The King's Lover-Chapter 265: Awkward Carriage Ride

"There won’t be any need for that," Caius said in a bland tone as he stared at his cousin. "You can both join the rear guards or the front guards."

"Your Grace, Thomas and I aren’t too much to ride with the carriage, and if the bandits intend to attack the carriage, I doubt they would be deterred because of two riders," Rylen said, returning Caius’s stare. He was not backing down from this.

Caius was clearly irked and he didn’t hide this from his expression. "Anyone can guess who you are with just a glance," Caius stated. "They would be stupid to attack the king’s nephew."

Rylen had very recognizable features. Blond hair that was almost white and striking blue eyes. These were not features one could easily come about in Velmount and that was because Rylen’s mother wasn’t from Velmount.

"I will wear a hood," Rylen replied without hesitation.

Rose watched the exchange and couldn’t help the anxiety that washed over her. Suddenly, Caius turned and looked at her. Rose looked at her feet immediately.

However, she lifted her gaze as something cold landed on her arm. Rose blinked as she looked up. It melted as soon as it made contact. It wasn’t possible that she was seeing things. It definitely explained why she was freezing.

"Do as you like," Caius said and started to take off his coat.

"Thank you, Your Grace," Rylen said with a slight bow.

Caius scoffed and took a step closer to Rose, the coat in his hands. Rose could only see his feet walking closer to her and she fought the urge to take a step back.

He stopped directly in front of her and placed the coat over her shoulders by wrapping his arms around her while looking at Thomas, who was standing behind Rose only two feet away by the carriage door.

"Your Majesty," Rose called, looking left and right at her shoulders before looking up at Caius. If his coat were even an inch longer, it would drag on the ground.

Caius forced his gaze from Thomas and looked at Rose. His hands fell to his side. He glanced at her face—her flushed face from the cold was looking back at him. Caius frowned at the expression on that stared at him. His gaze darkened.

"Get in," he commanded.

Rose didn’t say a word; she just curtsied and tried to step into the carriage. The carriage was pretty high, and she prepared herself to lift her legs as high as they could go. Rose didn’t take the step before she felt arms around her waist as Caius lifted her.

Rose was startled, and it took a lot of restraint not to show just how startled she was. He had picked her up so suddenly, without any prior warning. The same thing he had done with the coat.

Rose sat close to the opposite end of the carriage as she got in with his help. He got in after her and sat across from her. Rose looked out the window, even though it was too dark to see anything.

Her back was as stiff as her body, and she was aware of every move he made. She was starting to think that perhaps it would have been better to ride in the cold than be stuck in this enclosed space with him.

Thomas shut the door after Caius got in, and Rose could hear his footsteps as he walked away from the carriage.

She adjusted the coat on her shoulders, recalling how the crown prince had given it to her. She would have refused if he weren’t the crown prince—and if she wasn’t indeed freezing.

The carriage started moving, and Rose buckled forward at the movement. They moved right to the gates, and Rose kept her gaze glued to the window and her back locked against the carriage seat.

Caius’s stare didn’t waver, and she was starting to wonder if he even blinked. It was weird the way he just stared at her and the air around them was awkward.

The carriage rode out the castle’s huge gates, and Rose felt sentimental. She was determined not to return. She wouldn’t miss it; she just couldn’t help the pull in her chest.

She had the map in her bag, and she intended to keep her ears on the ground. She had also studied it enough to know it like the back of her hand. There was a chance she might lose it.

"What did you do in Lady Delphine’s manor?" Caius suddenly asked.

Rose was completely caught off guard that he would speak to her. It also didn’t help that her train of thought had been about the map. "Your Majesty," she whispered, more as an effort to catch herself rather than not hearing his words.

"Didn’t you request to see the courtesan? Surely, there must have been a reason."

Rose nodded. "Ah, yes. I wanted to see her before we left," she whispered.

"Why?" Caius asked.

"She invited me to her manor," Rose started, as her brain scrambled for some excuse. "I was worried it might be a little too late by the time we returned." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Caius narrowed his eyes at her, and Rose could feel shivers run down her spine. She twisted her fingers together and stared at her lap, wondering if he had some suspicion—that’s why he was asking her all these questions.

"Well, what did you do?" Caius asked with a glare.

Rose adjusted in her seat. "We ate lunch and talked about how she was faring." His questions were starting to get really uncomfortable.

"And yourself?" Caius asked.

Rose nodded. She didn’t have anything to tell him, and she couldn’t even think of a lie at this point.

"Did you ask her to give you anything?" Caius asked.

Rose almost soiled her underwear. "No," she forced out, even though it came out as only a whimper.

Did Thomas tell the crown anything? she wondered in horror. The young lord had not seemed to have heard their conversation. However, Caius seemed to be convinced she had been up to something.

Did he know, and she had just lied to him? But that wasn’t even the worst part. If he knew, her plans were completely ruined.