The King's Lover
Chapter 256: To The Manor

Chapter 256: To The Manor

Rose paced her room. She forced herself to stop biting the nail of her thumb. The poor thing was sore as chipped but it was hard to do when her only plan had just come crashing down on her face.

Thomas would have been nice to even properly refuse her, not walk out on her—but she didn’t expect anything less from the pompous, spoiled lord. He was somewhat nicer now but he was still an annoying brat.

She wrapped her arms around herself. She was out of time. Tomorrow, they will leave for Futherfield. Things had been awfully quiet, and she hadn’t seen the crown prince in a while.

Should she go to him? Was that really her only option—to rely on the jerk? Rose sighed. She could do it, for her mother. It wasn’t that she couldn’t, but who was to say he wouldn’t tell her no just to spite her?

He had already refused to let her see her mother, and now he wouldn’t even call for her. What was another refusal to him? Rose tried to convince herself that even if he would refuse, she wouldn’t know unless she asked and this matter was too important not to confirm.

She was still in the middle of contemplating this when she heard a knock. It was loud, impatient, and it startled her. "Yes," she said as she walked to the door.

Rose pulled the door open to Thomas’s scowling gaze. Her first thought was that if he kept scrunching his face like that, he would start to look older than he was. Her next thought was What was he doing here?

"What are you do—"

"Let’s go," Thomas said before she could even finish the question.

"Go?" Rose asked, puzzled as she looked around. But it was just Thomas in front of her, excluding the guards.

He glared at her. "Should I assume you are no longer interested in leaving the castle?"

Rose’s eyes widened, and her face broke into a smile. "Really?" she cried happily and would have jumped on Thomas if she weren’t certain he would push her hard enough to slam her head into the wall.

"Tch," he said and turned around.

"Wait," Rose cried and rushed back into the room. She quickly picked up a scarf. She didn’t have a coat or a hat, and it would be suicidal to step out in such weather without any covering.

Rose returned and expected to have to run after the young lord, but he was only a few feet from her door, waiting. He has his back to the wall and his gaze in her direction. Rose smiled when she saw him and walked toward him. She didn’t even reach him before he started walking again.

Rose didn’t try to converse with him, mostly because she feared someone might stop her and tell her she wasn’t allowed to leave the castle because the crown prince had changed his mind, so she just quietly followed Thomas.

They got out of the castle, and the same carriage that had taken her to the wedding was right outside. Rose thought the coachman looked the same, but she didn’t have the time to look at him—she was too anxious.

They got into the carriage, and Rose didn’t move. It wasn’t until they had gone over the drawbridge and past the castle gates that she could finally breathe easy and start smiling again.

Thomas gave her an odd stare as he sat across from her, but when she met his gaze, he looked away.

"Lord Thomas," Rose said sweetly. "Did you ask the crown prince for me?"

Thomas looked at her as though she had lost her mind, then scoffed and turned his head away. "Shut up."

It was brief, but Rose had seen it. Besides, the glares and scowls he sent her way seemed too forced, as though he was trying hard to compensate for something.

"Thank you," she whispered as she rested her head against the carriage. "I wouldn’t be out now if it weren’t for you."

Thomas glanced at her, his eyes lingering just a moment longer than necessary. Then he folded his hands and turned away. Rose smiled to herself when she saw the tip of his ear redden as he looked away.

She knew he liked praise and made a mental note to find something to praise him about whenever she could. She never would have thought a day would come when Thomas would be partially on her side. She didn’t think he was all the way there just yet, but she was fine with this.

Rose wrapped the scarf around her neck. It was noon, but it was still chilly. She knew the weather would only get worse from here. She tucked her hands by her sides by wrapping her arms around herself. She should have worn gloves, but she’d barely had enough time to grab a scarf.

The journey to Lady Delphine’s manor wasn’t too far. She was sure she would get there before she froze to death. She had chosen noon as she knew the house would be awake now.

She wondered if Lady Delphine would be happy to see her. What would the lady say when she heard of Rose’s plan? She felt really bad dragging her into this, but she didn’t have much of a choice.

Thomas occasionally glanced at Rose. The fact that she seemed cold was not something he could easily ignore. She rubbed her arms, her palms, and then blew warm breath on them.

His first thought was to give her his coat, but it wasn’t his fault she didn’t think to bring one. She was heading out of the castle. What did she think was going to happen?

Rose turned to look at him and smiled when their eyes met, and Thomas glared at her.

Did she always smell like flowers?

He turned away. He was just taking her to the courtesan’s manor. Her state of well-being was not his concern.