CHAPTER 349: SHE LOST

She lost.

Why was she not surprised? However, it had felt as though she could have won, but the feeling was fleeting and Rose didn’t trust it. At least the good thing was she didn’t fail in the first five or ten moves. She had lost count of how many moves they had made by the time he took her King.

The very first few moves were very good for her. She had captured his knight and threatened his queen, which had caused Caius to retreat his queen. However, this move had immediately brought on her downfall and Caius had been brutal as the game carried on.

"Nicely done," Caius said, but there was a scoff in his tone.

However, Rose couldn’t help but notice this was the best compliment he had ever given her. He was always so smug and rude. He also usually wouldn’t stop talking, but this time all he had said was two words.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Rose replied, because what else would she say? Right now, her thoughts were consumed with fulfilling his wish. He had won; she would have to do what was required of her.

Caius locked his gaze on her while Rose kept her eyes on the chessboard and the pieces that lay both inside and outside the board. All her major pieces had been captured, while she had only managed to capture one of his rooks.

The difference was crushing. It didn’t feel like she could beat him even in a thousand games. Still, Rose didn’t want to indulge this negative way of thinking. She should be proud of herself; she had only played this game a couple of times in her lifetime, while the Crown Prince had most likely been playing since he could move the pieces. She wasn’t just losing; she was slowly improving.

She could tell she was much better than when she first started, and her strategies were different. The more comfortable she got with the rules and the easier it was to recall them without thinking too hard, the better she would likely get. It might just take a few hundred games—which was probably far less than all the games the Crown Prince had played in his lifetime.

"Do I have to remind you what the loser should do?" Caius asked impatiently.

Rose actually had a strong urge to laugh. He didn’t change; he still gloated about winning. She thought it was funny. With her current skill, there was no chance that she could ever win a game against him, and Caius should know this, but as always, he couldn’t help but brag.

As the humorous thought faded, Rose winced as his words registered. She already knew what she was supposed to do, but it was strange. She had never kissed Caius on her own before, outside the throes of passion.

Why hadn’t she thought deeply about this? She should have refused and gone to sleep. But the chances of that leading to a similar scenario weren’t slim.

"Little lady," Caius said with a smirk. "Do you understand, or do you need me to state just exactly what you’re supposed to do?"

The Crown Prince was clearly in a jolly mood. He had barely conversed during the game, only occasionally grunting in approval or disapproval, and now he wouldn’t shut up.

"No need for that, Your Majesty. I understand what I am to do," she said and slowly lifted her gaze.

"Good," Caius said and tapped his right thigh.

Rose stared at it in confusion. Did he want her to sit there? It was supposed to be a brief kiss; there was no need for her to sit anywhere. Caius saw the look in her eyes and his smirk widened. Rose couldn’t comprehend why he was so pleased by this.

She entertained the idea of biting him instead of kissing him, but knowing the Crown Prince, he might actually enjoy that, or Rose might lose her tongue. Both options were equally bad.

She placed her knees on the carpet and crawled towards him. She had been sitting with her legs bent for quite some time; she doubted they would obey her outright if she tried to stand, and Rose wanted to buy herself a little time.

She got to where Caius sat, and he spread his legs even wider while he leaned back and watched her with hooded eyes. The air suddenly felt tense and quiet; only the crackling of the fire could be heard.

Rose slowly lifted her upper body. She didn’t want to sit on him, and she certainly didn’t want to kiss him, but as always, those at the bottom had to succumb to the rulings of those on top.

Rose lifted herself and sat on his right thigh as he had requested. She heard Caius take a sharp, short breath as her bum connected with his thigh. He was sturdy, and his leg didn’t even shake a little at her weight.

She knew better than to stall; it would not be to her benefit. Caius got easily distracted, and by the look on his face, she could tell that the wrong move would have her on the ground, her dress hitched up to her waist and him between her legs.

Rose crushed this thought and leaned forward. Why was this so hard to do? Unfortunately, there was nowhere else for her to place her hands as she leaned in for the kiss. Caius was determined not to help her; rather, he laid back, watching her every move.

Rose palmed his chest as she leaned in; the only reason she didn’t close her eyes was that she didn’t want to miss—she would die of embarrassment. Even this was embarrassing in itself.

Their lips touched, and she quickly pulled away. Rose didn’t get far as she felt his arm around her waist, and Caius pulled her against himself as he captured her lips. She shut her eyes as he deepened the kiss.

Eventually, he pulled away, his brown eyes glowing. Rose was heaving, her chest rising and falling in quick succession.

"You’ll only get a free lesson once," Caius said, his grip on the small of her back still tight.