The lesson continued without event and soon it was ti for lunch break. Thankfully, the first lesson was over. I truly needed a break from this whole stressful and suffocating situation. Having Ren in the sa room and observing was truly distracting and unnerving.
“Are you hungry? Isn’t it about ti for lunch?” Ren said with a gentle smile.
For so reason, Ren was being extra nice and caring towards today; not that I had anything to complain regarding that matter.
“I guess...I am a little hungry,” I replied.
“Great. Let’s have lunch together. We haven’t had much ti in private lately,” Ren suggested joyfully.
“Yea...isn’t that because soone here left for a full week and didn’t even bother to tell ...” I said, sulkily.
“Are you sulking?” Ren teased.
“Who’s sulking?” I muttered as I pouted at him.
“Well, I’ll find so way to make it up to you,” Ren said.
“Hmm...” I made an unconvinced sound.
“Please leave us. I’ll be having lunch with, Rin,” Ren ordered for Jeely to leave.
I saw a flash of surprise cross Jeely’s face and then for a split of a second, she seed flustered; however, in the next instance her face was fully composed once more as she bead a breathtakingly beautiful smile at Ren and nodded in acknowledgent.
“Yes, crown prince. Please enjoy your al,” Jeely said in a sweet voice before bowing politely.
With graceful and practiced movent, Jeely headed for the door and left the room.
“Finally, we’re alone,” Ren said with satisfaction as soon as Jeely left the room.
“I couldn’t concentrate at all during the lesson...and it’s your fault!” I began complaining imdiately.
“How is that my fault?” Ren asked coldly.
“You were always staring at ...” I said with dissatisfaction.
“You were supposed to be performing the art of serving tea, so yes, it’s sothing that we’re all supposed to watch,” Ren said with an exasperated sigh.
“Regardless! Having you watch made it so much harder...” I continued with my protest.
“Don’t worry too much, Rin. Nobody starts out perfect,” Ren said before he grinned at .
I felt like I was behind the learning curve for these sorts of things though. I bet if it was sothing to do with dicine or mathematics then I wouldn’t be this slow.
“I honestly...don’t think I have the talent for it,” I said bluntly.
“I agree,” Ren said emotionlessly.
I gasped in shock.
“Can’t you be a little nicer about it? Don’t just co out and say that I have no talent...” I said in disbelief at his lack of consideration.
“What’s wrong? I was just agreeing with your prior statent,” Ren said as he shrugged.
I rolled my eyes at him. We sat opposite each other as we waited for the maids to serve us lunch. Ren seed to be in a very jovial mood as he patiently sipped at his tea. It wasn’t long before the maids entered the room and started serving us lunch. The lesson left feeling very hungry and I appreciated the break. I didn’t want to sound like a lazy student but to be honest, I wasn’t look forward to my lessons in the afternoon at all.
I sighed silently to myself; however, Ren did not miss my sigh.
“Why the sigh?” Ren asked as he looked up at from the rim of his teacup.
“No...I shouldn’t tell you...” I muttered. He would just make fun of again.
“Just say it...” Ren said impatiently.
“I’m bored...of all the lessons...” I admitted.
“I have so work to do in the afternoon,” Ren replied.
“You should go then. There’s no need for you to hang around here all the ti,” I said understandingly.
Actually, I would prefer if he left. Having Ren here was distracting from my lessons. It wasn’t that I cared so much about my lessons but his presence put an imnse pressure on and it was starting to drain away all of my energy.
“I was thinking that you should co with ,” Ren said as if it was nothing.
“Co with you...where?” I asked, not quite following his line of thought.
“My palace, of course,” Ren replied like it was supposed to be obvious.
“Your palace?” I asked, intrigued.
I have never been to Ren’s palace before, and I didn’t even know where it is. Ren lived in his own palace separated from the area of his inner court and as far as I could figure out, won of his inner court were not allowed to go there unless they were invited by Ren.
“Are you tricking to skip classes in the afternoon?” I asked, teasingly.
My joke was successful because Ren laughed quite loudly. It made feel pleased to see him relax and enjoy himself. I’m sure that he’s been working very hard and he also ntioned that he had work to do in the afternoon, so I guess the emperor did not give Ren a holiday today either.
“Don’t you dare talk like you’re enjoying your classes...” Ren said, with a chuckle.
“Guess I can’t hide it from you, huh?” I said, faking an overly exaggerated sigh which just made Ren laugh so more. Of course, I hated my classes. I just told him that I found them boring.
“ssing up sothing simple like serving tea...that is so like you...” Ren teased.
“Yea yea...enough already!” I cried out in annoyance.
“Haha...you’ll get there one day, don’t worry...” Ren said reassuringly.
“I’m not going to get any better at it if I skip class,” I retorted.
“Then let’s skip class. I can live with you being unladylike,” Ren said as he started eating.
“You better keep your word and I better not hear any complaints later...” I muttered before I started eating as well.
Ren got up once we had finished eating our lunch and offered a hand. I smiled as I took his hand and he led out of the room.
Since I was afraid that Jeely would wonder where I had disappeared to, I asked one of the maids to tell her that I wouldn’t be attending the lessons in the afternoon because I had sothing to do with Ren. After leaving that ssage, Ren led by the hand through the exit of his inner court.
--To be continued...
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