she would ever forget she was in this mess because of him.

"For listening to my request," she stated. "I am grateful."

"You can show your gratitude after the meal. For now, you need all the energy you can get," Caius smirked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Rose said obediently as she started to eat, grateful to Lady Delphine for teaching her eating etiquette. At least she didn’t have to worry about embarrassing herself.

Caius looked surprised at her compliant response, but his expression quickly returned to neutral. He didn’t say anything to her again, and they both slowly ate in silence.

Regardless of how anxious she felt, Rose soon discovered that she didn’t hate sharing a meal with the crown prince. Rose was used to sharing a meal with her parents; only on very rare occasions did she eat by herself.

"How was the appetizer?" Caius asked.

Rose nodded as she wiped the corner of her lips, even as the servant changed out her old plate for a new set with a completely different meal.

"The turnip porridge was really tasty. There was a very nice sweetness to it even through the peppery taste. It was very well done," Rose said with several nods. She was very satisfied with the meal.

The turnip had been mashed and cooked with butter and spices. She could recognize some, but most of them were ones she would have never tasted otherwise. The usual thought of going back to mediocre meals popped into her mind.

Caius gave her a very odd stare before speaking. "You’re right," he agreed.

Rose smiled at him as she adjusted the napkin on her lap and dug into the next course. It was fish soup. Rose couldn’t tell what kind of fish it was, but the smell was very nice. She was about to take a scoop when Caius spoke.

"We will leave for Futherfield in five days," Caius said casually, but his gaze did not leave Rose’s face.

She stopped moving, and the cutlery made a soft clank as it hit the side of the bowl. "I apologize, Your Majesty, but I think I heard wrong. Did you say we?"

"Yes," Caius replied and brought a spoon to his lips.

"Are you sure I should come with you, Your Majesty?" she asked.

"It wouldn’t be the first time you would travel with me. Or would you rather stay here?" he asked, his eyes half closed as he stared at her, as though gauging her.

"No," Rose replied immediately. It would be stupid of her to stay here, and she was glad this option was available. She doubted the crown prince would have let her go home while he was away.

Rose’s expression contorted as she thought of home. She really was a terrible daughter. She hadn’t heard from her parents, and here she was enjoying a meal when her mother was terribly ill and there was only her father to take care of the older woman.

"What’s wrong?" Caius asked.

Rose blinked as she realized she had let her worry slip out of her expression. She smiled, doing her best to make sure it looked genuine.

"I was just wondering why we have to go to Futherfield. I know it is rude for me to ask, but it would be nice to know why." <a href="https://.com">.com

"It’s nothing you should worry about. It’s just important." <a href="https://.com">.com

Rose nodded and resumed eating. The crown prince stared at her for a bit before he turned his attention to his food.